Theme and influences Clarkson has cited the color red as the album's only theme. A color
traditionally associated with Christmas, she affiliated the color to various emotions in the holidays. Wanting to stray away from her usual pop sound, she described
Wrapped in Reds music as a representation to explore different genres such as
jazz,
country and
Memphis soul. She recalled: "What's cool about
Christmas albums is you can do jazz,
rock and roll, you can do pop, you can do
blues, like you can do all that stuff and it works—cause it's all classic and it's Christmasy sounding." She also noted that the album's multitude of styles positively contributed to her artistic goal, saying: "My best friend from childhood heard it and said, 'This is what you sound like, before everything else.' And I agree, It's my core sound. Back in the day, when artists came out with things like "
Fall to Pieces" and "
Bridge over Troubled Water", those songs transcended genres. It wasn't, 'Where is it going to fit?' You catered to whatever the song calls for. And that's exactly what I did—without having to have an umbrella for everything." In gathering inspirations for
Wrapped in Red, Clarkson started by listening to
Bing Crosby's and
Rosemary Clooney's contributions to the soundtrack of the 1954 feature film
White Christmas, as well as
Mariah Carey's
Merry Christmas (1994) and
Merry Christmas to You (1997) by
Reba McEntire. While
Greg Kurstin, who used to play in a jazz band, took influences from
A Charlie Brown Christmas by the
Vince Guaraldi Trio and
A Christmas Gift for You by Phil Spector as his inspirations, which resulted in the album's Wall of Sound resonance. Clarkson also cited that her relationship with her then-fiancé Brandon Blackstock had inspired some of the album's lyrics.
Song analysis Clarkson shares writing credits on all five original songs on
Wrapped in Red, some of which were written in December 2012 to avoid writing
Christmas tunes during the 2013 summer season. She co-wrote the opening and title track, "
Wrapped in Red", with
Ashley Arrison,
Aben Eubanks, and
Shane McAnally. A Christmas ballad, the song was inspired by a scene in the holiday feature film
Love Actually (2003), in which someone confesses
unrequited love towards another. Critics highlighted the track as the one that most effectively captures the essence of the Wall of Sound technique, a production style known for its dense, layered orchestration and echo-rich sound. The second track, "
Underneath the Tree", was written by Clarkson and Kurstin, making it the first time they had co-written a track together. Clarkson remarked: "Greg and I have worked a lot together, but usually I just come in and I just sing. We've never have actually written a song together at this point. And he and I were like, 'Let's just try to write something for the record."
RCA Records chief executive
Peter Edge remarked that its release as a single was partly inspired by the success of "
All I Want for Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey. The following track is a rendition of the holiday standard "
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", which Clarkson had selected for its saccharine content. Clarkson favored "
Run Run Rudolph" as her favorite classic, saying: "Just because it got to be a little more
rock and roll." She also remarked that "
Please Come Home for Christmas (Bells Will Be Ringing)" was the first song selected for inclusion after her mother's recommendation and the song's melancholic lyrics. Written by Clarkson and Eubanks, "Every Christmas", was the first song to be written for the album. She revealed that the song narrates of her holiday life prior to meeting Brandon Blackstock, Reba McEntire's stepson, saying: "Every Christmas, I was just like, 'This is going to be different, right? I'm going to actually find someone and not be pathetically alone for the rest of my life?'". The seventh track is a cover of
Elvis Presley's "
Blue Christmas". Its follow-up, a rendition of "
Baby, It's Cold Outside", features
Ronnie Dunn. Clarkson had approached Dunn thinking that his personality suited the song's content well, saying: "Like, it's straight-up his personality to say all of that to try and get you to stay, and have a drink." "
Winter Dreams (Brandon's Song)" was written by Clarkson, Arrison, and Eubanks as a companion piece to "Every Christmas". Dedicated to Blackstock, the song accounts her holiday after meeting him. She remarked: "Christmas changes, it morphs, it comes to life a little more… It's just a happier time." The tenth track, "
White Christmas", was the first song to be recorded for
Wrapped in Red. A cover of
Rodgers and Hammerstein's "
My Favorite Things" follows up as the eleventh track. Clarkson opted for the
Broadway performance of the song to stray away from
Julie Andrews' version, citing: "I think you shouldn't go near anywhere of what she's doing because she's so good." Clarkson and Kurstin co-wrote "4 Carats" with
Cathy Dennis and
Livvi Franc. Originally written as a pop song, they converted it into a Christmas song to fit the album's theme, describing it as a crossover between
Eartha Kitt's "
Santa Baby" (1953) and
Madonna's "
Material Girl" (1984). A rendition of
Imogen Heap's "
Just for Now" was described by Clarkson as her highly dysfunctional environment, saying: "Can we just stop for like five minutes and have like a normal Christmas setting?" The song begins by sampling the melody of the Christmas tune "
Carol of the Bells". The closing track, a rendition of the traditional
carol "
Silent Night", features McEntire and
Trisha Yearwood and ends in an
a cappella setting between the trio. In addition, two tracks were also included in the deluxe edition of the album: the first, Clarkson's
cover of "
I'll Be Home for Christmas" from her
iTunes Session extended play, and the second, her rendition of the first stanza of the ecclesiastical
hymn "
Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel". Kelly Clarkson co-wrote all five original songs on
Wrapped in Red, starting in December 2012 to avoid writing Christmas music during the summer of 2013. The title track, "Wrapped in Red," inspired by a scene in
Love Actually (2003), was praised for its Wall of Sound style. "Underneath the Tree," her first co-write with Greg Kurstin, became a standout single, inspired by the success of Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You." Clarkson also included classics like "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," chosen for its sweetness, and "Run Run Rudolph," her favorite for its rock-and-roll vibe. Other tracks included "Please Come Home for Christmas," recommended by her mother, and "Every Christmas," which reflected her longing for love before meeting her husband, Brandon Blackstock. She also wrote "Winter Dreams (Brandon’s Song)" as a companion piece about finding joy in Christmas after meeting him. Covers included Elvis Presley's "Blue Christmas," a duet of "Baby, It’s Cold Outside" with Ronnie Dunn, and a playful rendition of "4 Carats," blending Eartha Kitt's "Santa Baby" with Madonna's "Material Girl." Unique additions included a cover of Imogen Heap's "Just for Now," which starts with "Carol of the Bells," and a trio performance of "Silent Night" with Reba McEntire and Trisha Yearwood. The deluxe edition featured her renditions of "I’ll Be Home for Christmas" and "Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel. ==Release==