Kelly Clarkson & John Legend Updated Christmas Classic ‘Baby It’s Cold Outside’ Draws Mixed Reaction From Fans
Fellow The Voice coaches Kelly Clarkson and John Legend have revamped the Christmas classic tune “Baby It’s Cold Outside” to reflect a changed attitude towards women in wake of the #MeToo movement, and fans are having mixed reactions to the retool.
According to Yahoo! Entertainment, the song, originally penned in 1944 by Frank Loesser, was rewritten by the EGOT winner and Insecure actress and writer Natasha Rothwell. In the legendary tune, a woman wants to end her night with a man, but the words allude to her being forced to stay.
The original lyrics include “I ought to say no, no, no, sir.” The man then asks if he could move closer to her.
“My sister will be suspicious,” the woman says, and the male’s response is “Gosh, your lips look delicious.”
“Say, what’s in this drink?” the woman wonders, while he responds “No cabs to be had out there.”
The tune has been retooled with new lines sung by Kelly and John, per the Yahoo! article.
“I really can’t stay (Baby it’s cold outside)/ I’ve gotta go away (I can call you a ride)/ This evening has been (so glad that you dropped in)/ So very nice (time spent with you is paradise)/ My mother will start to worry (I’ll call a car and tell ’em to hurry).”
Kelly then sings what her friends will think if she stays for another drink. John’s response?
“It’s your body and your choice.”
If you had a song with @kellyclarkson you'd want to promote your Christmas album in October too! Signed copies of the deluxe edition of #ALegendaryChristmas are available for pre-order now! https://t.co/wVDuOWgii6 pic.twitter.com/NWLWUfWhFS
— John Legend (@johnlegend) October 28, 2019
The song will appear on Legend’s forthcoming Christmas album, A Legendary Christmas: The Deluxe Edition.
“Baby It’s Cold Outside” has been sung for decades with duets that have included Idina Menzel and Michael Buble, and Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett, to name a few, reported The New York Times.
The tune won an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1949 when it was performed in the film Neptune’s Daughter, once with Ricardo Montalban and Esther Williams, and again with Betty Garrett and Red Skelton.
Fans were decidedly mixed about the retooling of the song on Twitter. While some felt that the tune was a Christmas classic and should be left alone, others praised the song’s updated lyrics. In addition, some felt the song should be taken completely out of the rotation of Christmas radio playlists.
PLEASE don’t do it @johnlegend & @kellyclarkson !! ? You are ruining a beautiful & classic song!! ??
People, get over it! It does NOT need to be modernized to pander to people sensitivities.@GayleKing, you were spot on this a.m.!?https://t.co/BraZf5vuoN#BabyItsColdOutside— Two Cents To Give (@2Cents2Give) October 29, 2019
Please watch the whole video of the original “Baby it’s Cold Outside”. It shows both a man and a woman as the pursuer. https://t.co/JIM3DozXmL
— Karen Reiland (@KAReiland) October 29, 2019
No thanks. I like Baby, Its cold outside just the way it was. Some traditions shouldnt change. This is not going to go over well with many people
— Ronnie (@Cameronhs2009) October 29, 2019
CBS This Morning reporter Gayle King weighed in on the song on the morning news show. The veteran news reporter believed that the tune was considered a “flirtatious, fun song on both sides.”
“You have to look at the intent of the song back then. They’re flirting with each other, he doesn’t want her to go, she kinda doesn’t want to go and it’s just a fun song. But good on John Legend and Kelly Clarkson,” King said.
The Inquisitr recently reported that John Legend, his wife Chrissy Teigen, and their children, Luna and Miles, were featured on the cover of the new Vanity Fair Magazine.
John Legend and Kelly Clarkson’s take on “Baby It’s Cold Outside” is on the album, A Legendary Christmas: The Deluxe Edition, which will be released on November 8.
The Voice airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. EST on NBC.
