Released: 2013
Features: Liz Gillies
Above all, “Santa Baby” by Ariana Grande, featuring Liz Gillies, is a playful jovial tune where the singers are, tongue-in-cheek, asking Santa for some lavish Christmas gifts. This festive track explores themes of desire and indulgence, juxtaposed with the traditional holiday spirit of giving and wishing.
The lyrics kick off with “Santa, Baby/Slip a sable under a tree, for me…I’ve been an awful good girl.” By requesting a sable, a luxury fur, under her Christmas tree, Ariana is referencing and continuing the tradition of expecting presents from Santa for being good throughout the year.
The next line is all about aspiration wrapped in nostalgia, “A ’54 convertible too, light blue.” With this, Ariana is pining for a classic vintage car, planting the song firmly into the realm of fantasy and wish fulfillment.
“Think of all the fun I’ve missed / Think of all the fellas that I haven’t kissed / Next year, I could be just as good / If you’ll check off my Christmas list.” Here, the song begins to toy with the notion of compromise and reward, hinting at a flirty deal with Santa where good behavior might secure even more gifts next year.
“I want a yacht and really that’s not, a lie / I’ve been an angel all year.” These lines emphasize the grandeur of Ariana’s wish-list, paired with the insistence of her saintly conduct all year round, illustrating the song’s continuous dance between extravagance and innocence.
Halfway into the song, Ariana belts out, “Come and trim my Christmas tree / With some decorations bought at Tiffany’s.” This line, again, is drenched in luxury – Tiffany’s being a world-renowned jeweler – and hints at a materialistic yet innocent vision of the holiday season.
The concluding lines, “And hurry down the chimney tonight / So hurry down the chimney tonight / (Waiting!) / Hurry, tonight / Hurry down the chimney tonight” convey the singer’s growing anticipation for her lavish Christmas presents. The repeated phrases underscore the urgency, amplifying the song’s underlying tones of desire and expectation.
To sum it up, “Santa Baby” by Ariana Grande and Liz Gillies is a modern take on a Christmas classic, filled with extravagant desires blurring the lines between holiday whimsy and material indulgence.
