Christmas Gift is Kokia

Kokia (singer)

is a Japanese singer-songwriter, who performs under the stage name Kokia . She is best known for her songs and "The Power of Smile." She is also recognised for her numerous contributions to anime/game soundtracks, the most notable being "Ai no Melody/Chōwa Oto " for the film...

's eighth studio album, released in October/November 2008. It is her first full-length Christmas album

Christmas music

Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music normally performed or heard around the Christmas season, which tends to begin in the months leading up the actual holiday and end in the weeks shortly thereafter.-Early:...

, though she had released a special Christmas EP for fans, A Piece of Christmas, in November 2006. It is the final of four albums released in 2008 to celebrate her 10th anniversary as a singer.

One song from the album, "Kokoro no Rōsoku," features on Kokia's 2009 greatest hits collection Coquillage: The Best Collection II

Coquillage: The Best Collection II

Coquillage: The Best Collection II is Kokia's second greatest hits album, released on December 2, 2009.-Background:...

.

Recording

Kokia began recording the album in May 2008, though refused to mention what the sessions were for. In September, the album was still gradually being recorded, with Kokia working with producer Kiyohide Ura for several tracks. The album was confirmed in Kokia's blog on September the 1st, though recording was still continuing at this point.

Kokia also travelled to New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

 for a week to record for her "Remember the Kiss Music Gift" project in early September. These sessions were for Kokia's special Music Gift EP, which featured Christmas recordings. One of the songs from these sessions, "Remember the Kiss (Dedicated to "New" NY)," was released as a bonus track on the Japanese edition. It was recorded on the organ with a church choir at the Institutional Church of God Church in Brooklyn

Brooklyn

Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...

.

Song selection

Of the songs included in the album, 12 are covers and three are original Kokia songs (if counting medley songs and bonus tracks).

Of the covers, five are religious Christmas carols: "Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace

"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn with words written by the English poet and clergyman John Newton , published in 1779. With a message that forgiveness and redemption are possible regardless of the sins people commit and that the soul can be delivered from despair through the mercy of God,...

," "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear," "The Little Drummer Boy," "The First Noël

The First Noël

The First Nowell is a traditional classical English carol, most likely from the 18th century, although possibly earlier...

" and "We Three Kings of Orient Are

We Three Kings

"We Three Kings", also known as "We Three Kings of Orient Are" or "The Quest of the Magi", is a Christmas carol written by the Reverend John Henry Hopkins, Jr., who wrote both the lyrics and the music. It is suggested to have been written in 1857 but did not appear in print until his Carols, Hymns...

". Four of the songs are secular Christmas songs: "I'll Be Home for Christmas," "Jingle Bells

Jingle Bells

"Jingle Bells" is one of the best-known and commonly sung winter songs in the world. It was written by James Lord Pierpont and published under the title "One Horse Open Sleigh" in the autumn of 1857...

," "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" and "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town

Santa Claus Is Coming to Town

"Santa Claus is Coming to Town" is a Christmas song. It was written by John Frederick Coots and Haven Gillespie, and was first sung on Eddie Cantor's radio show in November 1934....

." Three of these four secular songs are a part of the Christmas medley.

Two songs are covers of songs not directly related to Christmas by popular Western musicians. The first is Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen

Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...

's "Hallelujah," and the second is Queen

Queen (band)

Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...

's Japanese song, "Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)

Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)

is a song from the 1976 Queen album A Day at the Races and is written by guitarist Brian May. It is the closing track on the album.The song is notable for having two choruses sung entirely in Japanese, and it was released as a single exclusively in Japan, reaching #49 on the charts...

."

"Ave Maria" is a re-recording of the Vladimir Fyodorovich Vavilov classical piece of music, originally found on Kokia's "The Voice

The Voice (Kokia album)

The Voice is Kokia's sixth studio album, released in February 2008. It is the first of four album releases in 2008 celebrating her 10th anniversary as a singer....

" album. In the Christmas Gift version it is sung in a different key, with different lyrics (Girolamo Savonarola

Girolamo Savonarola

Girolamo Savonarola was an Italian Dominican friar, Scholastic, and an influential contributor to the politics of Florence from 1494 until his execution in 1498. He was known for his book burning, destruction of what he considered immoral art, and what he thought the Renaissance—which began in his...

's 1495 Hail Mary

Hail Mary

The Angelic Salutation, Hail Mary, or Ave Maria is a traditional biblical Catholic prayer asking for the intercession of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. The Hail Mary is used within the Catholic Church, and it forms the basis of the Rosary...

 prayer in Latin)).

Release

Much like Kokia's first album released on Wasabi Records, Aigakikoeru: Listen for the Love

Aigakikoeru: Listen for the Love

Aigakikoeru: Listen for the Love is Kokia's fifth album. It was originally released under Wasabi Records in France in November 2006, however was eventually released in Japan six months later...

, it was released in France prior to the Japanese release. The French edition was released on October 22, three weeks before the Japanese release.

Christmas Gift was also simultaneously released in France as a part of a 3CD set called Kokia Collection. The album also featured 2006's Aigakikoeru: Listen for the Love

Aigakikoeru: Listen for the Love

Aigakikoeru: Listen for the Love is Kokia's fifth album. It was originally released under Wasabi Records in France in November 2006, however was eventually released in Japan six months later...

 2008's and The Voice

The Voice (Kokia album)

The Voice is Kokia's sixth studio album, released in February 2008. It is the first of four album releases in 2008 celebrating her 10th anniversary as a singer....

, and featured a cover similar to the Christmas Gift photoshoot cover.

Reception

The album reached #56 on the Japanese Oricon

Oricon

, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...

 albums charts, selling 3,000 copies. CDJournal called the album a "Christmas song selection you can enjoy with your family."

Track listing

The French and Japanese versions were released with different track orders. The Japanese version also had a bonus track, "Remember the Kiss (Dedicated to "New" NY)

The Power of Smile/Remember the Kiss

"The Power of Smile/Remember the Kiss" is Kokia's 10th single, released on September 24, 2003. It is currently Kokia's most commercially successful single, after being used as the Kao Essential Damage Care shampoo commercials in 2003, featuring actress Yūko Takeuchi.-Background:This single was the...

."

Japan Sales Rankings

Release	Chart	Peak Position	First Week Sales	Sales Total	Chart Run
	Oricon Daily Albums Chart
	Oricon Weekly Albums Chart	56	2,297	3,020	2 weeks
	Oricon Yearly Albums Chart