Let me make this clear: I’m firmly of the belief that if a person wants to listen to holiday music the moment November hits, then they should be allowed to do so without launching a thousand think pieces and pithy tweets. Life is short and often bad and we should be allowed to hold fast to joy when we find it, OK?

Now that that’s out there, let’s jump to the task at hand: the perfect holiday playlist.

Like many people around the country this weekend, I’ll be hosting a Friendsgiving on Sunday. Replete with mulled wine, amateur-roasted turkey and blurry photos around the dinner table, I’m equal parts stressed and excited about how little planning I’ve done, now just days in advance.

What this gives me an excuse to do, however, is provide my anxiety with a saccharine balm: officially and publicly breaking out the Christmas tunes. And so, for you — lucky, lucky you — we have put together an official Manqué holiday playlist.

From such hits as Ariana Grande’s family-friendly “Wit It This Christmas” and Train’s puzzling “Shake Up Christmas,” we can all but guarantee that this curation will, at the very least, keep you on your toes, and at the very most, give you whiplash. That said, I stand by this playlist as firmly as I stand by the Barenaked Ladies’ entire holiday album, most of which is regrettably included.

From my Friendsgiving to yours, happy holidays.

We’ll be updating this weekly between now and Christmas.

Xoxo

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