Mandy Moore Releases New Holiday Song ‘How Could This Be Christmas?’

Mandy Moore has released a two-track holiday single featuring a new tune, “How Could This Be Christmas?” and a take on the classic, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.”

Moore co-wrote “How Could This Be Christmas?” with husband Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes and producer Mike Viola. It’s a tender, country-tinged tune perfect for that lonesome-during-the-holidays vibe, with Moore singing, “Somehow I’m putting on a record/For you, I’m wrapping up a present/For you, are at the top of my wishlist/How could this be Christmas without you?”

“The holidays are certainly going to feel verifiably different this year and in this vein, I challenged myself (and Mike and Taylor) to write a song that hinted at the acknowledgment of something missing without being too specific,” Moore said in a statement. “Because if we’ve learned anything in this season of change, it’s the recognition that those we love and cherish are what’s most important and worth celebrating. And that felt like a message to get behind during this special time of year.”

Meanwhile, Moore’s take on “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” is as classic as it gets, with a little twangy guitar slipped into the familiar waltz.

Viola played bass and guitar on both tracks, while Goldsmith provided background vocals, guitar, and bass. Additional contributors include Lee Pardini on keys and Griffin Goldsmith on drums, while Eric Lea arranged and played the strings on “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.”

Back in March, Moore released a new album, Silver Landings, which marked her first album in over a decade, following 2009’s Amanda Leigh.