Olivia Rodrigo Announces First Christmas Song, Due Thursday
Olivia Rodrigo has announced her first Christmas song, "Take Me Home (4 Christmas)", which is scheduled for release on Thursday, Nov. 5. She revealed the title and the cover art on Instagram on Monday, Nov. 2, according to Billboard.
The artwork shows Rodrigo sitting on the floor in a red Santa hat, with matching red lipstick. It is a seasonal look for a single that arrives just as the holiday release season gets going.
The song is due at 8 p.m. ET, which is 5 p.m. PT, on Thursday. For listeners in London, that means 1 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 6.
Merchandise is already on sale. Rodrigo's official store carries a "take me home (4 christmas)" t-shirt priced at $26.00 in US dollars, down from $40.00. A zip-up hoodie called "as a livie i'm livid", which features the song title, is listed at $48.75, marked down from $75.00.
Fans who want something more lasting can look at the exclusive "Under the Tree" red 7-inch vinyl listed on her official website. A 7-inch is the small record format that singles are often pressed on, with a single song on each side.
For the wider music business, a holiday single like this is a clear example of timing. Artists who release seasonal songs often do so in the weeks before the holidays, when playlists and shoppers are looking for festive music. Whether this one follows that pattern will only be clear once the streaming and sales figures start to come in after the release.
Rodrigo's announcement is also a reminder that a new song now arrives with a full set of companion products. A shirt, a hoodie and a vinyl record can all go on sale before a single note has been heard in public. For fans, the countdown to Thursday night is now officially on.
