Dig deep into Phil Wickham’s expansive catalog, and you’ll realize the acclaimed worship leader has already gifted us with numerous soundtracks for the Christmas season. However, the busy artist spent any time he had off the road this year in the studio crafting yet another holiday effort that might just be his best yet. This time around, he’s presenting “Hallelujah! It’s Christmas,” and it’s just as exuberant as its title suggests.
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“Making this record has been a true joy, and I pray these songs fill your homes with joy, worship and wonder this Christmas season,” Wickham says of the new project. “The album is titled ‘Hallelujah! It’s Christmas!’ Yes, if you know me, you know I get pumped about Christmas, but that’s not all the title means. It’s also what my heart just wants to sing. Hallelujah! God sent His only Son into the mess of the manger to save us. Hallelujah! He still meets us in our mess today. Hallelujah! We are not alone; God is with us. Hallelujah! We are saved by His grace and don’t have to earn our way into salvation. We have so many reasons to celebrate in Jesus!”
While his 2024 release does house former singles like 2022’s celebratory “Behold (feat. Anne Wilson)” and 2023’s poignant “Manger Throne,” the remainder of the 15-track collection showcases a treasure trove of new songs. Rather than opt for straightforward arrangements of beloved carols, Wickham took the unconventional route on “Hallelujah! It’s Christmas” choosing, instead, to masterfully stitch choruses of well-known holiday selections into brand new compositions. The result is a creative, unpredictable Christmas set that feels both timeless and fresh all at the same time.
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Wickham bookends the tracklisting with atmospheric mashups of some of the classics on intro “Here We Come a’Caroling” and outro “Merry Christmas.” The artistic move makes the album feel like an experience unto itself, as if the project was made to be savored front to back.
Following the pristinely stacked vocals on “Here We Come a’Caroling,” Wickham launches into “Angels (Glory to God),” the record’s lead single. He harnesses as much energy on the frenetic, upbeat original as he does across the majority of his latest studio endeavor, “I Believe.” Bowing well in advance of the full project, “Angels (Glory to God)” will, no doubt, be a part of countless church services throughout Advent this year.
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Where the Christmas covers are concerned, Wickham does them justice. Joined by a choir, the West Coast native puts his unique stamp on “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” serving up an urgent, triumphant arrangement. Meanwhile, “Silent Night, Holy Night” — the project’s most traditional turn — reveals Wickham employing the rarely explored lower register of his voice to craft a solemn, reverent rendering of the hymn.
Furthermore, for the first time, the father of four delivers a cozy Christmas version of “Holy Forever.” Originally recorded and stewarded around the globe by Chris Tomlin, the transcendent ballad fits snugly into the tracklisting, offering a stripped-back moment of unvarnished worship. A credited writer on the offering, Wickham penned the 2024 Dove Award-winning Song of the Year with Tomlin, Brian & Jenn Johnson and Jason Ingram.
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Midway through, the title-cut might appear to be a new song, but instead, it’s another mashup — this time a vibrant interlude that combines “O Come All Ye Faithful” and the “Hallelujah Chorus.”
While his distinct iterations of familiar Christmas hymns are on point, Wickham’s originals are where the chart-topping vocalist really exhibits his ability to resource the Church with new anthems to sing, no matter the time of year.
Together with his brother, Evan, Wickham brings a slow, stirring ballad to life that paints a vivid portrait of the nativity story on “A Cradle in Bethlehem.” Moreover, on shining gem “Shepherd Boy,” the singer/songwriter inserts himself among flocks of sheep as he details the announcement of the Savior’s birth from the viewpoint of a humble herdsman.
Another standout, “Worth the Wait,” begins with an airy version of “The First Noel” before bursting into an all-new worship chorus, tenderly proclaiming, “Jesus, You are worth the wait.” Buried near the end, the penultimate “O Christmas Tree (Greatest Story)” finds the respected artist at his pinnacle. While he maintains the recognizable melody of “O Christmas Tree,” he wraps brand new lyrics around the carol like a beautiful strand of twinkling lights around an evergreen. “O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, ribbons of red upon you. To point to Him who brought us light and tell of His great sacrifice,” he sings. “O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree. You tell the greatest story.”
With multiple holiday releases already in his arsenal, “Hallelujah! It’s Christmas” might just go down as Wickham’s most innovative. It’s a present to be enjoyed slowly, allowing his experimental melodies and rich lyrics to wash over the listener with a long-awaited measure of equal parts joy and peace. Unwrapping one song at a time, Wickham ushers the masses into the holiday season with both whimsy and worship, ever reminding us that the Christmas story is the best story.
