The AUX Alternative Christmas Playlist

Every year it’s the same Christmas songs on repeat. They’re comforting, sure, but by the time December actually starts, they already feel a little overplayed. And while the holidays are meant to be joyful, they’re also kind of overwhelming, full of nostalgia, overstimulation, and a lot of mixed emotions.

Whether you’re fully in the Christmas spirit, avoiding small talk, or just counting down the days until the year ends, these are the songs we’re playing this season.

Jonas Brothers — Coming Home This Christmas

Warm and polished, Coming Home This Christmas leans into longing as The Jonas Brothers frame the holiday as a return to people, places, and versions of ourselves we’ve been missing. It’s sentimental without being overbearing.

Say Now — White Christmas

Say Now strip White Christmas of its glossy nostalgia and replace it with something quieter and more intimate. Their version feels fragile, almost suspended in time, trading big-band warmth for indie minimalism.

Teenage Dads — Alone Again For Christmas

Alone Again For Christmas captures the strange dissonance of the season — festive visuals paired with emotional isolation. Teenage Dads balance bittersweet lyricism with their signature upbeat indie-pop sound, making the track feel deceptively cheerful.

The Pretty Reckless — Where Are You Christmas

Originally known as a holiday staple, Where Are You Christmas takes on a darker edge in The Pretty Reckless’ hands. Taylor Momsen’s vocals turn the song into a rock-driven lament, questioning the meaning of the season when hope feels distant.

The 1975 — Wintering

Wintering is less a Christmas song and more a snapshot of family tension, emotional exhaustion, and small moments of warmth. The 1975 paint the holidays as they often are — messy, awkward, and oddly comforting. It’s observational and painfully relatable, proving that not every festive track needs to sound festive to feel true.

Conquer Divide — Santa Tell Me

Conquer Divide take Ariana Grande’s pop classic and inject it with metalcore energy, transforming flirtation into fury. Crunching guitars and powerhouse vocals give the song a cathartic edge, perfect for anyone who wants their Christmas playlist louder and less forgiving.

Bleachers — Merry Christmas, Please Don’t Call

Jack Antonoff’s holiday anthem for the emotionally unavailable is equal parts funny and heartbreaking. Merry Christmas, Please Don’t Call embraces avoidance as a coping mechanism, pairing anxious lyrics with an upbeat, almost triumphant sound. It’s a song for setting boundaries — or pretending you have.

Poppy — Last Christmas

Poppy’s cover of Last Christmas twists a pop classic into something unsettling and futuristic. Her detached delivery strips the song of its innocence, replacing it with emotional ambiguity. It’s a perfect example of how familiar holiday tracks can still feel brand new.

Sabrina Carpenter — Fruitcake

Sarcastic but vibey, Sabrina Carpenter's is it new years yet? captures that strange limbo between Christmas and January, when the festivities have worn off but the year hasn’t quite reset.

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