Queer singer/songwriter Sufjan Stevens is releasing his first set of Christmas songs since his 2012 EP Silver & Gold. So if you’re experiencing some cuffing season blues and need new Christmas songs to soundtrack it, Stevens’ new album Worst Christmas Ever! promises to be perfect listening.
While there is something magical about the Christmas classics, sometimes a bit of variety is welcome. The album releases on November 6 at midnight; however, a single has been released from the album, titled ‘On This Christmas (It Only Gets Better)’.
Stevens is perhaps best known for his work on the 2017 Call Me by Your Name soundtrack, particularly the song ‘Mystery of Love’, which has 894 million streams on Spotify, and likely the same amount of people have cried to it.
This new track features the signature dreamy-synth sound mixed with acoustic elements that Stevens is known for, and of course, those vocals that make you tear up a little. While the song is chock-full of amazing lyrics, the line, “And on this Christmas, I ask forgiveness, For all the funny things I’ve said and done” is a real standout.
In typical Sufjan Stevens fashion, the song also features elements of religious themes, such as in lyrics where he sings, “For in my dreams I might, See everlasting life, But when I wake I still see darkness”.
The singer made a press statement accompanying the release of the single in which he said, “Let’s try to be better this year: more loving, forgiving, welcoming, and reckoning.” He continued, saying, “This song is a prayer — that we can all find a way to yield to the wisdom and understanding of forgiveness. I believe the world will find its way.”
Sufjan Stevens’ work is beautiful, heartbreaking and hopeful all at once; he offers listeners truly inspiring lyrics, including at the end of the single, when he sings, “You said don’t put it past the Earth to get better in the end.”
Along with the Christmas song’s release across major streaming platforms, Sufjan Stevens released a music video online. The video displays unique stop-motion-esque visuals of Christmas characters dancing in a field, alongside a hazy film look and childlike crayon-drawn accents.
If the new single is anything to go by, the album is sure to be something truly special, and hopefully an instant Christmas classic.
© 2026 GCN (Gay Community News). All rights reserved.
Support GCN
GCN is a free, vital resource for Ireland’s LGBTQ+ community since 1988.
GCN is a trading name of National LGBT Federation CLG, a registered charity - Charity Number: 20034580.
GCN relies on the generous support of the community and allies to sustain the crucial work that we do. Producing GCN is costly, and, in an industry which has been hugely impacted by rising costs, we need your support to help sustain and grow this vital resource.
Supporting GCN for as little as €1.99 per month will help us continue our work as Ireland’s free, independent LGBTQ+ media.