Holiday music doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel to work. Sometimes it just needs a solid groove and enough personality to stand out in a crowded playlist. That’s what EMAYLA’s doing with “Merry Christmas,” her first holiday release that dropped on December 24th with an accompanying music video.
The track clocks in at 2:47 and settles into R&B-pop territory without overthinking it. There’s a clean beat, a driving bassline that gives it some bounce, and yeah, there are sleigh bells. But instead of burying everything under a massive orchestra, the production stays tight and focused. It’s polished, maybe even a little safe, but that’s not necessarily a problem when you’re making something people can throw on while they’re cooking dinner or wrapping presents.
EMAYLA, born Emanuela Bellezza in Italy and now based in Los Angeles, has the vocals to pull it off. She hits some nice runs, particularly on the bridge and outro, that call back to early 2000s radio R&B. The lyrics hit the usual marks – snow, bright lights, togetherness – but she sells it with enough energy that the familiar themes don’t feel tired. It’s not breaking new ground lyrically, but it’s well-executed for what it is.
Her path to this point started young in Italy, where singing and songwriting became her natural outlet. She moved to the U.S. to study at Musicians Institute in Los Angeles, building a foundation that now supports her work as an independent artist creating and producing her own material. The multi-instrumentalist also paints and speaks multiple languages, but right now her focus is clearly on building momentum with consistent releases.
She’s setting herself an ambitious challenge for 2026: releasing a new song every month. It’s the kind of goal that could either build a dedicated following or burn an artist out, but it shows she’s thinking strategically about staying visible in an oversaturated market. Her sound blends R&B, pop, soul, and Afrobeats-inspired elements into something she describes as vocal-driven and emotionally uplifting.
“Merry Christmas” is a reliable entry for the season. It’s catchy, well-sung, and fits comfortably between the classics without disrupting the vibe. For an artist who started making music as a way to express emotions in Italy and has since built an independent career in LA, this first holiday release shows she’s comfortable taking her sound in different directions. The monthly release challenge ahead will be demanding, but if this track is any indication of her work ethic and polish, she’s ready for it.
You can catch the official music video on Youtube, and follow EMAYLA on Instagram, Spotify, and her website.
