If you were to imagine Adele in a state of unbridled happiness, you would be halfway to understanding the current artistic trajectory of Lauren Daigle. The powerhouse singer released her self-titled third album—and her first under Atlantic Records—on May 12, marking a distinct evolution in her sound. While Daigle has spent the last decade as perhaps the most significant star to emerge from the Christian music scene, effectively crossing over into mainstream territory, her latest work suggests a mandate for joy that goes beyond her previous reputation.

Quoting her friend Natalie Hemby, Daigle admits she has a “little hippie thing” going on, a trait she traces back to her Louisiana upbringing. This internal groove is erupting into perpetual grins, signaling a departure from the solemnity often associated with her genre. The new record, Lauren Daigle, ventures further than any of her prior work in capturing this spirit. Her previous smash album, Look Up Child, raised her profile enough to secure guest spots on The Voice and American Idol, yet it maintained a heightened sense of drama. On that record, she often sounded like a soaring, albeit downcast, Adele, focusing on spiritual angst rather than romantic heartbreak.

While the new album still possesses the “triumph-over-despair” power ballads fans expect—most notably in the single “Thank God I Do”—there is a palpable loosening of the reins. Working with producer Mike Elizondo, known for his eclectic work with Fiona Apple, Twenty One Pilots, and 50 Cent, Daigle explores stylistic variations that solidify her standing as a premier vocalist in contemporary pop. She notes that while the last album felt heavily weighted toward dramatic ballads, the new project balances that intensity with “vibey” tracks that were previously absent from her repertoire.

The Philosophy of Celebration

According to Daigle, this shift isn’t just a musical choice but a reflection of her true personality. She describes herself as someone who loves life, pranks, and not taking herself too seriously eighty percent of the time. She acknowledges that while audiences often come to her shows to “get their good cry out,” she wants the freedom to run around the stage and throw a party.

This inherent need for movement is deeply rooted in her background. Daigle recalls returning from an LSU game with her manager, eager to show her the local culture. When a wreck on a nineteen-mile-long bridge left them stranded in traffic for hours at 2 a.m., the reaction wasn’t frustration, but a celebration. Drivers exited their cars, cranked up the music, and started line dancing on the bridge. It was a moment that illustrated her worldview: while she loves connecting with the human soul through emotional ballads, she finds equal importance in giving people a soundtrack for celebration.

Fans will have the chance to witness this duality live during her fall arena tour, which includes major stops at the Prudential Center in Newark on October 20 and Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena on November 10.

A Shakeup in the Holiday Hierarchy

Just as Daigle is shaking up her musical identity by embracing joy and disrupting expectations, the broader music industry experienced its own disruption during the 2025 holiday season. For years, the soundtrack of December has been dominated by a single force: Mariah Carey. Her 1994 hit, “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” typically begins its reign on December 1, generating millions in revenue annually as it permeates shopping malls, school pageants, and homes worldwide.

However, the 2025 season proved that no reign lasts forever. While Carey’s anthem remained a powerhouse, it was effectively dethroned by two formidable challengers who stole the season’s most coveted number-one spots.

Wham! Takes the Global Crown

On the global stage, the upset came from the British duo Wham!, comprised of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. Their classic track, “Last Christmas,” surged past Carey on Spotify’s global charts, beating her figures by over 30,400 streams. On the platform’s top hits list, Wham! secured the second spot—trailing only Taylor Swift’s “The Fate of Ophelia”—pushing Carey down to third.

The resurgence of “Last Christmas” highlights the enduring appeal of the 1986 track, which was the final single from the album Music from the Edge of Heaven before the group disbanded. Its creation is the stuff of pop legend: during a visit to Michael’s parents’ house, George disappeared upstairs for an hour and returned with the song essentially complete. Ridgeley recalled the moment as “musical alchemy,” noting how Michael had distilled the essence of Christmas into a melody about romantic betrayal. Decades later, that alchemy has finally outpaced the competition on the world’s largest streaming service.

Kylie Minogue Rewrites History in the UK

Meanwhile, a different battle played out in the United Kingdom, where Australian pop icon Kylie Minogue delivered a surprise victory. Minogue claimed the number-one spot with “XMAS,” a track featured on the Amazon Music reissue of her 2015 album Kylie Christmas. Through a strategic campaign involving heavy radio play and streaming promotion, Minogue managed to surpass both Mariah Carey and Wham! in the British Isles.

This achievement carried historical significance beyond just a seasonal win. With this chart-topper, Minogue became the first female artist to score a number-one single in the UK across four distinct decades: the 80s, 90s, 00s, and now the 20s. She joins an elite club of music legends that includes Elton John, Queen, and Elvis Presley. Minogue, celebrating the holidays from Australia, expressed her gratitude on social media, calling the Christmas number-one “the best gift.”

From Lauren Daigle’s genre-bending shift toward happiness to the reshuffling of the global holiday charts, the music landscape of 2025 proved that even long-established patterns are subject to change when a new wave of energy takes hold.