"With the song 'This Christmas' I wanted to do something that was kind of different. I mean, Donny Hathaway is an amazing artist. So I wanted to bring my flavor to the song so when people over the age of 45 or 50 hear it they'll be like 'OK, he did his thing with that record.' It's like I can appeal to everybody and not just a younger demographic"
About this Quote
The line “I wanted to bring my flavor” is doing a lot of work. It’s not reverence; it’s branding. Brown isn’t trying to disappear into the classic; he wants the classic to validate him. That’s why he imagines the reaction of people “over the age of 45 or 50” as a kind of verdict: “OK, he did his thing.” Not “he honored it,” not “he nailed it,” but he successfully stamped himself onto it. The subtext is insecurity sharpened into strategy: I can touch the sacred record and come away unburned.
This is also a snapshot of late-2000s pop economics. Youth drives charts, but longevity comes from catalog and tradition. A Christmas standard is the ultimate recurring revenue stream and cultural rerun. Brown’s pitch - “appeal to everybody and not just a younger demographic” - is an artist thinking like a franchise: expand the customer base, secure the holiday slot, inherit the mantle without being trapped by it.
Quote Details
| Topic | Music |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Brown, Chris. (2026, January 15). With the song 'This Christmas' I wanted to do something that was kind of different. I mean, Donny Hathaway is an amazing artist. So I wanted to bring my flavor to the song so when people over the age of 45 or 50 hear it they'll be like 'OK, he did his thing with that record.' It's like I can appeal to everybody and not just a younger demographic. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/with-the-song-this-christmas-i-wanted-to-do-18972/
Chicago Style
Brown, Chris. "With the song 'This Christmas' I wanted to do something that was kind of different. I mean, Donny Hathaway is an amazing artist. So I wanted to bring my flavor to the song so when people over the age of 45 or 50 hear it they'll be like 'OK, he did his thing with that record.' It's like I can appeal to everybody and not just a younger demographic." FixQuotes. January 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/with-the-song-this-christmas-i-wanted-to-do-18972/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"With the song 'This Christmas' I wanted to do something that was kind of different. I mean, Donny Hathaway is an amazing artist. So I wanted to bring my flavor to the song so when people over the age of 45 or 50 hear it they'll be like 'OK, he did his thing with that record.' It's like I can appeal to everybody and not just a younger demographic." FixQuotes, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/with-the-song-this-christmas-i-wanted-to-do-18972/. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
