As far as I am concerned, “O Holy Night” is one of the most difficult Christmas songs to sing. Many artists, including John Berry and Carrie Underwood, have recorded incredible versions of the classic. Now, you can add Makenzie Phipps to that list.
Phipps released her version of the song on Nov. 21. While it stays true to the classic version, her take on the song has a different arrangement. The distinctive sound of the dobro, which is prominent throughout the song, adds to the mood before she even sings her first note. I’m not sure I’ve heard a version quite like this, but it works extremely well.
Phipps said she’s always liked the more gospel Christmas songs, adding that she loves the other versions. She doesn’t feel like she’s competing with other versions because they have different tones.
Gospel music has always been a huge part of her life. Like many artists, she started singing she started singing in her church at a young age. Her two biggest viral videos on social media have been gospel songs. “I believe that’s because there is a deep connection with the Lord,” she said. One of those songs was “Amazing Grace,” which was of the first hymns she ever learned. “Amazing Grace” didn’t go viral as soon as she uploaded it. She said it had been out about two weeks when the views skyrocketed.
Phipps said she’s had people ask her for a gospel album. If she ever makes that album, it may contain a blend of hymns and more contemporary gospel songs. Phipps has always loved hymns, but she said her mamaw, who was a huge influence on her, very much enjoyed the Crabb Family.
Although Phipps was influenced by and loves gospel music, nearly all of the songs she has released have been country songs. She’s ending 2024 after having a strong year. Other than “O Holy Night,” Phipps released three singles this year, “Eighteen Wheels,” “Pick Your Poison,” and “ Pink Whitney”.
“Pick Your Poison” had over 431,000 plays on Spotify, while “Pink Whitney” has had over 303,000 plays. Both songs were solo written and are two of her best-performing songs to date. According to Spotify Wrapped, Phipps had over one million plays on Spotify in 2024. This year, people in 174 countries (out of 195 countries in the world) listened to her music on Spotify for 55.000 hours.
So far, Phipps has written songs by herself. “I feel at this time, I’m not experienced enough to write with others,” she said.
Phipps will end 2024 by playing at Ole Red-Nashville on Dec. 23 and Margaritaville Restaurant Nashville on Dec. 27. She is working on her calendar for 2025.
People can find out more about Phipps at her website. www.makenziephipps.com. She can also be found on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.