Run Run Rudolph

The Chuck Berry original was already high-octane, and Clarkson's version dials the energy further by framing it within her biggest rock-influenced vocal performance on the album. Electric guitars chug and bend with genuine attitude, the rhythm section locks into a groove that owes as much to classic rock as to holiday tradition, and her voice cuts through the mix like a klaxon — ragged at the edges in exactly the right way. The arrangement is refreshingly unironic; she plays this completely straight as a barnstorming good time, which paradoxically makes it more fun than most "hip" holiday covers. There's something almost defiant about the commitment to sheer propulsive joy, especially within an album that otherwise traffics in more wistful emotional territory. The lyrical content — Santa racing to deliver gifts, Rudolph's aerodynamic exertions — is purely delightful nonsense, and Clarkson doesn't pretend otherwise. Ideal for the pre-party car ride with the volume maxed, or decorating the tree when you need momentum.