Idina Menzel’s new holiday album, Christmas: A Season of Love, produced by Ron Fair, is jazzy, classic and full of heart and soul.

This is the singer, actress and songwriter’s second Christmas album, released five years after her first one, Holiday Wishes. Christmas: A Season of Love contains more upbeat songs while Holiday Wishes includes traditional songs with a slower rhythm such as “Silent Night” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” 

The orchestras add a special touch to Menzel’s album, with the trumpets and drums playing alongside the singer’s powerful vocals. The Los Angeles Orchestra plays alongside Idina Menzel for most songs on the album, except for “O Holy Night/Ave Maria” which features the Nashville Orchestra.

  Many well known artists are featured in the holiday songs, such as Billy Porter in “I Got My Love to Keep Me Warm,” Josh Gad in “We Wish You the Merriest,” Ariana Grande in “A Hand for Mrs. Claus,” Menzel’s husband, Aaron Lohr,  in “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and more.

The importance of family and acceptance is evident throughout the album. Menzel even includes her own family and background in “Walker’s 3rd Hanukkah,” a recording of Menzel and her son singing a prayer in Hebrew on Hanukkah. 

“At This Table,” written by Menzel and Jonas Myrin, depicts what the holidays are all about with the lyrics, “At this table, everyone is welcome. At this table, everyone is seen. At this table, everybody matters. No one falls between.”

In an interview with The Today Show, Menzel reveals the truth behind the album’s title. Paying tribute to her breakout role of Maureen Johnson in the original motion picture Rent, Menzel turned “Seasons of Love” from Rent into “A Season of Love.”

  After listening to Christmas: A Season of Love, I instantly fell in love with the music and the album has been on repeat ever since my first listen! The song selection, orchestras and feeling of being at a concert definitely separate the album from others.