Pop/Review Hanne Leland - The Christmas Songs

Hanne Leland is an Oslo-based Norwegian independent artist and songwriter who has made a name for herself far beyond Norway’s borders. From starting as a singer-songwriter in Nashville to becoming a confident pop artist with over 17 million streams on Spotify, she has built her career from the ground up—entirely on her own terms. With an impressive work ethic and an entrepreneurial mindset in her music career, she took control of her own path early on.

With “The Christmas Songs,” Norwegian pop artist and songwriter Hanne Leland delivers a warm, intimate holiday album that feels both timeless and refreshingly personal. As her first Christmas album strikes a delicate balance between honoring beloved festive classics and introducing original songs that carry her unmistakable pop sensibility and emotional sincerity.

Leland approaches traditional Christmas material with restraint and grace, favoring atmosphere over spectacle. Her vocals are soft yet expressive, allowing familiar melodies to feel newly fragile and heartfelt rather than overly polished. Each classic is treated with respect, never straying too far from its roots, but gently reimagined through modern production choices that lend the album a cozy, contemporary glow. It’s the kind of record that invites quiet reflection just as easily as it enhances a candlelit living room.

What truly elevates “The Christmas Songs” are the original tracks, which seamlessly blend into the festive canon. These songs don’t rely on novelty or gimmicks; instead, they focus on universal themes of longing, connection, gratitude, and hope. Leland’s songwriting shines here, capturing the emotional undercurrents of the season — the joy, the nostalgia, and the bittersweet moments that often go unspoken during the holidays.

Production across the album is elegant and uncluttered, allowing piano lines, subtle strings, and gentle rhythms to support rather than overshadow the vocals. The result is an album that feels sincere and inviting, never overwhelming.

With “The Christmas Songs,” Hanne Leland offers a holiday record that feels genuinely lived-in and emotionally resonant. It’s a comforting, beautifully crafted collection that proves her ability to turn even the most familiar season into something deeply personal and quietly magical.