USA Today Reviews Winterlicious

6 new Christmas songs you must hear in 2022 by Pentatonix, Alicia Keys, Debbie Gibson and more

Debbie Gibson, ‘Heartbreak Holiday’

The lively ’80s hitmaker tackles holiday tunes for the first time on “Winterlicious.” While her covers of “Let It Snow” and “Sleigh Ride” are appropriately refreshed – especially the latter, which she recorded 30 years ago and remastered for this release – it’s the sweet duet with frequent collaborator Joey McIntyre (of New  Kids on the Block renown) that best showcases Gibson’s melodic gifts. The song builds into its soaring chorus worthy of a Broadway stage before decelerating into a whispery finale – an ideal cadence for a pair of symbiotic vocalists.