Most artists spend years building a catalog before recording a Christmas album. Ryan Peter Murphy has decided to start with one. The 24-year-old singer-songwriter released his debut album, Christmas in New England, on October 23 through Warner Records, introducing 12 original holiday songs shaped by jazz, orchestral arrangements and the romantic storytelling of traditional crooners.
The release marks an unconventional entrance into the major-label music business. Warner Records describes Murphy as the first male solo artist on a major label to make a holiday collection his debut album, a historical distinction promoted by the label. Rather than revisiting familiar seasonal standards, Murphy and his collaborators have written an entirely new collection intended to capture the warmth of Christmas recordings from earlier generations.
The Connecticut native, who calls himself a 'Swooner,' has also partnered with Hallmark Channel for its annual Countdown to Christmas programming event. His original anthem, Joy Lives Here, was commissioned by Hallmark Media and will be featured throughout the network's holiday campaign. According to the announcement, additional Murphy recordings will appear in multiple Hallmark Christmas movies.
The partnership places the emerging vocalist before an established audience of holiday entertainment enthusiasts as he introduces his first full-length project.
Murphy developed Christmas in New England alongside three Berklee College of Music friends and collaborators: Harry Scutt, Nick Tinger and Dušan Mitric. Together, they handled the writing, production, engineering and mixing, building the recordings around piano, upright bass, guitar and drums.
The arrangements extend well beyond a small jazz ensemble. Orchestrator Callum Au, whose credits include work with Quincy Jones, Michael Bublé and RAYE, contributed to the project. A 13-piece big band, the FAME'S Studio Orchestra of North Macedonia and the Boston City Singers children's choir also participated. The choir appears on 'I Know Santa's Real,' adding a youthful dimension to the album's traditional holiday influences.
'I wanted to create my version of the perfect classic Christmas album,' Murphy said. 'It's been years since I've heard new Christmas music that gives you that feeling and I'm trying to touch on that with every song.'
Among the collection's lighter moments is 'The Naughty List,' a jazz-driven romantic comedy in miniature. Murphy imagines himself pursuing the person he wants for Christmas, only to discover that Santa's naughty list threatens his plans. The playful storyline unfolds against horns, strings and a swinging rhythm.
The title track offers a more personal perspective. 'Christmas in New England' draws on the region where Murphy grew up, while 'Santa, Please' explores romantic longing. Elsewhere, 'Christmas Miracle' leans toward orchestral balladry, 'The Gift You Are to Me' incorporates bossa nova influences, and 'Back in Time for Christmas' embraces an upbeat seasonal singalong.
Murphy's path to Warner Records began far from the conventional pop-star assembly line. Raised outside New Haven, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he performed on Newbury Street and collaborated with fellow students. His vocal performances eventually reached wider audiences through social media, including videos of him singing to strangers from his window.
He subsequently appeared on The Jennifer Hudson Show and performed the national anthem at Boston Celtics and Boston Red Sox games. Earlier in 2026, he opened concerts for Fitz and The Tantrums, performing originals alongside his interpretation of Frank Sinatra's 'Fly Me to the Moon.'
His earlier releases include the 2025 single 'In My Angel's Eyes' and the summery 'Love Letters,' which arrived in August as his first Warner Records single.
With Christmas in New England, Murphy is betting that listeners still have room in their annual holiday playlists for new compositions built around the instrumentation and sentiment of classic Christmas records. His Hallmark partnership offers another avenue for those songs to become familiar seasonal favorites.
Christmas in New England Tracklist:
- Santa Please
2. Christmas in New England
3. The Naughty List
4. I Know Santa's Real
5. H.O.M.E.
6. Christmas Miracle
7. The Gift You Are to Me
8. The Star
9. Kid on Christmas Morning
10. Manhattan in White
11. Snowed In
12. Back in Time for Christmas
Listen to Ryan Peter Murphy's Christmas in New England on Apple Music.
