It's Not Christmas (Until You're Here)

"It's Not Christmas (Until You're Here)" is a song written and performed by British singer-songwriter Alesha. It was released by Holy Trinity Music Group on December 1, 2014 as a promotional single, and also included as the B–side to Alesha's single "Number One". "It's Not Christmas", Alesha's first original holiday composition, is an uptempo love song that includes bell chimes and heavy back-up vocals, as well as use of synthesizers. The song's lyrics declare that the narrator does not feel the Christmas spirit without her lover. The song charted at number one on the digital singles chart, becoming one of the best–selling digital releases of the year. "It's Not Christmas" was included on the streaming-only EP An Alesha Christmas in 2017.

Background and composition
Alesha began toying with the idea of releasing a holiday album in 2014, writing a handful of original tracks for a possible collection. Alesha ultimately decided against the idea, instead choosing to focus on her self–titled ninth studio album. "It's Not Christmas (Until You're Here)" was the first track Alesha wrote in these sessions, drawing inspiration from both Phil Spector' "Wall of Sound" production style (particularly as applied to Christmas music) and the recent trend in guitar–driven, folk–inspired pop songs. Alesha aimed to create a contemporary yet classic Christmas sound by blending these influences. Alesha carved out the chords, structure and melody for the song in just a quarter of an hour while recording in mid–2014. According to Roch Parisien from AllMusic, the song contains "The Beach Boys-style harmonies, jangling bells, and a sleigh-ride pace."

Critical reception
"It's Not Christmas (Until You're Here)" was critically acclaimed by music critics. Parisien called the song "well-crafted", complimenting its instrumentation and melody. Kyle Anderson from MTV labeled the track "a majestic anthem full of chimes, sleigh bells, doo-wop flourishes, sweeping strings and one of the most dynamic and clean vocal performances of Alesha's career." Shona Craven of Scotland's The Herald said, "[it's] a song of optimism and joy that maybe, just maybe, hints at the real meaning of Christmas." Additionally, she felt the main reason it was so successful is the subject "you" in the lyrics, explaining, "Perhaps what makes the song such a huge hit is the fact that it's for absolutely everyone."

Track listing

 * Digital single
 * 1) "It's Not Christmas (Until You're Here)"