What Christmas Means is the fourth studio album by American singer Kem. It was released by Motown Records on October 16, 2012 in the United States. His first Christmas album, the album features traditional Christmas songs, along with original material. Guests on the album features Ledisi and the Detroit Gospel Choir. What Christmas Means peaked at number 64 on the US Billboard 200 and number six on the US Top Holiday Albums. A deluxe edition with four additional bonus tracks was issued on October 29, 2013.[2]
| What Christmas Means | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 16, 2012 | |||
| Genre | R&B[1] | |||
| Length | 42:07 | |||
| Label | Motown | |||
| Kem chronology | ||||
| ||||
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [1] |
Andy Kellman, writing for Allmusic, wrote that "Kem followers probably know to approach What Christmas Means without the expectation of hearing a thunderous version of "Little Drummer Boy" or collaborations with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Sure enough, the singer and songwriter's first Christmas album is filled with the same relaxed, romantic, spiritual, and gently uplifting moods of his studio albums. He didn't make this on autopilot, either [...] Kem fans who celebrate Christmas will likely value this disc as a seasonal staple for years to come."[1]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Glorify the King" |
| 3:28 |
| 2. | "What Christmas Means" |
| 5:48 |
| 3. | "A Christmas Song for You" |
| 5:49 |
| 4. | "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" | 4:10 | |
| 5. | "Christmas Time Is Here" | 4:13 | |
| 6. | "The Christmas Song" | 4:13 | |
| 7. | "Be Mine for Christmas" (featuring Ledisi) |
| 4:17 |
| 8. | "Merry Christmas Baby" |
| 2:46 |
| 9. | "We Three Kings" | John Henry Hopkins Jr. | 4:35 |
| 10. | "Do Wop Christmas (That's What Christmas Is About)" |
| 2:48 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Jesus" (featuring Patti LaBelle & Ronald Isley) |
| 4:45 |
| 12. | "Bethlehem" |
| 4:34 |
| 13. | "Home for Christmas" | Kem | 4:15 |
| 14. | "Lullaby Noel" | Kem | 3:01 |
Sample credits
- "Be Mine for Christmas" contains elements of "Me and Mrs. Jones" (1972) as performed by Billy Paul.
Charts
edit
Weekly chartsedit
|
Year-end chartsedit
|
Release history
edit| Region | Date | Edition | Format(s) | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | October 16, 2012 | Standard | Motown | [7] | |
| Various | October 29, 2013 | Deluxe |
|
Motown | [2] |
References
edit- ^ a b c Kellman, Andy. "What Christmas Means". AllMusic. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
- ^ a b "What Christmas Means (Deluxe edition)". iTunes (US). Retrieved September 20, 2020.
- ^ "Kem Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
- ^ "Kem Chart History (Holiday Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
- ^ "Kem Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
- ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2013". Billboard. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
- ^ "What Christmas Means". iTunes (US). Retrieved September 20, 2020.