Christmas With Brandy, Brandy (Motown)

The popular singer-actress came on strong for Christmas 2023 with this new holiday album, backstopped by the streaming movie "Best Christmas Ever," in which she stars. Although being on Motown doesn't necessarily mean what it once did, you can count on this being a nice blending of old-school soul and contemporary sounds, led by the singer's strong vocal performances all the way through. No big surprises, though; "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "Santa Baby" and "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts)" sound pretty much the way you'd expect them to sound, for example, as does the Motown holiday staple "Someday at Christmas." She gives "Jingle Bells" and "Deck the Halls" modern R'nB midtempo treatments, bringing them closer to the originals on this set, "Feels Different," "Somebody's Waiting," "Christmas Party for Two," "Shine Out Your Light," "Christmas Everyday," and "Christmas Gift," a duet with her daughter Sy'Rai. All told, a solid effort.