Unexpectedly, former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce has dominated the Christmas music scene, surpassing the current “Queen of Christmas,” Mariah Carey, on the charts. “Maybe This Christmas,” Kelce’s duet with rock legend Stevie Nicks, has eclipsed Carey’s classic hit “All I Want for Christmas Is You” as the top Christmas song on the charts.
During a recent episode of the “New Heights” podcast, Kelce expressed his disbelief at the accomplishment, saying, “Maybe this Christmas will mean something more… Maybe this year love will appear, deeper than ever before.”
Kelce joked, “I’ve fought my whole life to be the queen of Christmas, and the fact that we’re finally there… it’s just really special.” While the former NFL star acknowledged that Carey’s song has dominated the holiday charts for decades, he noted that his collaboration with Nicks caught the early wave of Christmas music listeners.
“We kind of caught it on the Christmas downslope; not too many people are listening to Christmas music, so we kind of jumped up in there,” Kelce said. Despite his excitement, the athlete remained humble about the achievement, saying, “There’s no percent chance that any song that I am in should be streaming number one on any service, in any genre.”
His co-host and brother, Travis Kelce, was quick to agree, quipping, “Yeah, well don’t give yourself too much credit, Stevie Nicks.” The retired Eagles center first teased the collaboration with Nicks in an October Instagram post, sharing a photo of the pair seemingly in a recording studio.
The caption hinted at the unlikely pairing, “the crossover we didn’t know we needed.” In an earlier podcast episode, Kelce expressed his awe at the opportunity to work with the Fleetwood Mac legend, calling Nicks “probably the most legendary female singer, especially of her generation.” “The fact that I’m singing with her, this legend, is pretty unreal,” he added, describing Nicks as “one of the nicest people I’ve ever talked to” with an “absolutely beautiful personality.”
While Kelce’s song may have dethroned Carey’s holiday classic for the moment, the “Queen of Christmas” is sure to reclaim her crown before long. Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has remained a perennial chart-topper, breaking its own Spotify record for most streams on Christmas Eve last year. “Worth noting… ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ came out in 1994—and Jason’s song came out last week, so it’s still got a long way to go to hit Mariah status,” the podcast host noted.
Nevertheless, Kelce is savoring his brief reign as the new “Queen of Christmas,” even if he doubts his vocal abilities deserve such a prestigious title. “I’ll take it where I can get it. It’s pretty amazing,” he said, adding with a laugh, “We’ll see if it holds up throughout the rest of Christmas.”
His annual Philadelphia-themed Christmas album, “A Philly Special Christmas Party,” set to release on November 22nd, features Kelce’s holiday duet with Nicks. All proceeds from the album will go to Philadelphia-based charities.
So while Mariah Carey may still be the reigning queen of Christmas music, Jason Kelce has managed to secure his own spot on the throne, at least for the moment. It’s a testament to the power of collaboration and the enduring spirit of the holiday season.