Maybe you’re a newer fan who found her through the glitter and stadium-sized spectacle of the Eras Tour. Or maybe you’ve been here since the sundress and cowboy boot days. Either way, there is this weird, charming little corner of her discography that usually gets buried under the weight of her ten (and counting) massive studio albums.
I’m talking about Taylor Swift Sounds of the Season.
It’s a mouthful. Honestly, most people just call it the Holiday Collection now. Back in 2007, things were different. Taylor was seventeen. She was the girl who grew up on a Christmas tree farm—literally—and she was fresh off the success of her debut album. Big Machine Records decided it was the perfect time to pivot to the holidays.
They partnered with Target for this exclusive little EP. If you were wandering the aisles of a Target in October 2007, you might have seen her face on a CD tucked between the Halloween candy and the early Christmas lights. It was part of a specific "Sounds of the Season" series Target ran back then, which is why the original title is so clunky.
What’s Actually on the Tracklist?
It’s short. Six songs. 19 minutes and 15 seconds of pure, unadulterated country-pop nostalgia.
If you go back and listen now, you can hear that early Nashville twang. It’s thick. It’s pre-pop transition. It’s Taylor before she became a global enigma. She covered four classics and wrote two originals.
💡 You might also like: Actor Most Academy Awards: The Record Nobody Is Breaking Anytime Soon
The Covers
- "Last Christmas": She took the Wham! classic and gave it a banjo. It sounds exactly like 2007 country radio. It actually peaked at number 28 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, which is wild for a cover.
- "Santa Baby": This one is a bit of a polarizing moment for fans. It’s sassy. It’s got that "wink-and-a-nod" energy. Some think it’s cute; others find the 2007 country-fied version a little dated.
- "Silent Night": This is probably the most "country" track on the EP. It replaces the traditional piano with an acoustic guitar. It’s faster than the version you’d hear in church.
- "White Christmas": A fairly straightforward rendition of the Bing Crosby staple.
The Originals
This is where the real value is.
"Christmases When You Were Mine" is basically the "All Too Well" of Christmas songs. It’s a gut-punch. It’s about being alone during the holidays and missing an ex, and it was co-written with Liz Rose (who helped write "You Belong With Me"). If you want to feel sad while drinking eggnog, this is the one.
Then there’s "Christmas Must Be Something More." This one is interesting because it’s one of the few times Taylor has been explicitly religious in her songwriting. She wrote it alone. The lyrics basically ask what the point of all the ribbons and bows is if we aren't celebrating the birth of Jesus. It’s a very specific snapshot of her mindset at seventeen.
The Target Exclusive That Wouldn't Die
The "Sounds of the Season" branding didn't last long. By 2008, the EP was released to other retailers. By 2009, they stripped the "Sounds of the Season" tag and just called it The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection.
The cover art is actually a still from the "Teardrops on My Guitar" music video. That’s how early we are in the timeline.
📖 Related: Ace of Base All That She Wants: Why This Dark Reggae-Pop Hit Still Haunts Us
Why It Still Matters Today
People forget that this EP was a massive commercial success for what it was. It’s sold over 2 million copies in the US alone. It hit number one on the Billboard Holiday Albums chart.
But there’s a catch.
Since it was released under Big Machine, this EP is part of the masters dispute. When fans talk about "Taylor’s Version," they usually focus on the big albums like Red or 1989. But technically, this holiday EP is still "owned" by the old label.
Will We Get a Taylor’s Version?
This is the question that haunts Swiftie Reddit every November.
Honestly? It’s complicated. Taylor released "Christmas Tree Farm" in 2019 under her new deal with Republic Records. That song is a massive hit and fits her modern voice much better.
👉 See also: '03 Bonnie and Clyde: What Most People Get Wrong About Jay-Z and Beyoncé
But she’s a completist.
There are rumors—nothing confirmed, obviously—that she might eventually re-record the two originals ("Christmases When You Were Mine" and "Christmas Must Be Something More") and package them into a larger holiday project. Maybe she'll add more vault tracks. Think about how many unreleased Christmas songs a girl who grew up on a tree farm probably has in her archives.
Buying vs. Streaming: What’s the Move?
If you’re looking for a physical copy of the original Taylor Swift Sounds of the Season CD with the Target branding, prepare to pay. Collectors on sites like Discogs or eBay list them for anywhere from $40 to $100 depending on the condition.
For most people, streaming is the way to go. You can find the songs under the title The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection on Spotify and Apple Music.
Actionable Steps for the Holidays:
- Listen for the Twang: If you haven't heard it in a while, play "Last Christmas" and notice how much her vocal technique has changed since 2007.
- Add the Originals to Your Playlist: "Christmases When You Were Mine" is genuinely a top-tier Taylor Swift ballad that gets overlooked because it's "seasonal."
- Check the Credits: Look at the production by Nathan Chapman. It’s the same "sparkly" country sound that defined her first three albums.
- Don't Overpay: Unless you are a hardcore physical media collector, don't drop $80 on the old Target CD. The music is the same on the digital re-releases.
It’s a weird little piece of history. It isn't her most "artistic" work, and it’s definitely a product of its time. But there is something incredibly cozy about hearing a teenage Taylor Swift sing about the true meaning of Christmas before she became the biggest person on the planet.