By default, CeCe Winans’ voice exudes joy. Thus, it’s fitting that her 2024 holiday effort is titled “Joyful, Joyful: A Christmas Album.” While the collection is mostly a refresh of 2018 fan favorite “Something’s Happening!,” the updated iteration stokes the flame of her impressive momentum.
Marking her third full-length holiday project, “Joyful, Joyful” is comprised of 12 tracks, 10 of which first appeared on its predecessor. The project opens with a fresh arrangement of “Joy to the World” that follows in the footsteps of seasonal faire from powerhouses like Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin and Mariah Carey with its choir-assisted, dance-worthy beats. Its retro flair folds in nicely with the rest of the otherwise vintage album.
The record takes its name from the second of two new additions, “Angels We Have Heard on High (Joyful, Joyful).” The triumphant selection begins with the cascading harmonies of a high-church choir and full orchestra on “Angels We Have Heard on High” before Winans interjects with a bright rendition of well-known hymn “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee.” She then seamlessly moves right back into “Angels” and adds a spontaneous praise chorus that exalts Jesus as the Light of the World. The unique mashup proves the pair of standards is indeed complimentary.
Following the two new offerings, “Joyful, Joyful” launches into a resequenced version of “Something’s Happening!” “It’s Christmas” quickly materializes as an obvious standout as it conjures the universal sentiments of the holiday employing accessible language and an uptempo melody that could easily yield airplay on Top 40 radio. “Giving Season” captures a similar ubiquitous feeling as the recently crowned GMA Dove Award-winning Artist of the Year highlights the generous spirit of the season. Winans’ son, Alvin Love III, penned all of the album’s originals, including “It’s Christmas” and “Giving Season.”
Backed by the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, with whom she recorded the initial project at Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall in Zagreb, Croatia, the expansive “This World Will Never Be The Same” showcases the decorated artist’s unmatched vocals against a landscape of strings. Additionally, her range soars on a stunning orchestral arrangement of “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” In contrast, original “The Grace of the Father” sounds like a peppy number from a Broadway musical with a message that illuminates the true reason for the season. Meanwhile, her haunting, dream-like version of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” feels like something plucked straight from “The Nutcracker.”
It’s Winans’ warm, divinely delivered combination of “Feliz Navidad” and “O Holy Night” that might just be the LP’s crowning achievement, however. The album’s penultimate selection melds two unlikely pairings for a sendoff befitting of the world-class singer. The mariachi-style rendering of the Latin-flavored favorite seamlessly glides into the festive chorus of the nativity carol. The renown songstress concludes the set with a reverent, angelic rendition of “Silent Night.”
A half dozen years have passed, and the remastered recordings from “Something’s Happening!” still ring true, underscoring the timelessness of both the season and its soundtrack. And then there’s the enduring nature of Winans’ voice altogether. Whether she’s singing pop or Gospel, a classical ballad or a Christmas standard, Winans is one of this generation’s most versatile vocalists, who continually reiterates her talent with every successive release. In many ways, it feels like the mother and grandmother is experiencing a second (or maybe even a third) act — a rare feat for any artist. Yet, when you have a voice as special as hers, it should come as no surprise that she would have an unprecedented shelf life.
An entirely brand new Christmas offering might have been on many listeners’ wish lists this year, but “Joyful, Joyful” serves its purpose in tiding fans over and continuing Winans’ unorthodox resurgence, while also reintroducing a past volume of her extensive repertoire to an entirely new generation. She just turned 60 in October, yet Winans has never been more popular. Her renewed acclaim extends to this year’s nearly sold-out “Christmas with CeCe Winans: Live in Concert” tour, slated to visit select cities this December with direct support provided by “American Idol” alum Roman Collins. The holiday outing will commence her first Christmas trek in more than a decade.
