Pop couple Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello sprung a surprise on fans moments ago with the unwrapping of a collaborative take on ‘The Christmas Song.’
In a unique move, the track has been added to to special “Holiday Deluxe Edition” of Mendes’ new album ‘Wonder’ – which just dropped yesterday.
Explaining the strategy, the 22-year-old said:
“Wanted to give you guys a few surprise songs for the holidays. #WONDER holiday deluxe is out now, including #TheChristmasSong with @Camila_Cabello, song proceeds benefit @feedingamerica& we’re donating $100k to support those in need in the holidays.”
Take a listen below…
All at once this manages to be extremely tacky and smart at the same time.
On the one hand, for all the “charity” this is wrapped in, it’s impossible to divorce the move from the oh so convenient timing and the promotional aspect of the pair’s relationship.
Indeed, it’s a clear capitalisation on both Christmas and the “wonder” surrounding Mendes’ relationship with Cabello. All so as to contribute to the first week sales of his album.
From our vantage point, it’s a little too on the nose and lacking in tact. Surely, even a second-week arrival to sustain numbers would have been less…obvious?
In any case, get them streaming points anyway possible.