Kelly Clarkson has revealed a surprising behind-the-scenes detail about her holiday hit Underneath the Tree — it was written faster than it took for her sushi order to be delivered.
In a recent Ask Kelly Anything segment on the June 12 episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show, the three-time Grammy winner shared that the 2013 Christmas single is the fastest song she’s ever written.
“I was working with Greg Kurstin in the studio,” Clarkson said. “I ordered sushi, and by the time it got there, I had written it.”
Clarkson credited her love of the holiday season for the song’s quick creation. “I think because I really love Christmas, I write Christmas songs really quickly — because they feel good, and you can be a little cheesy. You don’t have to worry about being cool — not that I generally worry about that anyway,” she joked.
Underneath the Tree turned out to be one of Clarkson’s biggest seasonal successes. It peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent four weeks atop the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.
She also offered a glimpse into the creative process, explaining that producer Greg Kurstin “sent me home with a little piano thing,” which helped lay the foundation for the song’s signature “wall of sound” — a style she says evokes a nostalgic, classic Christmas vibe.
“Not all songs come together like that,” Clarkson admitted. “Usually it takes forever — but that one was quick.”
