Only Santa Knows

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Only Santa Knows
Studio album by
Delta Goodrem
Released13 November 2020 (2020-11-13)
Recorded2014 and 2020, 2021 (Deluxe)
GenreChristmas
Length41:59
LabelSony Music
Producer
  • Delta Goodrem
  • Mathew Copley
  • Michael Hohnen
Delta Goodrem chronology
I Honestly Love You
(2018) 		Only Santa Knows
(2020) 		Bridge over Troubled Dreams
(2021)

Only Santa Knows is the sixth studio album and the first full-length Christmas album by Australian singer-songwriter Delta Goodrem. It was released on 13 November 2020 through Sony Music Australia. It is Goodrem's second Christmas release, after 2012's Christmas EP. The album includes two original tracks and 11 covers, including "Silent Night" with Gurrumul, which was recorded in 2014 and included on The Spirit of Christmas 2014.[1]

The album was reissued on 19 November 2021 in a deluxe edition format containing four new additional tracks.[2]

Background[edit]

While working on an album of original material through 2019 and 2020 (which was later confirmed as her 2021 seventh studio album Bridge over Troubled Dreams), Only Santa Knows was released on 12 November 2020 with no prior announcement. On Twitter, Goodrem stated: "I hope the music brings you joy and puts us all in good spirits regardless of everything going on around us."[3]

Following the surprise release of the album, Goodrem explained that the idea for a Christmas album had begun "midway through the year" and that she "went to storage, grabbed all the Christmas decorations, took them to the studio and started getting into the spirit".[4]

Reception[edit]

In a review for Only Santa Knows, website Stack referred to Goodrem as a "traditionalist" and opined that "opening on an uber-haunting version of the already spooky Carol of the Bells, it’s immediately clear Delta Goodrem knows what makes the Christmas classics tick".[5] Thomas Bleach commented "reimagining some Christmas classics through her Delta Goodrem musical lens, she's delivered some very uplifting renditions of "The Little Drummer Boy", "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", "White Christmas" and "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town". She even recorded her own version of Joni Mitchell's "River" which over time has become a Christmas cult favourite. But on top of that, she also wrote a brand new Christmas song which embodies the importance of believing during this time of year."[6]

Only Santa Knows debuted on the ARIA Albums Chart at number five,[7] the lowest opening week of Goodrem's career. In its fifth charting week, the album rose to number two.

Promotion[edit]

To support the album, Goodrem announced her own Christmas special Christmas with Delta, which aired on Nine Network on 12 December 2020,[8] to a viewership of 380,000.[9] She then did a follow-up in 2021 in Luna Park Melbourne 2021.[10][11] She did her third concert with tribute to Olivia Newton-John in 2022.[12][13]

Track listing[edit]

Only Santa Knows track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Carol of the Bells"
  • Delta Goodrem
  • Matthew Copley
0:38
2."Only Santa Knows"
  • Goodrem
  • Copley
  • Marla Altschuler
  • Goodrem
  • Copley
3:04
3."The Little Drummer Boy"
  • Goodrem
  • Copley
3:33
4."Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"
  • Goodrem
  • Copley
2:58
5."Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"John Marks
  • Goodrem
  • Copley
3:37
6."River"Joni Mitchell
  • Goodrem
  • Copley
4:01
7."Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree"Marks
  • Goodrem
  • Copley
2:47
8."White Christmas"Irving Berlin
  • Goodrem
  • Copley
3:29
9."Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"
  • Goodrem
  • Copley
4:13
10."Deck the Halls"
  • Goodrem
  • Copley
2:46
11."Grown-Up Christmas List"
  • Goodrem
  • Copley
3:57
12."Silent Night" (featuring Gurrumul)
  • Franz Xaver Gruber
  • Joseph Mohr
Michael Hohnen4:05
13."Merry Christmas to You" (featuring Olivia Newton-John)
  • Goodrem
  • Copley
  • Goodrem
  • Copley
2:45
Total length:41:49
Only Santa Knows (Deluxe Edition)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
14."Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)"
3.23
15."Sleigh Ride"
3.13
16."Jingle Bell Rock"
  • Joe Beal
  • Jim Boothe
2.23
17."Frosty the Snowman"
3.21

Charts[edit]

Release history[edit]

List of release dates, showing formats, label and reference
Region Date Format Label Catalogue Ref.
Australia 13 November 2020
  • Streaming
  • digital download
  • CD
 Sony Music Australia 19439826462 [16][17]
11 December 2020 Vinyl 19439826461 [18]
19 November 2021 CD (Deluxe Edition) 19439946222 [2]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Silent Night by Delta Goodrem and Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu". The Guardian. December 2014. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Only Santa Knows (Deluxe Edition)". JB Hi-Fi. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  3. ^ "Delta Goodrem drops surprise Christmas album 'Only Santa Knows', featuring Gurrumul and Olivia Newton-John". NME. 12 November 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  4. ^ "Delta Goodrem performs 'Only Santa Knows' and chats about new Christmas album". 7News. 16 December 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  5. ^ "Delta Goodrem, 'Only Santa Knows' review". Stack.com.au. 23 November 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  6. ^ "INTERVIEW: Delta Goodrem". Thomas Bleach. 9 December 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  7. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Albums for week of 23 November 2020". www.aria.com.au. 23 November 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  8. ^ "Delta Goodrem reveals what to expect from her upcoming TV special Christmas with Delta". www.nine.com.au. 9 December 2020. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  9. ^ "Christmas with Delta brings 380,000 metro viewers to Nine". The Music Network. December 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  10. ^ "Delta Goodrem returns for a very special Christmas event".
  11. ^ "EXCLUSIVE: Delta Goodrem unveils her exciting new Christmas show and reveals how Neighbours will always be a part of her".
  12. ^ "Best Selfie: Delta Goodrem on the photo that proves she's always been 'Christmas crazy'". 8 December 2022.
  13. ^ "Make your Christmas divine with Delta".
  14. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Delta Goodrem – Only Santa Knows". Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  15. ^ "ARIA Top 100 Albums for 2020". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
  16. ^ "Only Santa Knows by Delta Goodrem". Apple Music. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  17. ^ "Only Santa Knows". JB Hi-Fi. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
  18. ^ "Only Santa Knows (Vinyl)". JB Hi-Fi. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
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