Simply Christmas

Leslie Odom Jr.
Studio album by Leslie Odom Jr.
Released	November 11, 2016
Genre	Christmas
Label	S-Curve Records
Leslie Odom Jr. chronology
Leslie Odom Jr. (2016) Simply Christmas (2016)

Simply Christmas is a album by American actor and singer Leslie Odom Jr. It is his second album, and his first Christmas album.

Background

Odom was frequently asked by fans to make a Christmas album, leading to the creation of Simply Christmas.^[1] Odom went for a more unique sound. "I don't want it to be sad, but it was never really cheery," he said in an interview. He also said that he almost completely re-recorded the album: "I hated the original tracks."^[2]

In an interview with New York Observer, Odom said that he wanted to create an album that didn't feel disconnected from the political climate, an album with a "finger on the pulse of the time we're living in." He also noted, "We give ourselves permission to abandon ship if a project isn't working out. We'd rather walk out then put something out that's subpar. We didn't know if the Christmas album would be something we're proud of, but it is."^[3]

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"	4:24
2.	"First Noel"	3:08
3.	"My Favorite Things"	5:51
4.	"I'll Be Home for Christmas"	3:43
5.	"The Christmas Song"	4:06
6.	"Merry Christmas Darling"	2:50
7.	"Winter Song"	4:03
8.	"Ave Maria"	3:15

Charts

Chart (2016)	Peak position
US Billboard 200[4]	31

References

1. http://www.playbill.com/article/listen-leslie-odom-jr-releases-a-second-track-from-his-new-christmas-album
2. http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2016/11/09/leslie-odom-jr-interview/
3. Dana Schwartz, Dana (November 17, 2016). "Leslie Odom Jr. On Creating a Christmas Album That Makes Sense In 2016". New York Observer. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
4. "Leslie Odom Jr. – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Leslie Odom Jr.. Retrieved November 22, 2016.