Updated: Nov 4, 2022
South Florida native Eric Lee grew up listening to multiple styles of music, from folk and country to southern rock. His first single was released in 2020 and immediately hit millions of streams. Eric has been busy writing and producing for other artists, as well as licensing music for TV, film, and ads. His 2018 song “Stronger Than I’ve Ever Been,” was featured during the Super Bowl and Winter Olympics.
Eric is releasing “Happy Holidays” to help us kick off this festive season. He grew up celebrating both Christmas and Hanukkah, so this holiday song is perfect for anyone who celebrates any tradition.
The song opens with jingle bells matching a country beat, layered around an acoustic guitar strumming chords. Eric’s country timbre is soothing and familiar, and when he hits those high notes in the chorus, you want to sing along with him.
It’s a special kind of feeling, it’s the perfect time of year
There’ll be music and laughter and dancing long after that firelight disappears
Doesn’t matter where you come from, there’s one thing that’s always true
All that really matters is what it means to you
Happy holidays to every family
Don’t matter how you celebrate, the feeling’s all the same
It’s a world full of color we should see with each other
Happy holidays, lights are shining on everybody
Eric has a full choir join him on the chorus, as well as some chimes (silver bells?). Even without the lyrics, you know for sure that this song is about the holiday season. It just sounds like Christmas. The choir joins Eric sporadically through the verse and makes it sound like a traditional holiday song you’ve been hearing for years.
The second verse talks about the candles and presents that fill our homes, and mentions how loved ones gather, because there’s no place they’d rather be. The love of family is a priority this time of year, no matter what the weather conditions are.
During the bridge, Eric sings “Tell someone you love them, tell a stranger they’re not alone, make a thousand miles away somehow feel like home.” His last note blends immediately into a tenor sax solo, straight out of every classic Christmas album you grew up listening to. The sentiment throughout his song shows us the true spirit of the holidays.
After the bridge, the instruments back off and you hear the light percussion of a shaker and acoustic guitar before the choir rejoins Eric’s great voice. The chimes and full instrumentation resume. At the end of the song, we get to hear the jingle bells replace the shaker again. It makes you want to dance around and tell everyone you see “Happy Holidays.”
To hear “Happy Holidays,” click here
Song Credits:
Songwriters: Eric Lee, Kyle James, Brad Hutsell
Producer: Maks Gabriel
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