Celeste has become this year’s latest addition in the now famous tradition of songwriters collaborating with John Lewis and Waitrose to produce their Christmas TV advert which is loved by Brits across the country. Celeste announced the news that she would be walking in the footsteps of such artists as Ellie Golding, Aurora and Tom Odell on her instagram yesterday and today she announced that she would be performing the song, called ‘A Little Love,’ on ITV’s The Voice.
Celeste has had an exiting year, from picking up awards to appearing alongside new chart record breaker Lewis Capaldi for Amazon Prime Day. Being selected to compose or perform the song for the annual John Lewis and Waitrose Christmas advert is often a pivotal moment for artists, British or otherwise, who often find their careers really taking off soon afterwards. For example, Ellie Golding’s version of Elton John’s classic ‘Your Song,’ for the advert in 2010 which went on to surpass the original’s success and become a number 2 chart hit.
While unlike Ellie Goulding, Celeste opted to write her own song for the advert, the influence of arguably the definitive John Lewis Christmas advert song is very audible as the simple piano accompaniment of mixed with the clear and crisp and effortlessly smooth vocals and the touching lyrics which fit perfectly with the imagery and make this years effort a real tearjerker. The addition of string arrangement as the song progresses is also a very subtly effective move, tugging at your heartstrings as Celeste’s voice glides through the jazzy number.
While it is too early to say how well this track will perform on the official charts, if its success on Youtube is anything to go by it is likely to be a strong contender for number one. The video uploaded to John Lewis & Partners on Youtube which includes the full advert showcasing the visuals and animation as well as the skilful direction which all blend perfectly with Celeste’s original composition, has now received 2,586,946 views in just two days and is currently #2 on trending as we speak.
This is exiting news for Celeste, who is already marking herself to be one of the hottest up and coming British talents of the 2020s and is only likely to continue to rise higher off the back of this. The heartwarming message of the advert will be melting the hearts of households across the nation at this very moment as she performs live on The Voice and whenever the John Lewis and Waitrose advert pops up on their TV screens.
With many of us spending even more time than usual indoors this November, this years advert is likely to be even more of a national and unifying event than usual, and Celeste is a great choice to bring a positive and warming to people right when they need it the most. The slight alternative edge to Celeste’s mostly pop oriented sound is a welcome and refreshing change in a format which has been repeated for a decade now.
