“I hope you understand,” sings Justin Strong but I’ll confess I’m not sure I do.

Strong’s 2019 release ‘Christmas Is Here (I'll Be Damned)’ remains a bit of a mystery to me. What I do absolutely get, is that for all its sparkle and festivities Christmas comes with a healthy dose of unhappiness too. The stark contrast of what Christmas is ‘supposed to be’ and actually is, can be a bit much to take a times.

This the train of thought Strong’s track set into motion for me — you may end up somewhere else.

Listen and find out. When you’re done with that, check out Strong’s ‘Even Lower.”

More Christmas and Holiday Music from Newfoundland & Labrador

Stay tuned for more great Christmas songs from Newfoundland and Labrador.

I'm a big fan of traditional Christmas music, I love to hear a modern rendition of a 300 year old carol but, occasionally, a brand new song comes to my attention and dominates my Christmas listening. Newfoundland and Labrador's musicians have been holding their own in both regards. I’ll be sharing local songs —both old and new— from now until Christmas in my 2022 NL Music Advent Calendar.

Follow along on Instagram stories and get playlists here.

Check out: 2021’s NL Christmas music calendar.