It was late 2011. The world was gripped by a very specific, high-pitched phenomenon. If you weren’t there, it’s hard to describe the absolute chokehold 17-year-old Justin Bieber had on pop culture. He was right in that transition period—the hair was still kind of "the swoop," but the voice was dropping, and he was desperately trying to prove he was more than just a YouTube kid.
Then came the Christmas album.
Usually, holiday records are where careers go to hibernate. They're safe. They're boring. But Justin Bieber Under the Mistletoe songs were different. They were high-budget, weirdly experimental, and featured collaborations that, on paper, made zero sense. I mean, Busta Rhymes? On a song about a little drummer boy? Honestly, it shouldn’t have worked. Yet here we are, over a decade later, and these tracks still flood the charts every December like clockwork.
The Chaos of "Drummer Boy" and Other Unlikely Collabs
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. Or rather, the Busta Rhymes in the room.
When people think of the Justin Bieber Under the Mistletoe songs, the conversation usually starts and ends with "Drummer Boy." It is, by all accounts, a chaotic masterpiece. Bieber isn't just singing "pa-rum-pa-pum-pum" here. He’s rapping. He’s playing live drums. He’s spitting lines about being "so tight I might go psycho."
And then Busta Rhymes shows up.
It’s a 100-mph hip-hop techno track masquerading as a Sunday school classic. Busta raps about Twitter messages and holiday dinners. It sounds like two different songs fighting each other in a blender, but it’s so earnest that you can’t help but respect the audacity.
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Then you have "All I Want for Christmas Is You (SuperFestive!)." This wasn't just a cover; it was a "duet" with the Queen of Christmas herself, Mariah Carey. Mariah actually re-recorded her vocals for this version. Critics at the time were skeptical—The Guardian basically said the guests outclassed Bieber—but the fans didn't care. It was the first time a male artist debuted a Christmas album at number one on the Billboard 200. That’s a massive flex for a kid who wasn't even old enough to buy a beer in the States yet.
Why "Mistletoe" Became a Modern Standard
While the collaborations got the headlines, the title track "Mistletoe" did the heavy lifting. Written by Nasri Atweh and Adam Messinger (collectively known as The Messengers), it’s a simple, acoustic-driven pop song.
It doesn’t try too hard.
Most Christmas songs are overproduced with enough sleigh bells to cause a migraine. "Mistletoe" is just a kid with a guitar. It feels closer to Jack Johnson than Bing Crosby. The lyrics are peak teen romance: "I should be playing in the winter snow / But I'ma be under the mistletoe."
- Factual Nugget: As of 2026, "Mistletoe" remains one of the most-downloaded holiday singles in history.
- The Vibe: It captured that "Shawty" era of Bieber perfectly.
- The Impact: It gave Gen Z their own "White Christmas."
There's something oddly nostalgic about it now. It captures a moment in time before Bieber became the "Purpose" era brooding superstar. He was just a boy from Stratford trying to get a kiss under some parasitic greenery.
The Secret R&B DNA of the Album
People forget that this album was secretly an R&B record. If you strip away the tinsel, tracks like "Christmas Eve" are basically Usher tracks in disguise. Which makes sense, because Chris Brown actually co-wrote and produced "Christmas Eve."
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It’s smooth. It’s got that 90s slow-jam energy.
Then you have "Fa La La" featuring Boyz II Men. Justin has always said he learned to sing by listening to them, so this was a "Never Say Never" full-circle moment. The harmonies are genuinely tight. If you listen to the acapella version on the deluxe edition, you can hear that the kid actually had chops even then. He wasn't just a studio product; he was holding his own with some of the best vocalists in the business.
Every Track on the Standard Edition
- Only Thing I Ever Get for Christmas: An upbeat opener co-written by Tricky Stewart.
- Mistletoe: The monster hit.
- The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire): A traditional take with his mentor, Usher.
- Santa Claus Is Coming to Town: This one samples the Jackson 5's "I Want You Back." It’s high energy and very "Arthur Christmas."
- Fa La La: The Boyz II Men collab that proved Bieber had soul.
- All I Want for Christmas Is You (SuperFestive!): The Mariah duet.
- Drummer Boy: The Busta Rhymes rap-fest.
- Christmas Eve: The smooth R&B cut.
- All I Want Is You: A bouncy, Bieber-produced original.
- Home This Christmas: A country-pop pivot with The Band Perry.
- Silent Night: A surprisingly somber, acoustic finish.
What Most People Get Wrong About This Era
There’s a misconception that this was just a "cash-grab" album. Sure, labels love holiday sales, but Bieber was actually heavily involved. He has co-writing credits on seven of the original songs. He co-produced "Drummer Boy" and "All I Want Is You."
For a 17-year-old pop star in 2011, that level of creative control wasn't the norm.
The album also had a charitable side. A portion of the proceeds went to Pencils of Promise and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. It was the first time Universal Music Group allowed a portion of album sales to go directly to charity, which is a detail that often gets buried under the "Bieber Fever" headlines.
The Lasting Legacy of the Mistletoe Songs
So, why are we still talking about Justin Bieber Under the Mistletoe songs in 2026?
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It’s because they don’t feel like "old" music. They feel like a permanent part of the holiday atmosphere. Every year, "Mistletoe" starts climbing the Spotify Top 50 as soon as the last pumpkin is carved on Halloween. It’s become "sticky" in a way that very few modern holiday songs manage to be.
Maybe it’s the simplicity. Maybe it’s the fact that it reminds an entire generation of their middle school dances. Or maybe it’s just that "Drummer Boy" is so insane it demands an annual listen just to confirm it actually exists.
Regardless of the "why," the album cemented Justin as a mainstay. It proved he could handle different genres—country with The Band Perry, R&B with Boyz II Men, and rap with Busta—all while wearing a festive cardigan.
If you're looking to refresh your holiday playlist this year, go back and listen to the deep cuts. Skip "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" and go straight for "Christmas Eve" or the acapella "Fa La La." You might be surprised at how well the vocal production holds up.
Next Steps for Your Holiday Playlist:
Check out the 2016 vinyl reissue if you want a warmer sound for your living room setup. Also, if you’ve never seen the "SuperFestive!" music video with Mariah Carey, it’s a fever dream of 2011 product placement and festive joy that is well worth the five-minute YouTube rabbit hole.