Marlon West has done it again. The selector behind Good Black News's seasonal playlists has curated "Groove Christmas 2025," a collection that moves between the timeless and the fresh—the kind of mix that plays equally well at a family dinner or a late-night drive home.
The playlist threads together decades of Black musical tradition. You'll find Donny Hathaway's warmth, Nina Simone's precision, Lou Rawls's baritone, and John Legend's contemporary touch. But West doesn't stop at the established canon. Rebel Rae, Aloe Blacc, Alex Harris, and CoCo Jones bring newer energy to the season, proving that holiday music isn't a closed archive—it's still being written.
What ties it together is Duke Ellington's 1960 "Nutcracker Suite," woven throughout like a musical thread. It's a smart choice: Ellington's take on the classic reminds us that reimagining tradition is itself a tradition in Black music.
We're a new kind of news feed.
Regular news is designed to drain you. We're a non-profit built to restore you. Every story we publish is scored for impact, progress, and hope.
Start Your News DetoxIf this is your first time with West's playlists, this is a good entry point. But he's built a catalog worth exploring—"Soulful Christmas," "Cool Yule: A Jazzy Christmas Playlist," and "Christmas Around The World" are all still there, waiting. Each one has its own mood, its own story.
The playlist is available now, and it's designed to last beyond December. These are the songs you'll want in rotation next year, and the year after.
