It’s the most wonderful time of the year — especially if you’re a fan of Darren Criss, Adam Lambert, Kelly Clarkson and jazz!
On the latest episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show, Criss and Lambert dropped by to offer up a special cover of the 1950 Christmas classic “(Everybody’s Waitin’ For) The Man With the Bag.” The song comes from Criss’ just-released holiday album A Very Darren Crissmas, available via Verve Label Group.
Dressed up in coordinated red patterned suits, Criss and Lambert came out swinging with a big band, as they brought the jazzy tune to life in front of Clarkson’s captive audience. Throwing in their own ad-libs throughout the number, the pair harmonized and riffed off of one another throughout before bringing the number to a flashy finish as they sang the song’s iconic final phrase: “Everybody’s waitin’, they’re all congregatin’/ Everybody’s waitin’ for the man with the bag!”
Criss, who is managed by Ricky Rollins and represented by CAA, released his holiday album back in early October, where he recruited artists like Lambert, Evan Rachel Wood and Lainey Wilson to bring some of his favorite holiday tunes to life. “You know how every year around the holidays, you say to yourself, wow, I can’t believe they’re here already. That’s how I feel about this album coming out today,” Criss said in an Instagram post on the day of the album’s release. “I can’t believe I actually made one and that it’s out already. It only took all year to get here.”
While Lambert doesn’t have a Christmas album of his own (though he does have a Spotify cover of “Please Come Home for Christmas“), host Clarkson has quickly become a staple during the holiday season — her hit holiday track “Underneath the Tree” reached the top 10 of Billboard‘s Holiday 100 chart back in January 2014, while her 2013 Christmas album Wrapped in Red topped the Top Holiday Albums chart in November 2013. Her latest Christmas album, When Christmas Comes Around…, has already become a commercial success since its October release, hitting No. 1 on the Top Holiday Albums chart in the week dated Oct. 30.
Check out Criss and Lambert’s jazzy cover of “(Everybody’s Waitin’ For) The Man With the Bag” below:
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