Throughout the history of pop music, Christmas has traditionally been the time when all serious music is put aside for a month, and the stars don Santa suits and let the fake snow flow. Occasionally, the festive season does spawn the odd classic - Pogues & Kirsty MacColl, Wham!, Slade, Wizzard, Saint Etienne - but the taste barrier is knocked for six when a whole album of the stuff comes along, most notably from American artists such as Elvis, Beach Boys, Carpenters (who made two) and more recently Mariah Carey and Celine Dion - whose tinsel-related shriek-outs would provoke an elf to go postal.
This year sees Destiny's Child joining this rum line-up, with a strictly die-hard fans only affair probably recorded last March just before 'Survivor' ate the world. 'Eight Days Of Christmas' allows the DC3 to let rip with their gospel flourishes, feel blessed and get semi-religious with crisp beats and harmonies everywhere with mixed results.
The title track sees last year's independent women, with their arsenal of men-beating anthems, go all gooey and remember that blokes do have a use after all. With Chloe shades, Mercs and designer denim replacing French hens and partridges in pear trees, its far more bling than Bing, and you can boogie to it too. 'Winter Paradise' is also quite cute, borrowing George Michael's 'Father Figure' to nice effect, but from then on it's a sleigh ride downwards into trad. arse with things getting a bit too syrupy on 'A DC Christmas Medley', 'Oh Holy Night' and Beyonce's solo take on 'Silent Night' which will make you want to remove your ears.
With such enthusiasm displayed, it's unlikely that Destiny's Child will wake up mid Christmas afternoon with a hangover and undercooked poultry, up to their neck in sprouts and self-loathing like the rest of us. Let's just hope for their future as a top R&B/pop vixen odyssey that they all get dumped on Boxing Day.
