Sufjan Stevens Announces Holiday Compilation Album ‘Worst Christmas Ever!’

Sufjan Stevens detailed Worst Christmas Ever!, a holiday compilation album set for release November 6 via Asthmatic Kitty Records. The 16-track collection from across Stevens’ catalog, drawn from more than 100 recordings making up the box sets Songs for Christmas and Silver & Gold, includes the previously unheard “On This Christmas (It Only Gets Better).”

Stevens has been recording Christmas music since 2001, when he began writing and producing holiday songs as gifts for friends and family. The practice continued through subsequent years, with Stevens bringing in various collaborators each December. Eventually Stevens had amassed nearly five hours of holiday music.

Asthmatic Kitty released the earlier material as Songs for Christmas, Vols. 1-5 in 2006 and followed with Silver & Gold: Songs for Christmas, Vols. 6-10 in 2012. Stevens recorded, performed, and produced the album’s tracks himself, working with a group of contributors that included The National’s Aaron Dessner and Bryce Dessner, Arcade Fire’s Richard Reed Parry, Danielson’s Daniel Smith Elin Smith, Lilly Smith and Ida Smith, Cat Martino, Gabriel Kahane, Casey Foubert, James McAlister, Rosie Thomas, Marla Hansen, Olivier Manchon, Sebastian Krueger and others.

“On This Christmas (It Only Gets Better)” is Stevens’ first new Christmas music in 15 years and is said to be “built around apology, self-assessment, and asking for forgiveness.”

Alongside the unreleased track, Worst Christmas Ever! includes “Sister Winter,” “Put The Lights On The Tree,” “Only At Christmas Time,” and the title track, “That Was The Worst Christmas Ever!” The compilation also features “Justice Delivers Its Gift,” a version of the Burl Ives standard “Silver & Gold,” “Christmas In The Room” and “Silent Night.”

Worst Christmas Ever! Tracklist

1. Silent Night
2. Put The Lights On The Tree
3. Holly Jolly Christmas
4. Christmas In The Room
5. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear (Christmas Infinity Voyage Version)
6. Sister Winter
7. Joy To The World
8. On This Christmas (It Only Gets Better)
9. Angels We Have Heard On High (Christmas Infinity Voyage Version)
10. Only At Christmas Time
11. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear (Christmas Unicorn Version)
12. That Was The Worst Christmas Ever!
13. Sleigh Ride
14. Justice Delivers Its Gift
15. Auld Lang Syne
16. Maoz Tzur (Rock of Ages)