Wrap Me Up by Jimmy Fallon and Meghan Trainor—Murfin Winter Holidays Music Festival 2023-’24

 

                                                        Wrap Me Up by Jimmy Fallon and Meghan Trainor.

It is with no little regret that today’s Murfin Winter Holidays Music Festival entry comes from the relentlessly self-promoting and hyperkinetic talk show host Jimmie Fallon and pop diva Meghan Trainor.  Fallon spent the last week shamelessly hyping their holiday collaboration on the Tonight Show, on his many other NBC projects, and wherever else he can get noticed.  His self-proclaimed goal has been to knock Maria Carrey and the ubiquitous All I Want For Christmas is You for the top-spot on the seasonal charts.  Last I heard the new release was #2 with a bullet.

Any alternative to Carey’s annual ear worm is welcome.  

 Can Write me Up finally dislodge Marriah Carey's death grip on the annual holiday music charts?

Wrap Me Up is a spritely pop holiday romantic tune in the lane of such double entendres asladen and suggestive songs as Santa Baby and Baby It’s Cold Outside only not so suggestive.  It is pleasant and generic enough to fit into any holiday radio playlist but is ultimately forgettable.  It will probably not go on to be a seasonal perennial reaping jaw dropping residual payments every year.

The way Fallon told the story, he casually mentioned the idea of a Christmas collaboration  to Trainor who has frequently appeared on his shows.  He even suggested the title Wrap Me for Christmas.  He probably was expecting, at best, a rap to use on  the show.    Trainor was non-committal but after a few days sent him a demo.   By changing the idea to Wrap Me Up she not only  scraped the urban edge, she channeled the song to pop.  The pair collaborated at a distance, sharing music files until a final version was achieved with contributions from Gian Stone and Sean Douglas.  Producers assembled the recording without all musicians in the studio at the same time. 

Fallon and Trainor even went of rival Jimmy Kimmel's ABC competitor to plug their song.

Trainor rose to prominence after signing with Epic Records in 2014 and releasing her debut single All About That Bass, which reached # 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and sold 11 million copies worldwide. She has released five studio albums with the label and has received various accolades, including the 2016 Grammy Award for Best New Artist.