Sufjan Stevens has released “On This Christmas (It Only Gets Better),” his first newly written, produced, and performed Christmas song in nearly 15 years. The track arrives ahead of Worst Christmas Ever!, a 15-song compilation of material from his extensive holiday catalog, scheduled for release on November 6 through Asthmatic Kitty Records.
Instead of focusing on conventional seasonal celebration, the song centers on regret, forgiveness, and the possibility of greater understanding. Stevens described it as a “Christmas apology,” saying that the exchange of forgiveness could make the holiday’s tradition of gift-giving even more meaningful. He also characterized the song as a prayer for understanding.
The release is accompanied by a music video created by Stevens, Michael O’Neal, and Cubby Graham. The video incorporates 6,000 still images hand-painted by the trio and Hannah Cohen.
Stevens began recording Christmas songs in 2001 as gifts for friends and family. That tradition eventually produced more than 100 recordings, later collected on the 2006 box set Songs for Christmas and 2012’s Silver & Gold. Across nearly five hours of music, the releases combine traditional carols with Stevens’ melancholy and unconventional interpretations of the season.
Worst Christmas Ever! condenses that body of work into 15 tracks, including “Sister Winter,” “Put the Lights on the Tree,” “Christmas in the Room,” and “That Was the Worst Christmas Ever!” Earlier recordings in the catalog featured collaborators such as Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National, Arcade Fire’s Richard Reed Parry, and Rosie Thomas.
The new song follows Stevens’ first live appearance in more than eight years, when he joined Meg Lui on piano during her September 25 show at Tempo in Kingston, New York. In 2023, Stevens revealed that he had been diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, an immune disorder that causes severe muscle weakness.
Sources: Consequence.