Wrapped In Red

Kelly Clarkson’s first Christmas album nods to the classics: “Blue Christmas” gets a countrified rework, “White Christmas” shows off her interpretive talents, and “Run Run Rudolph” displays her not-so-secret rocker side. But Clarkson’s own contributions to the holiday music canon also spotlight her spunky charm. The upbeat wishlist “4 Carats” is a jittery, sigh-studded pop gem, while “Winter Dreams (Brandon’s Song)”—written for her then-fiancé, Brandon Blackstock—adds strings and holly to the sort of peppy, determined love song that helps Clarkson’s idol status endure.