Santa Baby

Santa Baby is the ninth studio album and first Christmas album by American singer and songwriter Alicia Keys. It was released through Alicia Keys Records on November 4, 2022, exclusively on Apple Music. Her first Christmas album, Santa Baby consists of eleven tracks, featuring four original songs and seven cover versions of Christmas standards. The album's lead single "December Back 2 June" was released on October 28, 2022. Composition Santa Baby is Keys's first Christmas album, and the first project released through her independent label since her contract with RCA Records ended. The album consists of eleven tracks, reworked by the singer herself, including four original compositions: "December Back 2 June", "You Don't Have to Be Alone", "Old Memories on Christmas", and "Not Even the King", which was originally included on Keys's 2012 album Girl on Fire. Musically the album features Christmas songs with soul, R&B, jazz and gospel influences. Keys explained the meaning of the album and the production with the Alicia Keys Records team:"The album that I just released for the holidays, being the first release on my own imprint, it feels really exciting. I also feel very determined and focused on how I want to continue to be not only my own woman, who is creating the proper business and really being my own boss and creating the opportunities that I want, but also thinking about how does that happen with other artists, with other women. [...] I’m really, really ecstatic about Alicia Keys Records. It’s a big statement being an artist who has been able to have the gift and the tenacity of longevity" Promotion On October 28, 2022, Keys published the first single from the album, "December Back 2 June". To promote the album, Keys appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on December 8, 2022. On December 21, 2022, Keys performed at the Apple Music Live: Alicia Keys Holiday Masquerade Ball in Broadway's United Palace Theater, alongside Jon Batiste and Jvke. Critical reception