I honestly never thought I'd add a Cher song to my painstakingly curated Christmas Spotify playlist. But after listening to the ultimate diva's new album entitled simply, Christmas, as we decorate the tree (much to my children's chagrin – they'd much rather it be Sia's Every Day Is Christmas), "DJ Play A Christmas Song" slides its way onto the end like a Baileys on ice.
It's a kitsch, disco-synth dancefloor banger with a rampant, bauble-swinging beat, in which Cher merrily belts out "I want to be dancing all night long" that is sure to melt away all seasonal affective blues. "Run Rudolph Run" is an Elvis-inspired knee swinger; "Angels in the snow" is a pop-romp celebrating "the wild child in you and me" as we wait up for Father Christmas and snog under mistletoe (UK interpretation of the lyrics) and "Please Come Home For Christmas" is a schmaltzy blues song about remembering yesteryears.
"I Like Christmas" mentions the North Star shining down on a manger, which seems to have somehow qualified the entire album as being No.1 and 2 Best Seller in the Amazon Religious Mass category. Elsewhere there's a cheeky lil' cover of "Santa Baby" and a version of "Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)" with Darlene Love.
There is a handful of duets that range from the bizarre "Drop Top Sleigh Ride" with Tyga, which sounds like it should feature in a Minions movie, to the seasonally dreamy "Home" with King of the Christmas Crooners, Michael Buble. Stevie Wonder also features in "What Christmas Means to Me" as does Cyndi Lauper in "Put a Little Holiday In Your Heart" which makes me want to don my cowboy boots and do some festive line dancing.
It's the perfect album for jollying about to, and if you're having a hard time getting motivated to head out to party on these dark, cold nights, just memorise the lyrics "I should be asleep by the heat of the fire, but I'm on my way out, and I'm gonna stay out" and you'll be lining up requests for the DJ before you know it.
