Sufjan Stevens details new Christmas album, Worst Christmas Ever!

While summer has only just ended, Stevens is teasing the holiday season with Worst Christmas Ever!. The album features fifteen of his indie-Christmas staples, drawing from more than one-hundred Christmas recordings across the box sets Songs for Christmas and Silver & Gold, plus the previously unheard track "On This Christmas (It Only Gets Better)."

Stevens first started making Christmas music in 2001, initially as gifts for friends and family. He'd make the songs over one week in December, usually at home, inviting friends, roommates or musical peers to work on the songs. In 2006, Asthmatic Kitty collected the first five volumes as Songs for Christmas, Vols. 1-5, and in 2012 the label released Silver & Gold: Songs for Christmas, Vols. 6-10.

Worst Christmas Ever! pulls from both collections, including fan favourites such as "Sister Winter," "Put The Lights On The Tree," "Only At Christmas Time" and the title track, "That Was The Worst Christmas Ever!" Also featured are "Justice Delivers Its Gift," Stevens' take on the Burl Ives classic "Silver & Gold," "Christmas In The Room," "Silent Night" and more.

The volumes these songs come from were made with a cast of collaborators, including Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National, Richard Reed Parry of Arcade Fire, Cat Martino, Gabriel Kahane, Casey Foubert, James McAlister and Rosie Thomas.

Speaking to Vulture about his holiday catalogue in 2022, Stevens noted: "There are no rules and regulations when it comes to Christmas culture."

Worst Christmas Ever! artwork

Worst Christmas Ever! tracklist

"Silent Night"
"Put The Lights On The Tree"
"Holly Jolly Christmas"
"Christmas In The Room"
"It Came Upon A Midnight Clear (Christmas Infinity Voyage Version)"
"Sister Winter"
"Joy To The World"
"On This Christmas (It Only Gets Better)"
"Angels We Have Heard On High (Christmas Infinity Voyage Version)"
"Only At Christmas Time"
"It Came Upon A Midnight Clear (Christmas Unicorn Version)"
"That Was The Worst Christmas Ever!"
"Sleigh Ride"
"Justice Delivers Its Gift"
"Auld Lang Syne"
"Maoz Tzur (Rock of Ages)"