Kim Kardashian. Music. Two things that most people—including Kim herself—agreed should probably stay in separate lanes after the "Jam (Turn It Up)" era of 2011. But then, out of nowhere, Christmas 2024 happened.
Social media went into a full-scale meltdown. Why? Because Kim Kardashian singing Santa Baby suddenly became the most surreal, confusing, and debated piece of holiday content on the internet. It wasn't just a cover song. It was a 4-minute, 44-second fever dream produced by her brother-in-law, Travis Barker, featuring a camcorder-wielding Macaulay Culkin.
If you're looking for a Mariah Carey-style vocal performance, keep looking. This was something else entirely. It was a lo-fi, breathy, and deeply unsettling art project that felt more like a scene from American Horror Story than a festive jingle.
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The Bizarre Reality of the Santa Baby Music Video
Honestly, the "singing" is almost secondary to the visuals. Directed by Nadia Lee Cohen and Charlie Denis, the music video for Kim's Santa Baby cover is basically a grainy, VHS-style nightmare set in a 1980s suburban home.
Forget the glitz of the usual Kardashian Christmas Eve parties.
In this video, Kim is sporting a messy, choppy blonde bob. She spends almost the entire time crawling on all fours across carpeted floors. She’s wearing powder blue cardigans, pink leg warmers, and low-riding pants with thongs peeking out. It’s chaotic. It’s "uncanny valley."
While Kim whispers Eartha Kitt's classic lyrics, the background is a mess of weirdness:
- Jesus-lookalikes raiding the refrigerator for snacks.
- Models in high heels playing Twister in the middle of a trashed living room.
- Ravaging elves and men wrestling over flying money.
- A woman systematically destroying a Christmas tree with garden shears.
The big "gasp" moment? Kim finally reaches a pair of legs dressed in Santa pants. The camera pans up to reveal the person behind the camcorder is Macaulay Culkin, the Home Alone legend himself. He gives a smirk, and the screen cuts to static.
Why Did She Do It?
Most fans remember Kim's 2014 interview with Andy Cohen. She famously said her first song was her "biggest regret" and that she didn't have the right to think she could be a singer. So, what changed?
Basically, this wasn't about a career shift into pop music. It was a calculated piece of performance art. By leaning into a "creepy" aesthetic and working with high-concept directors like Cohen, Kim wasn't trying to be a diva; she was trying to be interesting.
Some critics, like those at Forbes, actually praised the move. They called it a "blueprint for breaking through an oversaturated landscape." In a world where every celeb is selling a generic holiday vibe, Kim sold discomfort. And it worked—the video racked up millions of views in hours because people couldn't stop asking, "What did I just watch?"
The "Demonic" Backlash and Social Media Fury
Not everyone was a fan of the "horror-lite" Christmas vibe. On platforms like Instagram and X, the reactions were polarizing.
"This is how I would expect hell to be," one user commented. Others accused the video of being "blasphemous" or "demonic" because of the religious imagery mixed with the sensual, surrealist crawling. There was even a vocal group of fans who compared the energy to the "Diddy tapes" or a "bad acid trip."
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On the other side, the fashion and art world loved it. The American Horror Story official account commented "Killer video, Kim!" and many praised the nostalgia for the 80s and 90s camcorder aesthetic. It’s the classic Kardashian formula: make them uncomfortable so they don't look away.
Key Details You Might Have Missed
If you watch the video closely, there are a few easter eggs. At one point, a group of carolers shows up at the door. They aren't singing Silent Night. They are actually singing "Jam (Turn It Up)," a direct nod to her failed 2011 single.
The production value is also more serious than it looks. Travis Barker (DTA Records) handled the drums and production, while musicians like Kevin Bivona and Cody Dear were brought in for the piano and saxophone. It’s a high-end production designed to sound "low-end."
The length of the video—4 minutes and 44 seconds—led some fans to speculate about "angel numbers" or deeper meanings regarding her age (she was 44 at the time). Whether it was intentional or just a coincidence, it added another layer to the Reddit rabbit holes.
The Mother-Daughter TikTok Contrast
What makes the Santa Baby release even more fascinating is how different it was from Kim’s other holiday content. While the official music video was "nightmare fuel," her TikToks with daughter North West remained wholesome.
Just days after the "creepy" video dropped, Kim and North were seen on their joint account dancing to Ariana Grande’s "Santa Tell Me." It shows the dual nature of Kim's branding. She can be the "edgy, artistic risk-taker" in a professional music video and the "relatable mom" on TikTok at the same time.
Actionable Insights for the Curious
If you're still trying to make sense of Kim Kardashian’s foray back into music, here is the best way to approach it:
- View it as art, not music: Don't judge the vocals. Judge the vibe. This was meant to be a visual experience inspired by 70s and 80s suburban "sinister" aesthetics.
- Check the credits: If you like the style, look up Nadia Lee Cohen’s other work. She’s known for this surrealist, hyper-stylized Americana look.
- Compare the covers: Listen to Eartha Kitt’s 1953 original version right after Kim’s. It highlights just how much Kim (and Travis Barker) stripped away the playful "coquettishness" of the original and replaced it with something haunting.
- Ignore the "career comeback" rumors: This was a one-off holiday project. Kim has doubled down on her legal studies and acting (like her role in Delicate), so don't expect a full album anytime soon.
Kim Kardashian singing Santa Baby didn't change the music industry, but it certainly changed how we think about celebrity holiday promos. It was weird, it was polarizing, and honestly? It was impossible to ignore.