Christmas time in a church in London. Image by Tim Sandle.
Whether you like them or loathe them, the holiday period has an association with Christmas songs. The worst offenders are variants of pop or rock music encased in saccharine melodies with a gooey centre of banal lyrics.
Could artificial intelligence do any better? What would an AI generated Christmas song be like? And would you stream it? The answers are here (links to the resultant email appear at the end of this article).
Some tunes you may be grooving to could already be semiAI generated since recent reports reveal that over a third of musicians are now using artificial intelligence to aid their profession.
In turn, major labels are turning to AI to help manage costs and to keep ahead of the competition (the stark warning is, as reported by The Guardian, to “adapt or die”), since some have predicted that AI will cut music industry incomes by 25 percent by 2028.
At the same time, artists steeped in the traditional songwriting tradition have expressed concerns over AI’s ability to mimic original works. This means to some that AI generated songs should be labelled as such; to others, there should be some redistribution of income since AI songs can only be conceived by an AI evaluating previous songs created by a human.
There is also the question: can AIgenerated music truly match the quality of original releases?
The company AIPRM, in seeking to offer a view on the question, analysed popular and recent Christmas songs, identifying trends and commonalities. The AI analysed songs that appeared on the 2023 Official Christmas Charts and new releases from Spotify, where tracks had been ranked based on recency and popularity using SortYourMusic.com. The Christmas songs were generated using the AI platform Suno.com.
What are the tracks like?
“Christmas Love”
AI’s interpretation of UK Christmas hits blends romantic and reflective lyrics with smooth pop and jazz influences. This offering was inspired by UK 2023 Christmas charts.
The outcome is a combination of modern production, string and bass orchestration, and swinging rhythms creates a sophisticated yet festive vibe, capturing both the joy and introspective moments of the holiday season.
Here is a sample of the lyrics:
[Verse]
Snow is falling bright
Candles flicker light
Warmth in every heart
Christmas joy so tight
[Verse 2]
Lights all twinkle bright
Memories ignite
Stories by the fire
Love’s our true desire
[Chorus]
Christmas love oh Christmas love
Every heart filled from above
Peace and joy just like a dove
Christmas love oh Christmas love
“Under the Mistletoe Glow”
AI’s analysis of recent Christmas hits, with lyrics focused on personal reflection, celebration, and holiday cheer, alongside modern production with electronic beats and traditional sounds like chimes, were used to create a second tune. This toetapping offering was inspired by recent Christmas releases (20222024).
The outcome is a blend of introspective and upbeat themes captures a fresh, festive vibe for the season. This is an except of the lyrical wonder:
[Verse]
Snowflakes softly twirl from clouds of dreams
Under lights that shimmer like streams
Hearts aglow with warmth so bright
In this spellbound winter night
[Verse 2]
Cinnamon and pine embrace the air
Joyful songs fill every square
Footsteps crunch on crystal ground
Love and cheer in every sound
[Chorus]
Under the mistletoe glow
Where love and joy both flow
Hold me tight and never let go
Together in this holiday show
The songs, whether fun or ghastly, suggest that rather than just mimicking existing music styles and structures, AI algorithms are creating more original forms of music that might resonate with audiences.
MP3 audio files of the AI Christmas tunes can be found here.
Now, what’s in store for Christmas 2025?
