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The song went on to become a modern Christmas staple, peaking at No. 9 on the ‘Billboard’ Hot 100 chart and holding the top spot on the ‘Billboard’ Adult Contemporary chart.
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Kelly Clarkson, the powerhouse singer known for her chart-topping hits and soulful voice, recently opened up about the quickest song she has ever written in her two-decade-long career — and it turns out, it’s one of her most beloved Christmas tracks.
Speaking on ‘The Kelly Clarkson Show’s’ YouTube channel, the 43-year-old singer shared that ‘”Underneath the Tree”‘, her popular holiday song, holds the record for the fastest she’s ever written a song.
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Clarkson, with her usual humor and candor, recalled that the song came together so swiftly. It practically got over before her sushi order even arrived.
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“It was a Christmas song. ‘Underneath the Tree’ came together really fast,” Clarkson said, remembering her studio session with Greg Kurstin, the music producer behind many of her hits, including “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You).” “I literally ordered sushi, and by the time it was delivered, I had the song written.”
Clarkson explained why the process was so quick for this particular track. “I really love Christmas music. It’s fun to write because you can lean into that cheesy, feel-good vibe and you don’t have to think about being cool. Honestly, I never really worry about being cool anyway,” she laughed.
The song went on to become a modern Christmas staple, peaking at No. 9 on the ‘Billboard’ Hot 100 chart and holding the top spot on the ‘Billboard’ Adult Contemporary chart for four weeks.
Over the years, “Underneath the Tree” has found its place among holiday classics, consistently returning to playlists every festive season.
Clarkson also shared a bit about the creative process behind the song. Kurstin had initially sent her a simple piano track to play with, giving her the foundation to build the song.
“He sent me home with this little piano idea. We didn’t really have the song’s concept yet, but it already had that classic ‘wall of sound’ feel you want in a Christmas song,” she said. “That sound just feels nostalgic. It brings people back.”
Although this song came together in record time, Clarkson admitted that not all her writing sessions are this effortless. “Usually, it takes forever. Songs don’t always just pour out like that. But this one did.”
“Underneath the Tree”, part of Clarkson’s 2013 holiday album ‘Wrapped in Red’, continues to receive recognition. It recently topped the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) list of Top 10 New Classic Holiday Songs and ranked No. 24 on their list of Top 25 All-Time Holiday Songs.
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