☃️ You know an artist is blessed when they write pop this glisteningly perfect at 21 years old! Let alone writing Careless Whisper when he was just 17!!! Last Christmas is such an elevated version of a Christmas song, George took it out of the cheesy sentimentality by dramatising a heartbreak instead of focusing on ideals. Such a clever creative move! It’s also interesting to look at this video and other Wham! Videos, and just their whole image… The wealthy preppy look of everything, the alpine holiday lifestyle, the yachting in Careless Whisper… Everything selling this moneyed life at a time of great struggle in the UK. Wham! Were maligned by cooler groups and critics for being frivolous and kind fo aligning themselves with the dark side of capitalism at a time when Reagan in the US and Thatcher in the UK were pushing for unleashing unprecedented corporate deregulation and greed, policies that still define our struggles today, and more political bands like The Smiths and many others were making a firm stand against social and material inequity. But like all things in the life of an artist, ironies were everywhere in George’s career. A closeted gay/bi man who seemed aligned with Thatcherism to some (even though Thatcher was one of the most homophobic leaders of the modern era), he spoke out about injustice but sidestepped an overt political stance until his gloriously personal second solo album Listen Without Prejudice (truly one of the masterpieces of the pop idiom). He was the son of a Greek Cypriot father and an English mother, posing as a blond waspy rich boy with Wham!, promoting an image of wealth while struggling to ascend above his working class immigrant roots. He was 🏳️🌈 but publicly straight. He seemed shallow to many in the 80s but in truth emerged as one of the most committed political figures in mainstream pop. I’ve always found it a cool parallel that George had one Greek and one Anglo parent and Madonna had one Italian and one Anglo parent, and both grew up with their father working his ass off to keep the family afloat. They even both have a sister named Melanie! Two very different people, with almost opposite relationships to fame, but both provocateurs with personal growth, freedom and sexual liberation at the core of their politics. Even in the beginning, this single Last Christmas was only kept off the number 1 spot on the UK charts by Band Aid’s famine relief fundraiser single Do They Know It’s Christmas, on which he also performed. On top of this, George and Andrew Ridgeley (his BFF in Wham!) donated all their royalties from Last Christmas to famine relief in Ethiopia. The IRONY of this video depicting such privilege while the son of immigrants used the opportunity to channel the wealth it generated to help the world’s most underprivileged people at the time. Whaddaguy 💖 Also interesting about this single. It almost topped the UK charts many many many times as a classic Christmas song (usually reaching number 2) but only FINALLY reached number 1 in January THIS YEAR (2021). It holds the record as the single that took the longest time ever to finally reach number 1… 36 years ✨🎁✨Put that under your Christmas tree in heaven, beautiful George ☁️🎄☁️
You tend to say that George Michael songs end too soon, Killer/Papa Rolling Stone. And I couldn’t agree more. Now for those breaking ❤️ at Christmas, that s-t come back around, Karma is not looking for friends.
This whole reaction was so fun ! I love how animated you were, both loving George's golden vocals AND the story in the video ! Its a classic this song, I would have been 10 when this come out and it has remained one of my fave festive bops. Funny how you said about how you love that glamour of the early 80s ... 100% ... I mean modern polished pop was born back then and there was money to spend on music videos like never before. Look at Duran Duran's videos from this era. I suppose they put as much into the videos as they did the song.
I am really loving your reactions !!!! George had such a great voice indeed , he wrote this song at the tender age of 18/19 years old and it became a classic just like that . George wrote another Christmas song called December Song but due to him not being in the US for so many years , it didn't get the recognition it deserved , it should be a classic as well for Christmas time. give it a listen when you get a chance , you will fall in love with it , i promise :) Thanks again for the great reactions, keep them coming !!!
It's so good this song. This song was cover by many since the released of this song, like Carly Rae Jepsen who she have a very good jazzy version of this song. George made this song a classic of Christmas and all te family. This song was incredible and very good. I suggest two others songs of George: ''Father Figure'' (my favorite song of him (and a strange mood) and the video was so good) and ''Hard Day''. ''Hard Day'' was my favorite non-single of the ''Faith'' album (and one of my favorite non singles of George) and very catchy and so much good.
😂 Yes! Yes! Yes! Your reaction is priceless!! This song I swear is a staple every Xmas. I've been waiting for you to do this song! Empress you're rad !! 💝
If you're taking Christmas requests: Whitney Houston - Do You Hear What I Hear (Live on Tonight Show) Mariah Carey - O Holy Night (music video) Annie Lennox - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (music video)
You always know when a song is incredibly popular because reactors have to mess with the videos so it won't get continually blocked. We feel your pain.
Classic. It's not Christmas time unless we hear this song a few dozen times on the radio ❤. Do people even still listen to the radio? Idk, I'm old. Lol 😆
George also wrote n performed another Xmas song “December Song- when Jesus came to stay”. He performed it live on the X~Factor 2009. 😭😢. Beautiful song. He loved Xmas n so sad he died on Xmas Day 2016
Best pop Christmas song EVER! I remember when this came out and played on the radio. I loved it - super romantic ❤️ combine with heart ache and longing
I know people who hate this song, but I always start by telling them, "Yes, that song is overplayed", and then I also try to explain what a genius George Michael was. Yes, he was popular, but I feel like his talent (other than his singing), was never really appreciated enough. Not only was he a songwriter, but he did something remarkable as a 20-year-old kid. He was a producer, an arranger and he could play various instruments. I don't mind "Last Christmas", but I think the song was never representative of the real songwriting talent he had. There are some other George Michael songs that are much better, but then again if he never did anything else in his life, he still would have written a Christmas classic for generations to come, and that's real talent 👍.
1. You obviously woke up this morning and said to yourself, “Self, I am going to ROCK some orange sunglasses today! Yep, that’s it. Let’s go!” And here you are, your smiling face looks amazing on my computer screen. 2. How do you not know this song? No, I mean for real, this song is evv-ree-ware this time of year, how is this your first time? Because for the past 35 years, when December rolls around, you can’t even walk up the aisle to grab a bag of chips without hearing it playing over your shoulder. Now, just to get nerdy and technical here, there is actually a list of the top selling Christmas music of all time, it’s not hard to find online. The list is compiled by Nielsen, the group that does the Billboard charts. Last Christmas is freaking top 10, best selling, all-time. Big Santa and his Red Nose Reindeer can’t even claim that. Rudolph’s nose might glow a little but his eyes are burning bright with jealousy when he hears this song. 3. You look great, stunning really but about this fun video, I’m feeling, ….let’s call it ….skeptical. 4. I love this song though. Fire, wrapped up with a bow and delivered every holiday!
Have you ever done the song Christmas Rapping by The Waitresses? If not, try it out, I think you could appreciate it. Great reaction here, you're always so into it, makes it fun.
😄 very much a guilty pleasure. George somewhat fits my timbre (not that i can hold a candle to him). Love your flutters of singing at the end of your videos 😁
In case anyone hasn't sent you this yet.... ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-VKqHxoFsPuA.html Into The Last Christmas Groove - a mash-up of this with Madonna and it works way better than it ought to! I keep it on video rotation at my bar every December.
One of my favorite X-mas tunes, (Is it me or is the speed going up and down, hard to listen to it, aaargghh!) but I always liked the other guy more. Have you heard Madonna's 'Santa Baby'?
Wierd....I know you have to mess with the video a bit, but as it played, the video skipped several times and the whole pitch of the song changed every time, and his voice went high and low, up and down! LOL