# The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection
**The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection** is a six-track Christmas extended play (EP) by the American singer-songwriter [Taylor Swift](https://www.edgepedia.org/taylor-swift), released on October 14, 2007 by [Big Machine Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/big-machine-records). It first appeared as an exclusive at participating Target stores in the United States under the title *Sounds of the Season: The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection*, and became available at other retailers on December 2, 2008.[1](https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-taylor-swift-holiday-collection-ep/1440932737) The EP sits between Swift's 2006 self-titled debut and her 2008 breakthrough *Fearless*, and it mixes four holiday standards with two original songs.[2](https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/the-taylor-swift-holiday-collection-taylor-swift/ly7t8cciq3gkb) • [3](https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/40509/Taylor-Swift-The-Taylor-Swift-Holiday-Collection/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Length | 6 songs, 19 minutes[1](https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-taylor-swift-holiday-collection-ep/1440932737) |
| Content | Four covers ("Last Christmas," "Santa Baby," "Silent Night," "White Christmas") and two originals ("Christmases When You Were Mine," "Christmas Must Be Something More")[2](https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/the-taylor-swift-holiday-collection-taylor-swift/ly7t8cciq3gkb) |
| Producer | Nathan Chapman; recording engineer Chad Carlson; mastering engineer Hank Williams[4](https://readdork.com/album/taylor-swift-the-taylor-swift-holiday-collection-ep) |
| US chart peak | Number 20[5](https://www.gurmanosypsnys.lt/userfiles/file/jikufisake.pdf) |
## Release and editions
The EP was issued for the 2007 holiday season as a Target exclusive, the year between Swift's debut album and *Fearless*.[2](https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/the-taylor-swift-holiday-collection-taylor-swift/ly7t8cciq3gkb) Documented pressings include the 2007 US CD (catalog number 70012), 2008 digital FLAC releases, a 2009 limited-edition Target reissue CD (BMRDTS0175), and a 2009 Canadian CD (ORBM 7338).[4](https://readdork.com/album/taylor-swift-the-taylor-swift-holiday-collection-ep) The EP peaked at number 20 on the US chart.[5](https://www.gurmanosypsnys.lt/userfiles/file/jikufisake.pdf)
## Songs
The EP opens with a country-styled version of "Last Christmas," the 1984 Wham! song written by [George Michael](https://www.edgepedia.org/george-michael); Apple Music's editorial review describes Christmas bells and banjos replacing the original's synthesizers and falsetto vocals.[1](https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-taylor-swift-holiday-collection-ep/1440932737) "Christmases When You Were Mine," an acoustic ballad, is one of the two originals; it was written by Swift with [Liz Rose](https://www.edgepedia.org/liz-rose) and Nathan Chapman.[1](https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-taylor-swift-holiday-collection-ep/1440932737) • [6](https://mazurubezpieczenia.pl/zdjecia/fck/file/04dac422-1f4c-4bb1-bc49-2dec92ec7e99.pdf) "Santa Baby," written by Joan Javits, Philip Springer, and Tony Springer, is performed with a girlish tone that reads as more innocent than the flirty versions recorded by [Eartha Kitt](https://www.edgepedia.org/eartha-kitt) and Madonna.[1](https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-taylor-swift-holiday-collection-ep/1440932737) • [2](https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/the-taylor-swift-holiday-collection-taylor-swift/ly7t8cciq3gkb)
**Silent Night.** Swift's version changes Franz Xaver Gruber's 1863 melody while keeping Josef Mohr's lyrics intact, producing what Apple Music's review calls a song that sounds brand new but familiar.[1](https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-taylor-swift-holiday-collection-ep/1440932737) "Christmas Must Be Something More," the second original, is credited to Swift alone as songwriter.[2](https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/the-taylor-swift-holiday-collection-taylor-swift/ly7t8cciq3gkb) The EP closes with "White Christmas."[4](https://readdork.com/album/taylor-swift-the-taylor-swift-holiday-collection-ep)
## Production and credits
Nathan Chapman produced the EP and mixed it; Chad Carlson was the recording engineer, and [Hank Williams](https://www.edgepedia.org/hank-williams) handled mastering.[4](https://readdork.com/album/taylor-swift-the-taylor-swift-holiday-collection-ep) The sound stays within the bright country-pop of Swift's early recordings, with acoustic arrangements suited to the seasonal material.[2](https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/the-taylor-swift-holiday-collection-taylor-swift/ly7t8cciq3gkb)
## Reception
Critical responses have been mixed. A Sputnikmusic review rated the EP 3.0 ("good"), noting that it runs just under twenty minutes and contains four traditional carols and two Swift originals.[3](https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/40509/Taylor-Swift-The-Taylor-Swift-Holiday-Collection/) A Yahoo Entertainment roundup placed it among celebrity Christmas albums it considered weaker, while still acknowledging the two originals.[7](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/6-best-6-worst-celebrity-192259130.html) Among the songs, "Christmases When You Were Mine" has drawn particular praise: Axios's ranking of Swift's catalog calls it her best holiday song, crediting its simple acoustic guitar arrangement and country twang.[8](https://www.axios.com/2024/04/15/taylor-swift-songs-ranked-tortured-poets) On Album of the Year, the EP holds a user score of 58 based on 240 ratings.[9](https://www.albumoftheyear.org/album/81806-taylor-swift-sounds-of-the-season-the-taylor-swift-holiday-collection.php)
Because the EP was recorded for Big Machine, it falls outside the re-recording project through which Swift regained control of her first six albums; in 2025 she purchased her catalog of recordings, originally released through Big Machine, from the private equity firm Shamrock Capital.[10](https://apnews.com/article/c4262686b5b68ee210f7571b8716ab51)
## References
1. [The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection - EP, Apple Music](https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-taylor-swift-holiday-collection-ep/1440932737)
2. [The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection, Taylor Swift, Qobuz (Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo review)](https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/the-taylor-swift-holiday-collection-taylor-swift/ly7t8cciq3gkb)
3. [Review: Taylor Swift - The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection, Sputnikmusic](https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/40509/Taylor-Swift-The-Taylor-Swift-Holiday-Collection/)
4. [Taylor Swift – The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection - EP (2007), Album profile, Dork](https://readdork.com/album/taylor-swift-the-taylor-swift-holiday-collection-ep)
5. [Taylor Swift discography and sales figures (PDF)](https://www.gurmanosypsnys.lt/userfiles/file/jikufisake.pdf)
6. [Taylor Swift songwriting credits (PDF)](https://mazurubezpieczenia.pl/zdjecia/fck/file/04dac422-1f4c-4bb1-bc49-2dec92ec7e99.pdf)
7. [The 6 best and 6 worst celebrity Christmas albums, Yahoo Entertainment](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/6-best-6-worst-celebrity-192259130.html)
8. [Every Taylor Swift song ranked, from worst to best, Axios](https://www.axios.com/2024/04/15/taylor-swift-songs-ranked-tortured-poets)
9. [Sounds of the Season: The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection, Album of The Year](https://www.albumoftheyear.org/album/81806-taylor-swift-sounds-of-the-season-the-taylor-swift-holiday-collection.php)
10. [Taylor Swift announces 12th studio album, 'The Life of a Showgirl,' AP News](https://apnews.com/article/c4262686b5b68ee210f7571b8716ab51)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musical works and recordings › Albums and recorded releases › Christmas and holiday albums*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license