There are some Christmas songs that people either love or loathe. A lot of people famously dislike Santa Baby. There’s one infamous Mariah Carey song that will turn me green within a note or two, and that’s only halfway meant as a Grinch reference. And some people strongly dislike the 1986 Wham! classic Last Christmas, if only because it gets played on a constant loop everywhere you go for a month straight.
Last Christmas is definitely a great song, though. It’s nice to hear the first few times it comes on. It’s around that seventh or eighth spin where my right eye starts to twitch. If only we could break up that monotony by hearing an alternative version of it. Like, say, by a rising star in the Binghamton music scene? Someone like Winnie?
Last Christmas, Winnie-style
Well, it just so happens Winnie has done exactly that. Released just in time for the holidays, the Binghamton pop singer’s take on Last Christmas dutifully retains the vibe of the original, without compromising on the singer’s trademark flair.
Given the quality of her album Act I, it should surprise no one that Winnie’s singing on Last Christmas is solid from start to finish. The backing tracks offer a nice refresh over the aggressively dated Wham! original—they’re simple and fundamental, without ever sounding drab or repetitive.
There’s a cheeky little intro to the song too. I thought it was funny, but maybe don’t play this version around fuddy-duddies who might drop a monocle in their egg nog over hearing a bit of naughty language in a Christmas song. For those of us who aren’t so easily worked up, it’s a fun way to kick off this famous song, and to let us know that hey, this is a Christmas song. It’s not meant to be taken too seriously!
Winnie’s version of Last Christmas is available now on Spotify and Apple Music. Toss it into your holiday playlist and enjoy!
