We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: Despite this miserable year we’ve all had, there’s a significant influx of ace holiday songs flooding our hearts and playlists, providing us with a little bit of yuletide revelry to help get us through. The latest to serve up some much-needed holiday cheer, in the context of 2020, of course, is Starling, who we last caught up with in October over her slinky alt-pop jam “No Leader”. Now the London native is back with a jingle and a thump on “Underneath The Mistletoe,” and it’s a cruising number fit for all the decorating we’ve been doing to keep our minds occupied.
And the song is all about staying connected with loved ones through the holiday season, even if that means we have to do so through modern technology and not the IRL means we’re accustomed to.
“Normally I’m Miss Scrooge but 2020 has been fucking unbelievable so love is the touchstone,” says Starling, echoing a sentiment a lot of us are feeling this month. “I had to write a song. A year like no other means people know what ‘social distancing’ truly and deeply means and how we have to look to the temporary nature of this to help the pain of missing the one we love.”
She adds: “Written about standing underneath the mistletoe waiting for a call — this is 2020 Christmas. Facetime will have to be the connection, until soon though, next year isn’t far and this is all temporary.”
Fire up your Zoom call, stay connected with the ones you love, and keep “Underneath The Mistletoe” on all your holiday 2020 playlists alongside girl in red, Illicit Ghost, Crocodiles, and all the other fabulous holiday jams making the rounds this year. And heads up for 2021, when Starling unleashed her anticipated debut album, To Be Alive. With all we’ve been through, that title alone will be worth celebrating.