When the first frost hits, most people reach for Mariah Carey or Michael Bublé. It’s a Pavlovian response. But late-night host Jimmy Fallon decided to throw a wrench in that tradition with his 2024 release, Holiday Seasoning. Honestly, the title alone tells you exactly what you're getting into—a bit of kitsch, a lot of guest stars, and a heavy dose of that "Tonight Show" energy.
It's a weird project. But in a good way?
Most celebrities release a holiday record as a low-effort cash grab. They cover "White Christmas," phone in a duet, and call it a day. Fallon didn't do that. Instead, he spent roughly three years piecing together an album of entirely original songs. We’re talking 16 tracks (expanding to 26 on the 2025 Sweater Deluxe edition) that range from genuine pop earworms to sketches that feel like they were written in the SNL writers' room at 3:00 AM.
The Guest List is Absolute Overkill
If you have a talk show, you have a Rolodex. Fallon clearly used it.
The star power on Holiday Seasoning is actually kind of offensive. You’ve got Ariana Grande and Megan Thee Stallion on the pandemic-era throwback "It Was A… (Masked Christmas)." Then there’s Justin Timberlake—obviously—joining in for "You’ll Be There." It’s a 1970s-style yacht rock ballad that sounds like it should be played while wearing a turtleneck on a boat in the Hamptons.
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But the real highlight might be "Holiday" with the Jonas Brothers.
It’s basically a disco track.
It has this heavy Chic-inspired bassline that makes you forget you’re listening to a guy who once famously broke character in every sketch he was in. It’s catchy. Like, "I'm going to hum this while buying groceries" catchy.
Who else showed up?
- Dolly Parton: She lends her legendary pipes to "Almost Too Early for Christmas," a song for the people who start decorating on November 1st.
- Meghan Trainor: Her track "Wrap Me Up" actually did numbers on the charts, peaking at #4 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100.
- Will Ferrell: He shows up for "One Glove," which is exactly as chaotic as you’d expect a Will Ferrell Christmas song to be.
- "Weird Al" Yankovic: He joins The Roots for the "New Year’s Eve Polka (5-4-3-2-1)," because you can't have a comedy album without the king of the genre.
Is It Actually Good or Just Loud?
That's the big question, right?
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If you go into this expecting a serious musical masterpiece, you’re going to have a bad time. Will Hodgkinson of The Times famously called it "one of the most annoying Christmas albums in history." He wasn't a fan of the heavy autotune. And yeah, the autotune is everywhere. It’s baked into the aesthetic.
But for others, that's the point.
It’s meant to be silly. Take "Chipmunks & Chestnuts." It’s a song that basically repeats the title over and over again with weird sound effects. It’s grating if you’re looking for The Nutcracker, but it’s hilarious if you’re three eggnogs deep at a family party.
Then there’s "Coquito," an ode to the Puerto Rican holiday drink. Fallon apparently fell in love with it a decade ago and decided it needed a theme song. It's short, punchy, and strangely educational for anyone who doesn't know the difference between eggnog and coconut-based spirits.
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The Strategy Behind the Seasoning
Fallon didn't just drop the album and walk away. This was a full-court press.
He launched a dedicated website selling everything from $85 deluxe vinyl sets to a 252-piece jigsaw puzzle of him putting a cassette tape into a cake. He even aired a holiday special on NBC called Jimmy Fallon’s Holiday Seasoning Spectacular in December 2024.
The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard Comedy Albums chart. It also hit #2 on the Top Holiday Albums chart.
It’s fascinating because it fills a niche. It’s "Comedy Pop." It isn't just a stand-up special and it isn't just a pop record. It’s something in between. Some songs, like "Thanksgiving Eve," actually try to tap into a genuine sentimentality—the feeling of going back to your hometown bar the night before the big turkey dinner.
Making the Most of Holiday Seasoning
If you're planning to add this to your December rotation, here is how to actually enjoy it without getting a headache:
- Skip the "skit" tracks for your main playlist. Songs like "Holiday" and "Wrap Me Up" belong on the party mix. "Chipmunks & Chestnuts" should probably be reserved for when you want to annoy your siblings.
- Check out the Deluxe versions. The Sweater Deluxe reissue adds tracks like "Ugly Sweater" with Carter Faith, which leans a bit more into the country-pop vibe.
- Watch the videos. Half the fun of a Fallon project is the visual. The music videos for these tracks are essentially high-budget "Tonight Show" segments.
- Embrace the absurdity. This isn't a "serious" album. It's a comedy host having a blast with his famous friends. If you stop taking it seriously, the 38-minute runtime flies by.
Whether you find it charming or "hot garbage" (as some Reddit users colorfully put it), you can't deny the effort. Fallon didn't just cover the hits; he tried to create new ones. In a world of recycled holiday content, that’s at least worth a listen.