'Tis the season for a holiday surprise, and that’s exactly what we got with A Carpool Karaoke Christmas, featuring three of today’s biggest pop stars: Lady Gaga, Dua Lipa, and Chappell Roan.
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The special holiday edition of segment, made its debuted on Apple TV+, and sees Apple Music’s Zane Lowe in the drivers seat, taking the trio of superstars on a whirlwind global caroling adventure.
Chauffeuring his celebrity passengers, Zane shuttles Roan around her native Missouri, Lipa around Tokyo before a gig, and Gaga around Los Angeles on her way to a studio session as he and the trio take turns sharing candid conversations, heartfelt moments, and belting out lively renditions of both holiday classics and their own chart-topping tunes.
The caroling ranges from Lipa singing along to The Ronettes’ “Sleigh Ride” to Roan’s take on Wham’s “Last Christmas," and Gaga, the only one of the three with an original Christmas song, sang along to her saucy 2008 holiday single “Christmas Tree,” telling Lowe the song is her idea of a family singalong with a wink.
That wasn't Gaga's only festive contribution. For the last drive of Lowe’s shift, he joined Gaga and her band, on electric guitar, to record a rock rendition of “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,” which is now available as a standalone track.
Other songs on the road trip playlist included Gaga’s latest single “Disease,” Dua’s breakout track “New Rules,” and Chappell’s smash hit “Pink Pony Club.”
Chappell’s parents Kara and Dwight Amstutz, joined in on the fun at her family farm in Springfield Missouri, when Roan introduced Lowe to one of their chickens named after Lady G. Dua took Lowe holiday shopping in downtown Tokyo while singing the Whitney Houston classic “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.”
An unexpected surprise appearance also came from AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson, who joined Gaga and Zane for a bit of the ride, during which Gaga went on to reveal that she appeared as an extra in the band’s video for “Stiff Upper Lip” at the age of 17.
From start to finish, the transitory modern version of a variety show is definite don’t miss.
To catch it all, plus more we didn’t even mention — A Carpool Karaoke Christmas is now streaming on Apple TV+ and Apple Music. Check out the official trailer below.