The Hot Sheet

Music

Mariah Carey: "Oh Santa!" — Well, it’s no “All I Want for Christmas is You,” but Mariah Carey is completely in her element with her newly released original Christmas song, “Oh Santa!” Time will tell if this tune has what it takes to become a Christmas classic, but in the music video, the singer takes it back to the heyday of Radio City Music Hall — complete with backup singers, dancers, and that fur-lined Santa dress she made famous all those years ago. Get into the spirit early, Mimi-style. Watch the video below.

Natasha Bedingfield: "Strip Me" — Considering Natasha Bedingfield’s latest single, “Strip Me,” has been playing over the trailer to the Diane Keaton–Rachel McAdams flick Morning Glory since summer, it’s doubtful she wrote it with the It Gets Better campaign in mind. But the song’s message definitely plays like an equal rights anthem, and coupled with Bedingfield’s predictably strong vocals and a rare music video that replaces sexuality with individuality, it’s a catchy, surefire hit. Watch the video below.

The Songs of Scott Alan: What I Wanna Be When I Grow Up — New York–based songwriter Scott Alan knows how to write a Broadway power ballad (as he does with much success on the songs “Not Quite Ready Yet to Grieve” and “Anything Worth Holding on To”). But he’s also a master lyricist, and the songs span genre and emotion (“I Wish,” sung by Idol alum Diana DeGarmo here, is easily one of the collection’s most earnestly perky tunes, while “Over the Mountains, as sung by Bobby Steggert, packs a heavy emotional wallop) and linger long after they finish. On this, his third collection of tunes, Alan is at his most confident and establishes himself as a songwriter to keep your eye on. Watch Steggert’s performance below and buy the CD here.