For the 2021 edition of Carols Covered—Apple Music’s collection of Christmas standards updated by contemporary artists—Russian singer Zivert chose “Kaby ne bylo zimy,” a song that brings her back to one of her favorite childhood TV shows. “One of my favorite Soviet cartoons is Prostokvashino, especially the moment when ‘Kaby ne bylo zimy’ plays,” she says. “Trying to make something very unexpected out of the Soviet children's song was a nice challenge.” As for what it is about the song that strikes a chord in Zivert, the singer says it’s about the way the simple melody carries a message of renewal. “From my childhood, I vividly remember my mother opening all of the windows in our house when the New Year clock started chiming 'to let the New Year in' and the fresh, frosty air was filling our apartment,” she says. “Now I make sure to always do the same myself.”