Olivia Rodrigo has blessed us with her “new” Christmas song ‘The Bels’ — a song she wrote when she was just five years old.
It’s been a bumper week for avant-garde Christmas songs. Earlier this week we were introduced to the incredible Anuc Atittawan and his Tik-Tok-dominating Christmas covers, and now we have a new release from Olivia Rodrigo’s childhood ‘The Bels’. It’s a shame Hottest 100 eligibility has ended, because ‘The Bels’ is kind of a bop.
Released via the pop star’s newsletter and available now from her website, the 2-minute and 18-second track sees a very young Rodrigo sing over a catchy 2000’s pop backing track with hard-hitting lyrics like “Ho, ho, ho, ho, wait for the bells” and “What do you want for Christmas? / Maybe a doll, a tree, or a candy cane!”.
There’s even a bit of metal influence in there, with some backing vocals in the song’s chorus appearing to be in a tritone relationship with the main melody — hardcore! Either that or Olivia was yet to perfect pop harmonies at five.
The Christmas banger comes after the ‘good 4 u’ songstress teased new music to fans in her Spotify Wrapped address for 2022.
“Thank you so much for listening to my music this year,” said Rodrigo in the Spotify clip. “I really truly couldn’t be more grateful, and I’m so excited for next year and all of the new things and the new music that 2023 will bring. … Sending so much love your way.”
Time will tell whether her 2023 releases will live up to the incredible heights of ‘The Bels’.
