The best way to have a very '90s Christmas is to queue up some very '90s Christmas jams. I'm talking your Mariah Carey, your Backstreet Boys, and, of course, your *NSYNC. Let's focus on the latter for a second, though: Justin Timberlake and his boys released an entire Christmas album in 1998 including their takes on holiday classics like "The First Noel," "The Christmas Song," and "O Holy Night." They also threw in some original gems as well, including what may be the most underrated Christmas/New Year's pop song of all time: The one *NSYNC Christmas song you forgot existed, "Kiss Me At Midnight."
Don't remember "Kiss Me At Midnight"? You are not alone. The final song on the guys' Christmas album, "Kiss Me At Midnight" did not turn out to be an "All I Want For Christmas"-level hit. It may have played in the background at your middle school holiday formal, but it is hardly a song you are going to hear on an endless loop while you are out having a marathon last minute holiday shopping trip. That needs to change immediately though.
"Kiss Me At Midnight" is everything that is so right about old school pop music. From the pure harmonies to the delightful fluffiness of it all, this song deserves all the love. After all, is there any love purer than the love expressed by five dudes singing about their longing for a special someone to give them a kiss on New Year's Eve? I think not.
Let's take a look at a few of the lyrics:
I've been waiting for this special nightTo be with youThe colors of Christmas are still shining brightAnd I know what we're gonna do
The sincerity! The optimism! The appreciation for the magic of the holiday season! The implied middle school awkwardness of your first New Year's Eve party! It's all there. This song will take you back to every pre-pubescent holiday party full of nervous dancing and awful fruit punch you ever attended. Between the guys' talking about the swelling music that indicates a certain year end countdown and the fervent promises of kisses being made in the dark, the whole song reeks of those classic New Year's Eve jitters. The nostalgia is strong with this one.
You owe it to yourself to not only listen to "Kiss Me At Midnight," but to bring this song back. Add it to your holiday playlist immediately. Force your friends to listen to the flawless '90s perfection that *NSYNC made just for you. Back in the actual '90s, you couldn't appreciate the wholesome beauty of this pop anthem — but now you are at a place in your life where you can recognize the true greatness of this forgotten *NSYNC song. Ring in the New Year the way Timberlake intended, with joy and a timeless pop anthem.
Just listen to "Kiss Me At Midnight" and try not to fall in love with *NSYNC all over again.
Image: Giphy
