Starbucks Releases Global Holiday Album Holiday Blend
The seven-track collection features Brandi Carlile, Leon Thomas and Coco Jones and marks the coffee chain's first global holiday album in more than a decade.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Holiday Music
Starbucks has released Holiday Blend, a seven-track seasonal album that will play in select coffeehouses worldwide throughout the holiday season. The release includes a $500,000 donation to World Central Kitchen.
Why it matters
The album marks the return of a major brand's global holiday music effort after more than a decade, combining in-store listening with a charitable commitment. It is distributed through Interscope Records and Universal Music Group.
The album's seven recordings are a mix of covers and one original, with the $500,000 donation to World Central Kitchen as the collection's stated charitable component. Commercial performance such as sales or streams has not been disclosed.
The players
Starbucks
Starbucks is a global coffeehouse chain headquartered in Seattle that operates thousands of stores worldwide and has a long-running holiday marketing presence.
Brandi Carlile
Brandi Carlile is an American singer-songwriter known for her Grammy-winning folk and rock recordings.
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is a major American record label owned by Universal Music Group.
The details
Holiday Blend features Brandi Carlile covering Joni Mitchell's 'River,' Leon Thomas covering James Brown's 'Soulful Christmas,' and Coco Jones covering Andy Williams' 'It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.' The sole original song, JYT's 'This Christmas,' was written and produced by Freddy Wexler with Elliah Heifetz and Gian Stone.
Timeline
- 1967: Stevie Wonder released 'What Christmas Means to Me,' which The Womack Sisters cover on the album.
- 2012: Starbucks released Holidays Rule, its previous festive compilation.
- November 4, 2026: Starbucks released Holiday Blend.
Market Landscape
Holiday Blend revives a format Starbucks last used with Holidays Rule in 2012, extending the brand's use of in-store music as a seasonal marketing tool. Pairing the release with a large charitable donation places it within a wider pattern of corporate holiday campaigns that combine merchandising with philanthropy.
Holiday Blend will play in select Starbucks coffeehouses globally throughout the holiday season, so listeners can hear it in store rather than through a dedicated purchase. The source does not specify streaming availability or album pricing.
The takeaway
Holiday Blend shows how a retail brand can use music, including covers of classic seasonal songs, as a store-wide experience while directing part of the effort toward a humanitarian cause. Listeners who want to hear it can look for it in Starbucks coffeehouses during the holiday season.
Further reading
For more seasonal listening, explore our Holiday Music coverage.
