I love it when a singer honors the song, not themselves.

I listen to good singers, great singers, focus on the lyric but not give in to excess.

And then there are the painful one’s. “Chestnutsssssss roooooooooasting on a open fireeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.”

Showoff. Nothing to do with the song. Yuk.

This shows itself most often on the National Anthem.

Simple vocals moving through the song get the job done.

I always prepare myself at live events for the good anthem performance and the bad.

When a singer begins “Ooooooh say can you Seeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.” Oh shit!

Uh oh. Long. Indulgent. And nothing to do with why the song it being sung in the first place.

So in this Christmas season, here’s to singers who let the song shine.

In doing that, the singer can too.