The two pieces that were chosen for the topic Music and Christmas are “Jingle Bells” and “Snow Candy”. The social context behind “Jingle Bells” is that it was not necessarily written for Christmas, but it became popular once people started to hear the song more out there. It started to become a fan favorite and go-to song during the Christmas season. The lyrics repeat throughout most of the song and involve a catchy tune that everyone knows. It includes a slow and steady tempo and the beat follows the words (jingle bell, jingle bell). The pitch changes through the song but not too much. Overall, it’s a very catchy melody and it’s an easy song to follow. The second song, “Snow Candy” by Starship Planet which is where the official unit name came from. The song was created to celebrate the upcoming holiday. It includes an addictive melody in resemblance to K-Pop and it has bell chimes along with a tune that makes you wanna dance around and sing to. The musical characteristics involve an upbeat tempo and catchy rhythm that gives Christmas emotions and feelings.

The two songs I’ve enjoyed listening to are “Mistletoe” by Justin Bieber and
“All I Want For Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey. Both of these songs are sung by popular artists. Justin Bieber created his song as a POP, R&B, and reggae influences. He performed the song beforehand and a week later decided to release it since he believed his fan would’ve loved the song. It’s catchy and involves a “bounce” tempo in the beat. His voice creates a very smooth and intimate feeling since we hear the maturation in his voice. It includes both bongos and guitar. He wanted to create a song that everyone would sing and remember every Christmas. The second song by Mariah Carey was created to spread her career forward. Her producers thought of creating a song that she can deliver spiritually and create a piece that is emotive. It was created during the summertime, and they wanted to create songs that can be catchy and more enthusiastic and have a balance between traditional and fun songs. The title itself explains the lyrics, how Mariah wants a special someone rather than presents for Christmas. The song is very upbeat, joyous tone, and many different sounds included that reminds us of Christmas. It includes lots of bell chimes, backup vocals, and synthesizers. The piece also involves different chords to make the song flow and more uplifting for people to want to dance around and have fun.

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