Pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo has released her first-ever Christmas song, 'Take Me Home (4 Christmas)', accompanied by a festive music video featuring Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon. The track, which dropped on Thursday night, quickly drew comparisons to The Waitresses' 1981 holiday classic 'Christmas Wrapping'. But as it turns out, the resemblance is no accident.
A Nod to a Classic
Chris Butler, the writer behind The Waitresses' original, took to Facebook to reveal that Rodrigo had personally reached out for permission. He praised her "phenomenal" songwriting and shared his initial skepticism when he received an email from someone claiming to be the pop star. "About two months ago, I received a weird email from someone claiming to be 'Olivia Rodrigo'," Butler wrote. "Said she'd written a Christmas song, and invited me to hear it."
Admitting he was unfamiliar with Rodrigo's work, Butler initially thought the email was a hoax. But after researching her career, he became a fan, not only of her music but also of her decision to hire an all-female band and negotiate control of her master recordings. He eventually replied, posting the exchange on Facebook: "If you really are you, thanks for contacting me. And your comments are really sweet, and very flattering... even if you AREN'T you."
Praise from a Legend
Butler continued: "If you really are Olivia Rodrigo: I like you, I like your music. I like the arrangements especially. Soft-loud-soft, etc. And that your recordings sound like people are playing on them. I like that your lyrics are intense, real, and poetic. I like that you 'got' my songwriting, and that you like our band." He also accepted Rodrigo's invitation to listen to her new song, declaring: "Her song was/is great. It's going to be a smash, maybe even that elusive Christmas number one contest they have every year in the UK."
Despite the sonic homage to The Waitresses' new wave and post-punk style, Butler does not receive a writing credit on 'Take Me Home (4 Christmas)' as the song neither samples nor interpolates his music.
Star-Studded Video and Star-Studded Competition
Rodrigo shared on social media that the song was written last summer with longtime collaborator Dan Nigro and Amy Allen, who has previously worked with Harry Styles, Sabrina Carpenter, and Tate McRae. The music video, styled like a vintage home movie, features SNL's Ben Marshall as her boyfriend and Nixon as her prospective mother-in-law.
The release places Rodrigo among several high-profile contenders for this year's Christmas number one. Sam Fender has covered the Rolling Stones' 'You Can't Always Get What You Want' for John Lewis' Christmas ad, while CMAT and Elton John have teamed up for a countrified version of 'Step Into Christmas'. Alanis Morissette is releasing a holiday album, Sufjan Stevens is issuing a festive compilation, and Nile Rodgers and Rebecca Ferguson have covered 'The Christmas Song' (though their use of AI in the video has sparked backlash). Kate Nash has also penned a Christmas track, 'Christmas Eve'.
However, all these new entries face tough competition from Wham's 'Last Christmas' and Mariah Carey's 'All I Want For Christmas Is You', which traditionally dominate the festive charts. Both songs entered the UK's Spotify top 10 on 1 November, two weeks earlier than last year. Wham secured the Christmas number one in both 2023 and 2024 and could see a sales boost this year as fans mark the 10th anniversary of George Michael's death. Last year's festive chart-topper was Kylie Minogue's 'XMAS'.
