LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� There isn't much hasn't done in her career. She's achieved EGOT status, she's the only artist to have a No. 1 song in each of the past six decades 鈥� heck, she's got her own gelato business, Cherlato. But a Christmas album? That's new territory.
So, why now?
鈥淚 just didn't want to do one,鈥� she told The Associated Press. 鈥淚 didn't know how I was going to make it a 鈥楥her Christmas album.鈥欌��
The secret, of course, was to lean into the incredible eclecticism of her career, all while avoiding the sleepy, saccharine pitfalls of a -heavy holiday release.
Her first new album in five years, the appropriately titled 鈥淐hristmas,鈥� releases Friday. In some ways, it required Cher to find her voice again. She hadn't sang since a March 12, 2020, performance in Oklahoma City was canceled when a Utah Jazz basketball player tested positive for the coronavirus.
So she called up her vocal teacher, 鈥淎drienne Angel, who's 96, who came out and hung with me and we worked every day."
"And then I went to the mic and I was able to sing,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 have very young vocal cords.鈥�
On 鈥淐hristmas,鈥� Cher enlists an all-star list of collaborators. There's on 鈥淧ut A Little Holiday In Your Heart,鈥� on 鈥淲hat Christmas Means to Me,鈥� Darlene Love on 鈥淐hristmas (Baby, Please Come Home),鈥� Michael Bubl茅 on 鈥淗ome,鈥� and even the rapper Tyga on 鈥淒rop Top Sleigh Ride鈥� 鈥� you read that last one correctly.
But working with others in this way is something she says she's never done before. When you're Cher, do you really need a featured voice?
鈥淲ell, with Darlene, I wasn't going to sing her song without her,鈥� she says of the song they first sang together 60 years ago on 鈥淎 Christmas Gift for You From .鈥�
鈥淲ith Stevie, I did the song, I loved the song, but there were just things I couldn't do, that were just Stevie," she says. "So, I called him and just said, 鈥楽tevie, I鈥檝e done it. I鈥檓 pretty proud of it. But there are things I can鈥檛 do, and I need you.鈥欌��
鈥淚 was still trying to sell him when he鈥檇 already said yes,鈥� she says. 鈥淎t some point he asked me, 鈥業s this my song?鈥� And I went, 鈥榊ou think I could call you to ask you to sing on someone else鈥檚 song?鈥欌��
Alexander Edwards, Cher's romantic partner and a credited producer on the project, is best friends with , who helped make the most unexpected and delightful collaboration happen.
鈥淐hristmas鈥� is dedicated to Cher's late mother, Georgia Holt, who died just before the holidays last year. But don't mistake this album as therapy 鈥� the act of reclaiming Christmas in the face of loss, or a way to memorialize Holt.
鈥淚 think about my mom all the time,鈥� she says. She doesn't need an album to remind her of her mom; her mom is everywhere.
鈥淚 don't have a bit of regret that my mom is gone because my mom was such a vibrant woman and she didn't like what was going on in her life,鈥� she adds.
Cher says her mom sends her messages all the time 鈥� like recently when she rediscovered a huge plate she made her mom, flipped it over, and read what it said: 鈥淒ear mom, I love you, Merry Christmas."
鈥淎nd it was like, 'Mom, you're just not going to leave me alone, are you?'鈥� she says.
In addition to the album, Cher is preparing to release a 25th anniversary edition of her Grammy-winning album 鈥淏elieve" on Nov. 3. Its as the first use of autotune 鈥� though, as she recalls, it was termed a 鈥減itch machine鈥� at the time.
She was arguing with her longtime producer Mark Taylor about the track, and he brought up the new technology.
鈥淚t started and it was like, 鈥極h my God, this is the best thing ever.' And I thought, 'You don鈥檛 even know it鈥檚 me. This is the best thing ever.' And then we high fived,鈥� she recounts.
But don't mistake an openness to technology and musical innovation as an openness to
Of the technology, Cher is quick to say: 鈥淣ot AI. Someone did me doing a Madonna song and it was kind of shocking. They didn鈥檛 have it down perfectly. But also, I鈥檝e spent my entire life trying to be myself, and now these a------- are going to go take it? And they鈥檒l do my acting and they鈥檒l do my singing?鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 telling you, if you work forever to become somebody 鈥� and I鈥檓 not talking about somebody in the famous, money part 鈥� but an artist, and then someone just takes it from you, it seems like it should be illegal,鈥� she adds.
For those keeping count: It is also the 35th anniversary of Cher winning the best actress Oscar for her role in When asked if she will act again, she's quick to point out the necessity of a resolution to the
She was asked to do a special, she says.
鈥淭hey said, 鈥榃ell, we can do it in England.鈥� I said, 鈥榃e can do it on the moon, but I鈥檓 not doing it,'" she says, not until an agreement is reached.
Spoken like, well, Cher.
Maria Sherman, The Associated Press
