John Legend Composed Original Song for Sephora
The EGOT winner has partnered with the retailer to create an original track for the upcoming holiday season.
Updated on Sept. 25, 2026 in Holiday Music
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Sephora Europe has commissioned singer John Legend to compose an original holiday song titled Here It Is. This partnership serves as a festive activation aimed at increasing brand engagement across European markets.
Why it matters
The collaboration highlights Sephora's strategy to capture the lucrative end-of-year shopping period by creating exclusive branded content. Retailers are increasingly using unique musical activations to stand out in a competitive beauty landscape.
NielsenIQ data from 2025 indicates that nearly 25 percent of annual beauty sales take place in November and December. This seasonal spike drives the retailer's reliance on high-profile holiday collaborations.
The players
John Legend
He is an acclaimed musician who achieved EGOT status in 2018 and has previously explored holiday-themed music.
Sephora
It is a global beauty retailer that frequently utilizes celebrity partnerships to bolster its market presence.
Pharrell Williams
He is a renowned producer who collaborated with John Legend on the upcoming studio album Muse.
Mariah Carey
She is a global recording artist who partnered with the retail brand for a holiday campaign in 2025.
The details
Sephora Europe initiated the exclusive partnership to drive brand resonance as the holiday season approaches. John Legend, who previously released the holiday album A Legendary Christmas in 2018, developed the track specifically for the retailer's festive campaign.
Timeline
John Legend achieved EGOT status and released a holiday album in 2018.
NielsenIQ tracked annual beauty sales data in 2025.
John Legend is scheduled to release his studio album Muse on Oct. 23, 2026.
Industry Dynamics
This partnership mirrors the ongoing industry trend of luxury beauty retailers leveraging global music stars to dominate the fourth-quarter retail cycle. It follows the strategic pattern set by the 2025 Sephora holiday campaign with Mariah Carey.
Fans and shoppers can expect to hear the new track during Sephora's holiday marketing initiatives later this year. This campaign will likely feature prominently across the retailer's digital and social media channels through the end of the holiday season.
The takeaway
The intersection of high-profile music and beauty retail reflects a broader strategy to transform seasonal shopping into a branded entertainment experience. Consumers should anticipate more exclusive artist collaborations as retailers compete for attention during the final quarter of the year.
What happens next
John Legend will release his new studio album, titled Muse, on Oct. 23, 2026.
Further reading
For more information on seasonal trends, visit the Holiday Music section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WWD.
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Do celebrity-branded holiday marketing campaigns influence your decision to shop at specific retailers?
