Since 1987 there have been six A Very Special Christmas projects and while they provide fun and cheerful collections of music for holiday music fans, the albums primary purpose is to benefit the Special Olympics.  The concept of the album is simple, give fans something they want so that the Special Olympics gets some funding for their great projects.  The series has generated over $100 million in revenues for the nonprofit organization. 

While there’s been a country music version of this series before (A Very Special Acoustic Christmas), the series hasn’t featured a collection of artists from country, pop, and R&B quite like it does this year.   From country music you have artists like Carrie Underwood, Kellie Pickler, Carter Twins and Gloriana. From the pop world you have young stars like Colbie Calliat, Sean Kingston and Charice and Disney stars like Vanessa Hudgens, Miley Cyrus, Ashley Tisdale and Mitchell Musso.

The Carter Twins’ contribution to the collection might be the best showcase for the young country music duo’s talent yet while Colbie Calliat’s version of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” is a sweet acoustic pop rendition that fits within well with her personal musical style.  In decades past, Mitchell Musso’s version of “Jingle Bell Rock” would have been a huge seasonal hit (and it likely will be on Radio Disney or the Disney Channel) but it will have to work hard to compete with other more well-known renditions of the classic christmas song, even though Musso has inflicted a little more personality into the song than I expected to hear. 

Neither Carrie Underwood’s nor Kellie Pickler’s  songs are exclusives to this collection like the previously mentioned tracks are but they still stand out as two of the best parts about this collection.  Pickler is playfully singing “Santa Baby” along the lines of Eartha Kitt’s original at the same time as Underwood shows off her fantastic voice (one of the best currently in music) on the classic “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.”  Actress Leighton Meester tastefully runs through “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” while Miley Cyrus works up a playful rendition of “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree.”

Perhaps the best track on this whole compilation is Gloriana’s beautiful acoustic rendition of “Silent Night.” If fans were put-off by the production choices of Gloriana’s self-titled debut album, there’s no denying this award-winning quartet’s talent once you hear them sing one of the most well-known of holiday songs.    Even if you’re not typically a fan of the non-country artists present for this project, A Very Special Christmas Vol. 7  is still well-worth purchasing for it features classic holiday songs that are tastefully made.  And, to top it all off, the proceeds benefit a great cause, which is perfect in this time of giving.