Michael Buble has said his Christmas record becoming a tradition “means a lot” to him.
The 48-year-old Canadian singer had a number one album, Christmas, in 2011 that featured the classic songs It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas, Silent Night and Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town.
Buble is currently starring in Asda’s 2023 Christmas advert, directed by Oscar-winning writer Taika Waititi, and is seen in the role as the supermarket chain’s chief quality officer.
He told the PA news agency his music “dominates all seasons”, adding: “I am so proud (of my Christmas album).
“It’s one of the things that makes me happiest in life is that during such a special time of year, people have invited me into their homes, and I get to be part of something that’s so intimate and means so much to them.
“And in a world where there’s been a lot of suffering and pain, and people have had a hard time finding the light at the end of the tunnel, I love that I get to be a small part of that light.”
Buble also said he loves that “every single year” his Christmas album has “become a tradition”.
He added: “I think, as a parent, (it) is (about) wanting to recreate these incredible moments and feelings that you had as a kid and so for me, it’s been really interesting to watch how cyclical we are as human beings.
“It makes me feel really good that… 11 or 12 years ago, there was a teenager whose parents played them this (Christmas) record for the first time, and it became part of their holiday and now they’re playing it for their newborns and their kids, and it does mean a lot to me.”
Buble said he is a “big fan” of Waititi, who is known for comedy What We Do In The Shadows, superhero film Thor: Ragnarok and WW2 film Jojo Rabbit and married to British singer Rita Ora.
He said: “We (me and Taika) talked a lot about (how) funny isn’t trying to be funny, funny is being present and in the moment, and sometimes it’s, really, the more (you) understated (what) you can be, the funnier it is and I think we both agreed that that was a great way to go (in the ad).”
He also reflected that it can be difficult for musicians to make a popular Christmas record as he said that festive number ones “are incredibly timeless, hit songs where a melody fits perfectly with the lyrical content”.
Buble added: “Every single year, it’s going to happen, this year too, you’re going to have 15 of the world’s biggest artists, and they’re all going to come up with a Christmas single or Christmas record and they’re all going to think ‘this is easy’.
“‘All I have to do is make a Christmas record’ and ‘It’s (going to) sell a ton’ and ‘I’m (going to) make a bunch of money’. And guess what, it never works for none of them.”
He said the reason for music not performing well is that people know if something is “real” and the “artist’s heart is in the game”.
Buble said: “Every year is the same thing I get, the biggest artists in the world calling me and saying, ‘Hey, we should…’ and I say: ‘Thank you, I made the record, I’m good’.”
Asda’s 2023 Christmas advert featuring Buble is available on the supermarket chain’s YouTube channel or can be seen as The Voice UK airs on ITV1 on Saturday at 8.25pm.
