Ariana Grande's Christmas Songs, Ranked

Like her idol and inspiration Mariah Carey, Ariana Grande knows the value of a good Christmas original, a feat hard to pull off since the holiday music canon is so untouchable. Mariah's “All I Want for Christmas” is maybe the most recent real addition, and that was back in the early 2000s.

Though Ariana’s Christmas singles — spread across two holiday EPs, Christmas Kisses and Christmas & Chill — haven’t become bonafide classics just yet, they’re still an awful lot of fun. They're also a perfect palate cleanser in between repeat plays of "thank u, next."

Without further ado, we present a complete ranking of all of Ariana's holiday originals (even though, let's be honest, they're all bops).

9. "Love Is Everything"

"Love Is Everything" uses the word "love" 23 times, which should give you some clue as to what it's about. Instead of a serenade directed at a specific person, Ariana sings about her affection for the world, pulling heavily from the Beatles for lines like, "All we need is love, love is all we need," but with bonus Christmas imagery, included but not limited to trees, gifts, seasons, joy, and cheer.

It's ranked at the bottom here not because it's bad; it's pleasant enough, has a heartwarming if generic message, and is much preferable to "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas." But as you'll see, it's also one of the more forgettable compared to the serious hits ahead.

8. "Intro"

"Intro" is one of Ariana's many songs written by her friend and "Thank u, next" music video star Victoria Monét, who is credited first on the track. It also features more poetic lyrics, including, "I want you with me on this road to the sky. We'll be shining every night I promise you."

Though just a minute long, "Intro" manages to exude The Nutcracker's creepy-magical energy, but like, if Anna Kendrick's character in Pitch Perfect 2 had remixed it. Festive fun!

7. "December"

"December" is a song about simple joys, like comparing oneself to a present just waiting to be unwrapped. It's perfectly enjoyable, if a little basic, and its appeal stems primarily from the presence of a Christmas couplet that might just give "Twas the night before Christmas" a run for its money. Ari slides into the central chorus like it's a smooth peppermint candy: "Merry Christmas, here I am boy. I'm a present and you know it, here I am boy."

It's not a nuanced line, necessarily. And it doesn't really get at that magical holiday rom-com feeling that some of Ari's other songs are better at creating. Instead, it's a straightforward, confident assertion of value, a way of saying, "Hey, It's Christmas. I'm great. And you need to appreciate it." On a pure Ariana level, it's also a pretty accurate description of the pop singer's effect right now — a gift. And we're so f*ckin' grateful.

6. "Not Just On Christmas"

"Not Just On Christmas" is just a nice, quality seasonal song. It's about the revolutionary idea that you should be kind to people and love them and show your appreciation for them all year round, not just during the holidays. It also features one of the prettiest musical hooks of Ariana's career, Christmas or no: "Baby, whether rain or shine/Naughty or nice/I'm by your side."

5. "True Love"

"True Love" gets bonus points for its direct allusion to the "12 Days of Christmas" (on the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...). But instead of a bunch of obnoxious animal-related gifts, Ari and her true love exchange mostly declarations of eternal commitment and promises like "Any time, he could get it." Which, TBH, are much more useful gifts.

4. "Snow in California"

"Snow in California", in addition to having some major early 2000s pop energy, is Ariana's lil Christmas wish straight out of that one Disney Channel Original Movie The Ultimate Christmas Present. Yes, she wants snow to come to California (likely Los Angeles), which would hint at cataclysmic global warming and a holiday that's more American Horror Story than A Christmas Prince. But it's OK that she makes this humble wish, because it's for LOVE. She just wants her man's flight to be delayed so they can enjoy Christmas together for one more day. Is that so wrong?

3. "Wit It This Christmas"

"Wit It This Christmas" is a holiday song with a bit of naughty. Forget the beloved Christmas references of childhood, like leaving cookies for Santa Claus and watching classic stop-motion movies like The Little Drummer Boy. Instead, Ariarna turns those moments into sexual innuendos.

See: "Are you down for some of these milk and cookies? Down for loving, you'll be my drummer boy. And I'm the only drum that you gonna play." And did you know, Ariana is "tasty like a candy cane or gingerbread"? Now, go forth and get wit it this Christmas.

2. "Winter Things"

A ukelele automatically turns a song into a bop, I don't make the rules. "Winter Things" is almost exclusively uke and Ariana's angelic voice crooning about how she and her baby are gonna do some "winter things." That descriptor is so perfectly vague and yet specific enough to conjure up images of ice skating rinks, freshly cut pine trees, holiday movies, and nights spent by the fire.

Part of the reason this song ranks so high: She rhymes "Ayo" with "North Pole" — as in, "Ayo, I wanna pretend we're at the North Pole."

1. "Santa Tell Me"

This is absolutely the most fun Ariana Grande Christmas song and no one can tell me that it doesn't deserve to be played at least half as much as "All I Want for Christmas."

"Santa Tell Me" comes from the same lineage as "Last Christmas," as Ariana asks Santa to see into her love's future. "Santa tell me if you're really there/Don't make me fall in love again/If he won't be here next year." It has all the makings of an instant holiday classic: sleigh bells in the background, lyrics about true love, and a delightfully low-fi music video that looks like something you make up with your friends on a snow day.

Alexa, play "Santa Tell Me" on repeat until January.

Let us slide into your DMs. Sign up for the Teen Vogue daily email.

Want more from Teen Vogue? Check this out: Ariana Grande and Elizabeth Gillies Have a Genius Lip Gloss Hack for BFFs