The Soundtrack of a Girl-Coded December: Pop Music That Shapes Our Holiday Mood
Written by Kayleigh Carlos
Every December, the world doesn’t just switch playlists; it switches identities. Glittery vocals, sparkly nostalgia, over-the-top production, and the iconic yearly reemergence of Mariah Carey claiming her throne as the Queen of Christmas signal that the holidays have begun. Over time, holiday music has become one of the most girl-coded spaces in pop culture, shaped by artists who define modern femininity and sustained by the teenage and young adult girls who stream their songs on repeat.
It’s no surprise that Mariah Carey runs Christmas, with her song “All I Want for Christmas Is You” reaching unbelievable milestones every year. However, Ariana Grande modernized Christmas music with her 2014 hit “Santa Tell Me,” a song that felt intentionally geared toward teenage girls, mirroring Grande’s predominantly young fanbase. Taylor Swift offers another example; her original 2019 song “Christmas Tree Farm” reflects on childhood nostalgia, rooted in the tree farm where she grew up. More recently, in 2023, Sabrina Carpenter showcased her lyricism and creativity with her Christmas EP Fruitcake, which was later adapted into a Netflix original holiday special in 2024. Pop girls do Christmas music best because they understand how to craft nostalgic storytelling paired with a beat that allows listeners to momentarily forget the chaos of the season.
While artists of every genre and gender release Christmas music, fan behavior reveals who truly controls the sound of December. Events like Jingle Ball consistently draw crowds who don’t just show up for the holiday theme, but specifically for pop girls and their seasonal releases. Holiday songs feel more personal than most music because they are tied to memory and remembrance, emotional spaces that girls have historically shaped throughout pop culture.
The music industry has taken notice of who truly drives the holiday season. Record labels consistently prioritize holiday releases from female pop artists, knowing their audiences return year after year to stream the same songs each December. Pop-girl Christmas tracks are not just seasonal novelties; they are reliable revenue generators that resurface annually without needing to reinvent themselves. Beyond streaming, brands have leaned heavily into girl-coded holiday music to sell a feeling rather than a product, pairing festive pop songs with visuals of sparkling lights, winter romance, and cozy December mornings. In this way, the holidays have become less about tradition alone and more about a carefully marketed aesthetic, one powered by the listening habits and cultural influence of girls.
The dominance of girl-coded holiday music is both celebratory and contested. On one hand, these songs create a sense of community through shared rituals, from replaying the same tracks every December to building playlists tied to memory and tradition. They invite nostalgia and creativity, transforming the holidays into an emotional experience rather than just a seasonal backdrop. At the same time, pop-girl holiday music is often dismissed as basic, overly commercial, or repetitive. These critiques echo the broader tendency to undervalue girl-centered culture even as it shapes mainstream taste. That tension reveals the real power of girlhood: despite the backlash, it continues to define the sound, mood, and meaning of the holiday season.
If pop girls created the blueprint for a girl-coded December, then the least we can do is listen properly. Consider these 30 songs as your soundtrack for the season:
1. Santa, Can’t You Hear Me - Kelly Clarkson, Ariana Grande
2. A Nonsense Christmas - Sabria Carpenter
3. One I’ve Been Missing - Little Mix
4. All I Want for Christmas is a Cowboy - Megan Moroney
5. is it new years yet? - Sabrina Carpenter
6. Everyday is Christmas - Sia
7. Santa Tell Me - Ariana Grande
8. Winter Wonderland - Laufey
9. buy me presents - Sabrina Carpenter
10. Christmas Morning - Megan Moroney
11. New Year’s Day - Taylor Swift
12. Santa Baby - Ariana Grande, Liz Gilles
13. Christmas Wrapping - Spice Girls
14. Snowman - Sia
15. The Christmas Song - Olivia Dean
16. santa doesn’t know you like i do - Sabrina Carpenter
17. Christmas Tree Farm - Taylor Swift
18. Blue Christmas - Megan Moroney
19. Mr Right - Leona Lewis
20. I’ll be Home For Christmas - From The Kacey Musgraves Show - Kacey Musgraves, Lana Del Rey
21. Christmas Dreaming - Laufey
22. Christmas Song - Phoebe Bridgers
23. white xmas - Sabrina Carpenter
24. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - Mariah Carey
25. Last Christmas - Taylor Swift
26. You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch - Lindsay Stirling, Sabrina Carpenter
27. A Hand For Mrs. Claus - Idina Menzel, Ariana Grande
28. Back To December - Taylor Swift
29. Boots On - Santa’s Version - Mackenzie Carpenter
30. Cozy Little Christmas - Katy Perry
Edited by Ruby Her
