A2ReleasesNov 5, 20261 min readEdited by William Boles

Sufjan Stevens ends a 15-year Christmas break with "Worst Christmas Ever!" on Nov. 6

The Asthmatic Kitty compilation distills his holiday box sets and adds a new song, "On This Christmas (It Only Gets Better)".

Photo: Flohmann / Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Sufjan Stevens releases "Worst Christmas Ever!" on Friday, November 6, through Asthmatic Kitty. The compilation draws on his two large holiday box sets, "Songs for Christmas" and "Silver & Gold".

It includes a previously unreleased song, "On This Christmas (It Only Gets Better)", which The Line of Best Fit describes as his first new Christmas music in 15 years. Sources differ on the track count: JamBase and Stereogum list 16 songs, while Spin calls it a 15-song collection.

Physical editions include translucent red vinyl, CD and a red cassette.

The Lockgroove take

The most Sufjan way to compress a mountain of Christmas music is a title that jokes about it.

His holiday output has always mixed sincerity with absurdity, and a title like "Worst Christmas Ever!" fits that. A one-disc edit is also a kindness: the box sets are sprawling, and most listeners never get through them.

Our fair opinion: the new song is the real draw, but the compilation matters just as much as an entry point. If you have only ever known him through the quiet, heavy albums, this is the friendliest door into his catalog.

Put this on

01
Sufjan Stevens, "Ding-a-Ling-a-Ring-a-Ling" (Silver & Gold, 2012)
A bright, noisy holiday original from the box set the new collection draws on.
Play on Apple Music
02
Sufjan Stevens, "Christmas Unicorn" (Silver & Gold, 2012)
The sprawling centrepiece shows how far his Christmas songs stretch.
Play on Apple Music
03
Sufjan Stevens, "Lonely Man of Winter" (single, 2018)
A seasonal-leaning track for when the mood is quieter.
Play on Apple Music