Sufjan Stevens Releases New Single + Video – “On This Christmas (It Only Gets Better)”

Today, AKR announces the release of Sufjan Stevens’ song “On This Christmas (It Only Gets Better).” The single arrives ahead of Friday’s release of the album Worst Christmas Ever! LP and marks the first new Christmas song written, produced, and performed by Stevens in nearly 15 years.

“I love the idea of a Christmas apology. A holiday characterized by the giving and receiving of gifts might be made even better by the giving and receiving of forgiveness. “I’m sorry” is the ultimate ice-breaker in a moment of conflict, contention, and misunderstanding. Let’s try to be better this year: more loving, forgiving, welcoming and reckoning. This song is a prayer—that we can all find a way to yield to the wisdom and understanding of forgiveness. I believe the world will find its way.” – Sufjan Stevens

Listen To “On This Christmas”

The video for “On This Christmas (It Only Gets Better),” also out now, was directed by Sufjan Stevens, filmed & created by Sufjan Stevens, photographers Michael O’Neal and Cubby Graham, edited by Sufjan Stevens, and features a cast of friends and neighbors, including Meg Lui, C. Misha Handschumacher, Beccs, Cubby Graham, Sufjan Stevens and Olivia Busa.

Inspired by the mixed media animation of Leesa Allmond, the music video includes a total of 6,000 stills that were printed, hand-painted by Sufjan, Michael O’Neal, Cubby Graham, and Hannah Cohen and re-scanned to create the overlay effect on the video.