xline06
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Post by xline06 on Oct 15, 2021 14:58:08 GMT -5
At first, worried about the same version or 2nd season of WIR but I was wrong. So happy with the original song “Merry Christmas (To The One I Used To Know)” which is really great as not only the Christmas theme track but also brand new one. This is the epic power ballad.
There are also great classic songs. I love them all but the original songs make me satisfied more. The best thing I like most between 2 different christmas albums is they have their own originality by her original songs. Love her.
Anyway, here’s my favorite order at the first listening.
1. Merry Christmas (To The One I Used To Know) 2. Christmas Eve - Yes, I really love this one. ; ) 3. Blessed 4. Christmas Isn’t Canceled (Just You) 5. Santa, Can’t You Hear Me? 6. Jingle Bell Rock 7. Under The Mistletoe 8. Glow 9. Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree 10. It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas 11. Christmas Come Early 12. Merry Christmas Baby 13. Santa Baby 14. Last Christmas 15. All I Want For Christmas Is You
And happy to see the name Toby Gad on “Blessed” since The War Is Over which is one of the best songs in Stronger era.
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Focus
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Post by Focus on Oct 15, 2021 15:26:24 GMT -5
Merry Christmas (To the One I Used to Know) is easily one of the best songs Kelly has recorded. I really hope she wrote it because it would also be one of the best she ever penned. I find it to be absolutely gorgeous and heartbreaking in all the right ways. It is easily my favorite on the album with my first few listens. All the originals are great, even Blessed surprised me and is much better than the clip but still just misses the mark for me. Kelly did write it. Jason Halbert posted about it on the KCE and this is what he said about it: For me, Merry Christmas To the One I Used to Know might be might be one of the best songs she's ever written.
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QAF
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Post by QAF on Oct 15, 2021 15:28:17 GMT -5
I just saw a tweet that Glow will impact country radio on October 18th.
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back2blk
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Post by back2blk on Oct 15, 2021 16:13:19 GMT -5
Great call. That one has the most mass appeal on the record.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2021 16:46:13 GMT -5
Not as good as her first Christmas album (a difficult bar to meet), but there are definitely some songs I'll probably play each year.
These are all excellent:
"Merry Christmas (To The One I Used To Know)" "Glow" "Santa, Can't You Hear Me"
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bigb0882
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Post by bigb0882 on Oct 15, 2021 16:49:58 GMT -5
Merry Christmas (To the One I Used to Know) is easily one of the best songs Kelly has recorded. I really hope she wrote it because it would also be one of the best she ever penned. I find it to be absolutely gorgeous and heartbreaking in all the right ways. It is easily my favorite on the album with my first few listens. All the originals are great, even Blessed surprised me and is much better than the clip but still just misses the mark for me. Kelly did write it. Jason Halbert posted about it on the KCE and this is what he said about it: For me, Merry Christmas To the One I Used to Know might be might be one of the best songs she's ever written. He ain’t lyin!
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Dreams
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Post by Dreams on Oct 15, 2021 16:55:01 GMT -5
The originals are the keepers off of this record. As a set I love them better than those on WIR even (at the very least there's nothing as heinous as "4 Carats" here). In fact, with the exception of "Blessed" (don't like the melody or lyrics) and "Christmas Come Early" (she sounds lovely giving a more subdued vocal but as a song overall it doesn't do much for me) I really like, and I mean LIKE, the rest of them. CIC(JY), "Glow" and "Merry Christmas "(To The One I Used To Know)" especially, are stellar. The latter is one of KC's best songs EVER! Will be listening to these three a lot this holiday season and beyond. The duet with Ariana is lovely as well, but on first listen I'm not as taken with it as most nor do I hear the AIWFCIY comparisons. I'm so glad "Merry Christmas Baby" isn't a cover of that bluesy Christmas song cause I can't stand it (if you are like me, listen to Bruce Springsteen's cover - it's almost nothing like the original!) and its opening gave me Halloween mixed with James Bond vibes if anything lol, but I like it! I wasn't fan of any of the covers, literally there are versions of each better than Kelly's, so I won't be keeping any of them. Preferably I'd have had either an EP (as I fear this will inevitably start eating into the sales of WIR) or an album full of originals because Kelly seems to possess a knack for creating really good Christmas music. One final thing, has she been singing like this for a while? I'm not an avid fan to follow her releases religiously which is why I'm asking but on this album she's singing in a loud, belty way not all that dissimilar to the way Lea Michele sings. You could've told me this is an album of a Broadway Christmas show and I wouldn't question it.
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schnetzka
2x Platinum Member
The album that never ends... I mean 'THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT: THE ANTHOLOGY' out now!
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Post by schnetzka on Oct 15, 2021 17:44:34 GMT -5
"Merry Christmas (To the One I Used to Know)" is exceptional. Only four songs in so far but I don't know how she will top this.
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bigb0882
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Post by bigb0882 on Oct 15, 2021 17:49:25 GMT -5
"Merry Christmas (To the One I Used to Know)" is exceptional. Only four songs in so far but I don't know how she will top this. I’m so glad to see all the love. Honestly, was a bit worried I was losing my mind and the only one hearing this for the masterpiece it is!
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mikeyj7
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Post by mikeyj7 on Oct 15, 2021 18:13:15 GMT -5
I'm loving this so much. I will share full thoughts later, but I agree with many that, once again, she's managed to create original Christmas songs that eclipse the magic and power of songs around for decades longer.
The note about Broadway above is an interesting one, as I was thinking how amazing an original, Christmas musical featuring originals from WIR and WCCA would be. I think all the originals play really well together, and I see a pretty clear Act One vs. Act Two narrative.
I'm with everyone in thinking that "Merry Christmas (To the One I Used to Know)" is incredibly special and her best writing since PXP.
BUTTTT, Imma need folks to put some respect on the name of Merry Christmas Baby. Just like track one last time (WIR), I feel folks are skipping past it to get to the star atop the tree (UTT and now MCTTOIUTK + the collabs), but that one is a DAMN GEM. I think folks will like it more as they listen through more and more. It really smokes.
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bb
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Post by bb on Oct 15, 2021 18:57:19 GMT -5
IMO the duet with Ariana is her best shot at a hit off this record (it already has like, 300,000 views on YouTube; which is only one of the many ways I'm sure it's going to over perform on streaming platforms). Ariana's fanbase is huge and incredibly active, and the performances of this song will likely be insane. I really hope Atlantic gives this the (not very big) push it needs because it's got the potential to be a recurring smash for her.
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bigb0882
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Post by bigb0882 on Oct 15, 2021 18:57:33 GMT -5
I also love the Broadway comment! Spot on and something I would have missed if not told to listen for it because Broadway just isn’t something I usually listen to. I would love if she took this approach to her (please be true) Christmas special. Make each performance an entire PERFORMANCE.
I’m also all in for a SNL musical guest right before Christmas spot. Obviously, Adele has whatever Saturday night she wants but Kelly can take the next best option! Adele will probably want to coincide with album release. Not sure when the last episode is before Christmas but I think it is usually after Thanksgiving. Bring Arianna as a guest. Hell, let them co-host and take over!
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mamaloveme
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Post by mamaloveme on Oct 15, 2021 20:18:19 GMT -5
after Merry Christmas (To The One I Used To Know), i want her to have a song is Disenchanted, or a song in Disney romantic musical
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slowmo
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Post by slowmo on Oct 15, 2021 20:27:31 GMT -5
Kellyokes next week:
Mon - It's Your Thing - The Isley Brothers Tue - Welcome to the Black Parade - MCR Wed - Heart of Glass - Blondie Thu - I Got You Babe - Sonny & Cher Fri - Maybe
notes: for Thu zap2it lists this, tvpassport has no song. Jimmy Fallon is on this episode so they could be singing it together. Fri - zap2it and tvp list I Wanna Get Better by The Bleachers however someone was in the audience for that show that filmed yesterday and said she didn't sing that and sang Maybe instead
Writing credits on WCCA...:
Merry Christmas Baby - Kelly & Aben Christmas Isn't Canceled - Kelly, Jason & Jessi Collins Merry Christmas (To the One...) - Kelly, Aben & Jason Glow - Kelly, Jason, Danja, Hayley Warner & Jesse Thomas Santa, Can't You Hear Me - Kelly & Aben Blessed - Lindy Robbins, Toby Gad & Nicole Haley Cohen Christmas Come Early - Molly Kate Kestner, Dave Lubben, Brock Baker & Bobby Strand Under the Mistletoe - Kelly & Aben Christmas Eve - Kelly & Jason
Production:
Jesse Shatkin - Merry Christmas Baby, It's Beginning To Look..., Rockin', Santa Baby, Jingle Bell Rock, All I Want Jason Halbert - Glow, Santa Can't You Hear Me, Blessed, Christmas Come Early Jason & Joseph Trapanese - Christmas Isn't Canceled, Merry Christmas (To the One...) Jason & Jesse - Christmas Eve Aben & Jesse - Under the Mistletoe
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bigb0882
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Post by bigb0882 on Oct 15, 2021 21:13:11 GMT -5
If Kelly really sings Maybe!!! Omg!!!!
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circadian
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Post by circadian on Oct 16, 2021 0:41:08 GMT -5
f**k ME !!!!!!!! Screw that TV edit, sing the whole song mamma! Also... Welcome to the black parade?! She's really taking us all the way back to My December ❤️
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Post by krisclarkson on Oct 16, 2021 10:39:04 GMT -5
I already listen to her other Christmas originals year round (yes they’re that good and I’m a big Christmas lover 🤪) most of the originals on this record are just as good!
Top favorites…in no order…. Merry Christmas Baby - I loooooooove the 50s/60s vibe in this song. I already loved it from the snippet and the whole version is even better. Glow - should get a lot of airplay this holiday. Very catchy. Merry Christmas(to The One I Used To Know) - I grew up as a big fan of the Carpenters and their Christmas CD in particular. After Jason said they were the inspiration behind the sound of this song, I totally hear it. I can’t wait to hear Kelly sing this live (hopefully on the rumored special) Santa, Can You Hear Me? - I was blasting this to and from work yesterday. Such a fun feel good holiday classic in the making. I can’t wait to hear Kelly and Ariana sing this together. Their vocals are off the charts on this.
The covers are nice but I find myself skipping them to hear the amazing originals. I don’t get the love for Blessed..it’s not a bad song at all but it doesn’t sit anywhere near the originals I mentioned above,
KELLY AND CO GIVE US THAT VINYL! I always pull out WIR and Michael Buble’s Christmas vinyls every Christmas and play on my record player. I obviously need this one to play as well 😁
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ampersand
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Post by ampersand on Oct 16, 2021 11:47:14 GMT -5
The album sounds amazing on Apple Music's Dobly Atmos. Really enhances the experience.
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dbhmr
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Post by dbhmr on Oct 16, 2021 14:13:57 GMT -5
Felt like I did nothing but drive yesterday which I normally hate, but it gave me the perfect opportunity to spin this new album a few times. I'm glad I did--my reaction on the first listen through was really similar to bb. Her voice was marvelous and the lyrics on the originals were excellent, but something about it was gelling for me. The covers almost felt "in the way" and in spite of literally all evidence (not just CIC but all the album artwork), I wasn't really expecting a full-on big band/Broadway sound for the whole album. Now I know a few more listens in and the stan in me so excited to have new Kelly music would start to work its delusional magic, but after a few more complete listens I began to appreciate it all a lot more. Her vocal commitment to this style is...uncanny? She just sounds right out of that time, and it feels impossible that this is the sang woman who tore through that "Happier Than Ever" raw, rocky cover within the same few-months timespan. This style does really suit her voice, though, and works well with the genre. Comfortable with that and less jarred by snowy imagery in 80-degree cloudless weather, I opened up to the covers, as well. "Rockin' Around" is fun, "Santa Baby" is excellent--the vocal gymnastics she does there between her chest/head voice is effortless and suits the song well. I've also come around to "Last Christmas"--doesn't touch the original, of course (big fan), but I like this take, and am glad she didn't try to recapture the sound of the original. Speaking of original, I can't believe how strong her original holiday songs are, like every time. Some are stronger than others/peaks of her songwriting career, but there isn't a bad one in the bunch (flirty as "4 Carats" is with that description). "Merry Christmas Baby" is maybe my favorite album opening from her ever? The opening catches you off guard and then it gets into this smooth, sultry beat. The lyrics? Whew. From the moment she sang "you let diamonds hold my hand" I knew we were in for a blistering ride. Her vocal here is fantastic--reminds me a bit of her "I Put A Spell On You" cover. I think this is my absolute favorite. "Glow" is so good I almost wish they stripped the Christmas references and jingly instruments and put it on her "real" album. "Santa Can't You Hear Me" is almost a runaway train but their voices are big enough to keep all its energy, wordiness, beat, and vocal layers safely on the right side of chaos. I didn't think of it as a huge, everlasting hit, but it really dug in after a few listens. Will be shocked if they don't pivot to this by sweeps week. "Merry Christmas (To the One I Used to Know)" is exquisitely written and her voice is as beautiful as ever. But, even though I'm less meh on it now after a few listens, the verses really make the song sound like the best song on the upcoming Frozen 3 soundtrack. It feels very Disney, while the chorus in isolation doesn't fall into the same trap. Still, too pretty to put down. "Blessed" is better than I expected from the clip--the rest of the lyrics dial down the cheese a lot. Her vocal here is crazy, but I need to study that key change. "Christmas Come Early" is lovely and melancholy. I am playing around with reworking the tracklist (no reason to keep "Under the Mistletoe" or "All I Want for Christmas" off the main version when they fit the sound and are in the upper tier of the album), but for now I'll just say that it doesn't quite capture the absolute timeless magic of Wrapped In Red, it's a successful concept Christmas album with some truly incredible vocals (and they're produced so, so well here) and all the more reason to expect some of the best songwriting of her career coming up.
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slowmo
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Post by slowmo on Oct 16, 2021 14:41:31 GMT -5
"Glow" is so good I almost wish they stripped the Christmas references and jingly instruments and put it on her "real" album. I'm cherry-picking this one sentence of your post because I was just saying this same exact thing to someone else. They're sending it to country radio next week and I know it's probably not going to do anything other than get some spins in December over there, but this song could easily be adapted to an "all seasons" song with just a few lyrics changes and get the recognition it deserves.
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14887fan
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Post by 14887fan on Oct 16, 2021 17:02:27 GMT -5
‘To the One I Used to Know’ stopped me in my tracks. Breathtaking.
I enjoy the album a lot. As mentioned already, I don’t know that it’s on the same level as her first record, but it’s still strong. Both collabs on here are top-notch.
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neally
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Post by neally on Oct 16, 2021 20:22:49 GMT -5
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schnetzka
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The album that never ends... I mean 'THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT: THE ANTHOLOGY' out now!
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Post by schnetzka on Oct 16, 2021 20:53:25 GMT -5
Didn't really care for how Bobby was acting during the interview but always love to hear from Kelly. I hope the reason other artists turn her down for a duet is because they're afraid of her overpowering them...anyway, her and Chris do sound great together on "Glow".
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ƒreakshow
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Post by ƒreakshow on Oct 16, 2021 22:42:42 GMT -5
So...listened one night later than I planned initially, didn't want to mix wine and my COVID booster. So, this Saturday night commentary brought to you by the bottle of pinor noir I just finished off and 4 years of deprivation from a new album... I stopped reading this thread on Friday morning to not spoil some things, so sorry if any of this is repetitive or has already been discussed. This is all from solely one listen and is merely a collection of initial thoughts on each track: 1. Merry Christmas Baby: Production and vibe gave me strong AIWFCIY (Kelly's 2020 cover) vibes - a good thing, but I need to go back and listen to it. 2. It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas: Some people said the teaser, which I never heard, was too much. I get where that was coming from but honestly, the more she went for it, the more I got into it. It's so great. 3. Christmas Isn't Canceled: This was the best song to release first. Sets the right vibe and catches your attention easily. I still won't compare it to WIR originals, but this does truly stand on its own and I'm enjoying it more and more. 4. Merry Christmas (etc.): I am speechless with this one. It's going to take time to digest it and appreciate all of its layers, much like the first track, but this is hands down, one of her best compositions ever. If this is anything like what's in store for the next album... :'( :'( :'( 5. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree: As I said before, this was begging to be recorded by her. She sounds so at home on this and it's a lot of fun. 6. Glow: Hers and Stapleton's voices blended nicely together. It wasn't an instant favorite for me but I liked it. 7. Santa Baby: I hate the versions usually played to the masses at the holidays but I did enjoy her interpretation. Whether you like the song or not, she is extremely suited for it. 8. Santa, Can't You Hear Me?: I slipped into a gay coma, there's a LOT going on here. Listening to her and Ariana go back and forth brought a smile to my face. I don't know if this one will catch on at all but I won't complain if it does. I saw comparisons made to the AIWFCIY and while I get it, I don't think it's too much. Definitely the most Christmas-y sounding song on here. 9. Last Christmas: I'm not sure I like the slower interpretation of this but I respect why she did it (like the world really needed another uptempo cover of it). I'll have to get used to it, but I think this was a needed and appropriate cover given the theme of the album. 10. Jingle Bell Rock: Again, another fun song that I'd knew she'd nail. 11. Blessed: This just sent me over the goddamn edge, I had tears by the end of it. And I'm a sucker for a key change. Maybe a little cheesy but I think it's phenomenal. 12. Christmas Come Early: A fitting way to close out the album and sum up life as of late. Will need more listens. (I adore Christmas Eve and AIWFCIY, I could do without UTM) My primary complaints: - We could have benefitted from one more track on the standard, the overall time was a little short for my liking. I do sometimes prefer more traditional Christmas songs and think we could have benefitted from one track to fill that void and get us an extra track. However, that's definitely not the vibe this album has and it may not have fit anyway. - I wish IBTLALC, RATCT, and JBR were longer. They're all fun to listen to and she nailed them all, just wish they went on for a bit longer. But I wonder if that was intentional for them to serve as more of an interlude type of purpose. All in all, I think it is extremely cohesive, even more so than WIR. She picked a sound and wove it through the entire thing. The covers function more as afterthoughts to the highlights that are the originals. It isn't fair to make any comparisons to WIR, since she did that so well and it's hard to beat that. But, on first listen, I think I like this more than I initially did WIR. WIR may have more endurance and stand the test of time, but this is nothing to brush off. While I initially was irritated that her next Christmas album was coming sooner than I wanted it, maybe it was the right time after all? Can't wait for Kelly's Extra Cautionary Christmas Tale. ETA: While listening, I put up the album visualizer from her YouTube channel up on my TV. In between shots of the wine glass emptying and filling again , you can see a (mock I'm sure) vinyl of the album on the turntable. Not cute, Atlantic!
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slowmo
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Post by slowmo on Oct 17, 2021 1:15:49 GMT -5
There was also an interview with Elvis Duran that was aired yesterday. I can't stand Bobby so my judgement is clouded, but hearing them back to back yesterday, let's just say it didn't change my mind on him at all.
And here's the Kellyoke from yesterday since they didn't/weren't able to post it. Leland Sklar sat in on bass for the show.
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mikeyj7
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Post by mikeyj7 on Oct 17, 2021 9:17:58 GMT -5
Yeah. Elvis >>>>
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Ryan
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Post by Ryan on Oct 18, 2021 8:02:33 GMT -5
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Post by The Black Bird on Oct 18, 2021 9:56:24 GMT -5
Merry Christmas (to The One I Used To Know) sounds just like a theme from some 90's animated movie. I LOVE it!
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QAF
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Post by QAF on Oct 18, 2021 10:25:48 GMT -5
MC(TTOIUTK) is my favorite as of today. Also, I'm finding Last Christmas tolerable. I'm not skipping it like I thought I would. Dare I even say it's growing on me.
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dbhmr
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Post by dbhmr on Oct 18, 2021 10:38:49 GMT -5
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