MULTI-PLATINUM star Gabby Barrett announces the upcoming release of Carols and Candlelight (Deluxe), the extended version of her first-ever Christmas album. Due out via Warner Music Nashville on November 7, Carols and Candlelight (Deluxe) will feature two all-new songs from Barrett, including her soul-soothing rendition of “Where Are You Christmas” – an unforgettably beautiful track premiering today (10/24). Available in three separate formats, Barrett delivers the Digital Edition on November 7 with the CD and Vinyl Editions following on November 21. Go here to pre-save/pre-add Carols and Candlelight (Deluxe), and pre-order the CD and Vinyl Editions here. Listen to “Where Are You Christmas” and watch the lyric video.
Arriving just in time for the song’s 25th anniversary, Barrett’s cover of “Where Are You Christmas” breathes new life into the bittersweet ballad penned by legendary film composer James Horner, global superstar Mariah Carey, and award-winning lyricist Will Jennings for Ron Howard’s 2000 blockbuster Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas. In an exquisite update of the eternally moving track (introduced by Taylor Momsen in the movie and recorded by Country icon Faith Hill), Barrett’s tender yet powerful voice channels everything from melancholy longing to rediscovered joy, handling each line with equal parts unrestrained feeling and captivating grace. Produced by her frequent collaborator Ross Copperman, “Where Are You Christmas” weaves her vocals through a lush arrangement of elegant guitar work, soaring strings, gentle piano melodies, and luminous bell tones – ultimately building to a breathtaking grandeur at the bridge, when Barrett’s sublimely belted vocals bring home the song’s message of hopeful reassurance.
Initially released in November 2024, Carols and Candlelight highlights standouts like “Go Tell It On The Mountain” (for KING & COUNTRY feat. Gabby Barrett) – a spirit-lifting Gospel number nominated for Christmas Recorded Song of the Year at the 55th Annual GMA Dove Awards. With its era-spanning tracklist ranging from cherished Christmas carols and time-honored Advent hymns to joyous songs of festive celebration, the album also features collaborations with Barrett’s husband Cade Foehner (“Baby, It’s Cold Outside”) and The Piano Guys (“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”), as well as her stunning versions of treasured classics like “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” “The First Noel,” and “O Holy Night.” In addition to “Where Are You Christmas,” the 13-track Carols and Candlelight (Deluxe) includes Barrett’s warmhearted cover of another song from a beloved motion picture soundtrack: the Glen Ballard and Alan Silvestri-penned “When Christmas Comes to Town,” originally performed by Matthew Hall and Meagan Moore in The Polar Express.
On Tuesday night (10/21), Barrett appeared at the Grand Ole Opry for the first Opry Country Heat Takeover – a star-studded night of performances curated by Amazon Music’s Country Heat. Fresh off her red-hot LIFE I’M LIVING TOUR 2025 (a 30-date headline run that wrapped earlier this month), Barrett delivered a showstopping set as part of an A-list lineup with Lainey Wilson, Lauren Alaina, Dan + Shay, Russell Dickerson, and more.
Moving full speed ahead as the year winds down, Barrett recently ushered in a bold new era of her artistry with the back-to-back release of “The Easy Part” (a raw but resilient breakup anthem that trades tears for triumph) and “Ain’t Supposed To Be” (a gorgeously cinematic tale of an unlikely romance between two restless souls). With more new music on the way, Barrett’s latest output returns to the fierce emotionality of her 8X PLATINUM breakout “I Hope” – a #1 meteoric smash that reigned at #4 on Billboard’s Top Hot Country Songs of the 21st Century chart.
At just 25 years old, Barrett has already carved out a rich body of work beginning with her PLATINUM full-length debut Goldmine and its hit-stacked Deluxe – a 2020 LP spotlighting the four-week Hot AC #1 crossover “I Hope (feat. Charlie Puth),” 4X PLATINUM three-week #1 “The Good Ones,” and PLATINUM “Pick Me Up.” Released last year, her widely acclaimed sophomore album Chapter & Verse arrived as an autobiographical tour de force that found Barrett claiming greater creative control than ever before, including co-writing nine of the songs and co-producing the full project with Copperman.
