Just in time for the holidaze, Black Marble delivers a cover of Mariah Carey’s 1994 classic “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” Updating the former’s playful quality to be more in tune with the difficult year, Chris Stewart’s synth-pop oriented version is filled with unrequited yearning for the comfort of friends and family. He explains:
“Given all that’s happened in the last year It struck me as likely that many of us are in the same boat right now and thinking about this idea of missing our friends and loved ones and wondering when we will be able to gather together again. I usually take it for granted that I’ll be able to see my family for instance at this time, but for me and a lot of us this year, those plans were put on hold. The original intent of the song seems more playful, but because of these ideas, it took on, for me, more of a tone of longing and wishing to be with the people you care about and not having much appetite for the usual more commercial trappings of the season in light of this thing we’re all going through. Also, I mean who doesn’t love some Mariah Carey around this time – and I thought it would be fun to do a more synthy take on such a well-known classic pop song as well as update it tonally to reflect this current reality.”
Stewart has a co-directed a video for the track with Ashley Leahy. Shot in and around Los Angeles, he explains that the original inspiration was Paul Simon‘s video for “You Can Call Me Al” with Chevy Chase. Describing the new visuals, Stewart offers:
“For the video we wanted to get across the idea of this character who is sort of restless and longing for someone who’s not there and doesn’t really have the time or headspace for the usual holiday festivities. That’s why we shot the scene of presents being passed from hand to hand and sort of discarded as if they are unimportant or an afterthought, and why we shot the exteriors all over town as if the character is in search of someone or something. Or this idea that wishing for someone or something is universal right now and not confined to one particular place.”
You can find Black Marble’s cover of “All I Want for Christmas Is You” on the charity video compilation SYNTHMAS: A HOLIDAY SPECIAL encouraging donations to the Alexandria House and Save Our Stages.
