(I Want) Love for Christmas

**"(I Want) Love for Christmas**" is a song from the 2007 sitcom *Les Fashionistas*, featured in the episode "Christmas in Style", which premiered on 18 December 2009. It was written and composed by Kuboian singer-songwriter Ericka Streets, who also wrote, composed and sang the series' theme song, "Get It Right" - she was commissioned as it was not possible to license the lyrics to Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You", and Ericka and Carey were both R&B artists of similar popularity in Kuboia.

Ericka Streets recorded her own pop single version of the song, entitled "I Want Love for Christmas (Ericka's Original Version)", which features the explicit lyrics the song originally had before she rewrote it for *Les Fashionistas*. Her version was released on 5 June 2009 through her album *Remix, Babe!* while "Christmas in Style" was being filmed, and received a single release on 8 December 2009.

## Background and composition

Originally, it was intended for the characters to sing a cover of Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You" at the Christmas talent show, but Startoonz was unable to license the lyrics. Kuboian singer-songwriter Ericka Streets was called in instead, as she sang, wrote and composed the theme song "Get It Right", and was an R&B artist like Carey. Although "(I Want) Love for Christmas" is intended to be a parody of "All I Want for Christmas is You", Ericka wrote the song as if it was entirely original and included profanity and sexually explicit lyrics. Reasoning the explicit lyrics as her "getting carried away", she rewrote the lyrics for *Les Fashionistas* to make them more "appropriate" and used said rewritten lyrics for the radio edit of her own version.

The *Les Fashionistas* version of the song, played during the episode "Christmas in Style", was performed by *[undecided]* in their traditional *Les Fashionistas* roles. In the episode, they choose to perform a song for the Christmas talent show and compose the song together. Described as a "crossover between rock and bubblegum pop", the electric piano instrumentation was played by Ericka Streets in the flesh, as she felt that it "made it feel like a real band". All of the other instruments in the song were synthesised. While Ericka Streets' original version included sexual lyrics and profanity, the song was rewritten by her to make it more "appropriate". This version was released as a single on iTunes on 18 December 2009, immediately after the episode premiered on television, and was made available as a CD single at checkout sections of some stores just days before Christmas.

Meanwhile, Ericka Streets' version leaned towards noise pop, but featured instruments typical of Christmas music such as bells. Just like the *Les Fashionistas* version, the piano melody was played by Ericka herself, while the other instruments were synthesised. However, Ericka's version features an acoustic piano, while the series version used an electric piano. Featuring lyrics such as "I'll lay under you like the presents under your tree", it includes some sexually explicit lyrical content and a few uses of profanity, although she recorded a version where she sings the *Les Fashionistas* lyrics to make it suitable for radio airplay. Critics praised her version, but many felt that the explicit lyrics were "obnoxious" and "uncalled for".

## Music video

A short promotional music video was created for the *Les Fashionistas* version, which simply consists of the scene in "Christmas in Style" where it is performed. It is intercut with scenes of the "bloopers" in filming the episode, and features a brief clip of Ericka Streets playing the electric piano melody.

Meanwhile, Ericka Streets' version was filmed in November 2009 on a snowy day in Salliland, a few days before her "Club Shit" video. The music video premiered on 11 December 2009 directly through Ericka's Vevo page. It was directed by Ericka herself, who described it as "pure fun and I-don't-give-a-fuck-ism". It showcases her playing in the snow dressed in a red scarf and skimpy white ensemble, specifically a bustier and jean shorts, and making out with a "Mall Santa" while dressed in a green sweaterdress. She is also shown dancing in a red "Sexy Santa" outfit at a festival. Ericka almost developed hypothermia while filming the snow scenes, and it was banned by Nickelodeon Salliland for showcasing "dangerous behavior".

## Track listing

### ***Les Fashionistas* version**

1. "(I Want) Love for Christmas"
2. "(I Want) Love for Christmas" (instrumental)
3. "(I Want) Love for Christmas" (video enhancement)

### **Ericka Streets version**

1. "I Want Love for Christmas (Ericka's Original Version)" (explicit)
2. "I Want Love for Christmas (Ericka's Original Version)" (censored)
3. "I Want Love for Christmas (Ericka's Original Version)" (instrumental)
4. "I Want Love for Christmas (Ericka's Original Version)" (video enhancement)

### **Sallilandic CD single**

1. Les Fashionistas cast - "(I Want) Love for Christmas"
2. Les Fashionistas cast - "(I Want) Love for Christmas" (instrumental)
3. Ericka Streets - "I Want Love for Christmas (Ericka's Original Version)" (censored)
4. Ericka Streets - "I Want Love for Christmas (Ericka's Original Version)" (instrumental)

## Notes

1. ↑ She did not perform it *while* the actresses recorded their vocals.