Step Into the Festive Season with Maiken Silverup's Vintage Disney Christmas Vibes

Image credit: jordis small via Unsplash

Welcome to December - a month where, in the majority of the western world, you can’t take a step outside the door without hearing a Christmas song one way or the other.

A fantastic concept for the lovers of Christmas-adjacent music is Disney Christmas, a relatively niche genre of music that has enjoyed moderate success on TikTok, with the younger generations finding interest in ‘50s jazz and the old (pre ‘80s) Disney soundtracks (Bambi, Cinderella, Pinocchio, all our childhood favourites). 

The magic of Christmas lies in its ability to bring us a sense of warm, fuzzy nostalgia. Combining that with the charm of the older Disney films strengthens the feeling even more. Even if we’re alone during the holidays, the music acts as our companion through December. It’s something with the analogue quality of the recordings, filled with grain and crackle, combined with that olden-timey English we don’t hear very much nowadays. There’s often really high quality string recordings by competent orchestras, and of course that cinematic quality that translates your every-day life to a festive rom-com. 

Many of us connect Mariah Carey, Wham! and Michael Bublé with the overconsumption that relates to the holiday season, it conjures images of elbowing our way through shopping centres filled to the brim with exhausted and clueless gift shoppers (Westfields Stratford anyone?). I think this alternative entryway to festive music can bring some much needed relief and relaxation for us. 

It’s well documented that our heart rate lowers when we listen to slower paced music (of which the playlist is full of) - this is why ambient music works so well in combination with meditation. Similarly, singing releases a ton of endorphins and can help the brain improve structural connectivity (full study on PubMed Central). That’s why I recommend singing along when you can - and not to ‘All I Want For Christmas’ as Carey’s famous whistle notes are quite dangerous to try with an untrained voice (believe me, I’ve tried.) Choral music can mimic the feeling of being in good company, so there’s a few of those in the playlist too.

With that said, I wish you a lovely December - whatever holiday you’re celebrating or not celebrating - and enjoy this little trip into a world that’s softer, slower and unbelievably Christmassy.