Cory Henry Releases New Christmas Album “A Wonderful Holiday” | LISTEN!
CORY HENRY RELEASES A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY, A SOULFUL NEW HOLIDAY ALBUM OF ORIGINAL MUSIC CREATED ON OFF-DAYS WHILE TOURING WITH STEVIE WONDER
Selections To Be Performed at His Final 2025 The Church Experience Residency on December 21 at The Miracle Theater in Inglewood, CA
GRAMMY®-winning multi-instrumentalist, producer, and songwriter Cory Henry has released a new holiday album A Wonderful Holiday, a warm, deeply personal project written and recorded across the country during rare off-days while touring with Stevie Wonder in 2024. The album features 6 original holiday songs that reframe the holiday canon through Henry’s unmistakable blend of soul, funk, and gospel lineage with his signature keyboard virtuosity.
Across four months of touring, Henry turned every day off into a recording session tracking in studios in Minneapolis, Chicago, Baltimore, Detroit, New York, and more. “We went into the studio across America. Every off day, we were in there,” Henry says. “Strings, horns, guitar players who played in Stevie’s band with me are on the record. I called a few of my friends. Stanley Randolph from Stevie’s band is on the record, and I co-produced it with him. The songs were all written in the room together. Then after the tour ended, I went straight into my solo tour and mixed and edited everything on the road. I did all the editing myself and most of the mixing myself. It was a real labor of love.”
The album is rooted in Henry’s desire to create a warm holiday record—something that felt like sunlight in December rather than the typical “icy nostalgia.” As he puts it, “Most people go for the cold holiday sound, the ‘White Christmas’ vibe. But this is my representation of a warm holiday… the feeling I get when I’m in L.A. in December. I want people to feel warm inside.”
Henry’s runaway favorite on the album, “Santa Blues” plays with the idea of a soulful, tongue-in-cheek “diss track” aimed directly at Santa himself. “I’ve never heard a diss record for Santa,” he laughs. “I wanted to write a story about Santa not bringing gifts to somebody. I think there’s a whole army of people who’ve been waiting a long time and Santa didn’t bring them what they asked for.” The track features funky, gritty organ work that is a wink to childhood expectations that never pan out.
Henry cites “Live in Love” as his second favorite track on the album and a tune that transcends holiday themes entirely. “It’s a holiday song, but it’s actually a life song,” he explains. “It’s a message for summer, spring… anytime. It’s about bringing people together.” Co-written with Chyna Tahjere Griffin, the song channels the optimism and spiritual uplift that Henry is known for.
One of the album’s standout vocal moments, “Supernatural” features powerhouse vocalists B. Slade and Shaléa, two artists Henry describes as “two of my favorite singers of all time.” Written on the spot in the studio, the track blends gospel urgency with cosmic R&B, elevating the holiday palette into something transcendent and emotionally expansive.
A pure celebration track, “Holiday Jam” is built for family rooms, dance floors, and joyful chaos. Henry says, “I imagine people putting that on and dancing around their house, talking to their families, having fun. It’s a holiday jam and a good time.”
Following the release of A Wonderful Holiday, Henry will return to Los Angeles for the final installment of year of his acclaimed live series The Church Experience at The Miracle Theater in Inglewood, California on December 21. The residency, beloved for its spiritual electricity and fellowship building for people from all walks of life will feature selections from the new holiday album performed live for the first time.
Get tickets HERE.
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