Music
“Carpool Karaoke Christmas: Dua Lipa, Chappell Roan & Lady Gaga”
2024-12-16
This holiday season, "Carpool Karaoke" presents its first-ever Christmas special, leaving us with the intriguing question: Will you be my passenger (pop) princess? The stars of this festive episode are Dua Lipa, Chappell Roan, and Lady Gaga. Each star gets their own segment as they ride alongside Zane Lowe, the host of Apple Music's in-house interview show, while Lowe chauffeurs them around different cities. These segments are then combined to create a one-hour Christmas extravaganza.
Unforgettable Carpool Karaoke Moments This Holiday Season
Chappell Roan ‘Carpools’ with parents in the Midwest
The "midwestern princess" herself, Chappell Roan, kicks off the episode by welcoming Zane Lowe to her native Missouri. As they drive through the classic American landscape with Roan's parents in the backseat, a rendition of "Pink Pony Club" unfolds. This song, with its lyrics about her mother, evokes strong emotions from both Roan's parents."That song, I love singing it with her at her shows," her mother Kara said. "Even when we're grown up, we really care what our parents think about us. And I hope that's something that she always knows: that we love her so much and we could never not be proud of her."Her father Dwight added, shedding a few tears as he expressed how his daughter had taught him to respect and love all people. The hometown tour continued with stops at Andy's ice cream shop alongside Roan's childhood friends and a theater where she launched her album. During these stops, Roan sang along to "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and Justin Bieber's "Drummer Boy" while sharing her experiences growing up in a religious family and the freedom she felt when she moved to Los Angeles. The "Good Luck Babe" singer expressed a bittersweet gratitude for the place that raised her, affirming her happiness both to be from there and to have left.Dua Lipa sings ‘New Rules,’ talks breakup anthems
Lipa's segment takes us international as Lowe drives her to a show in Tokyo. Here, the "Levitating" singer performed two shows to promote her third album, "Radical Optimism." Her tour for the album continues next year, with shows in North America starting in September.The pair runs through her greatest hits, including "New Rules" and "Houdini," along with a few Christmas classics. Lipa shares her philosophy on keeping life exciting by trying new things and appreciating good relationships after being in a few bad ones. After all, she is the breakup anthem queen."It's crazy the amount of girls that have come up to me and been like, ‘You’ve gotten me through my breakup,’" the singer said. "It’s surreal how music can have this effect."Lady Gaga’s ‘Carpool Karaoke’ segment gets Brian Johnson cameo
Gaga, the pop veteran of the trio, brings the show back state-side with a drive in Los Angeles. For holiday cheer, the pair dives into Gaga's extensive catalog and performs "Christmas Tree," a little-known tune she released in 2008. Just after the "Poker Face" singer tells Lowe she prefers a carol that the whole family can sing, its somewhat vulgar lyrics produce some laughs.A final celebrity cameo comes midway through Gaga's segment when Brian Johnson, the lead singer of AC/DC, joins the carpool for a brief stint. And of course, it wouldn't be Gaga without an outfit change. For "Die With A Smile," her most recent collaboration with Bruno Mars, she dons an orange wig like the one she wore in the music video for the track.The special closes out with Gaga inviting Lowe into the studio to lay down a grunge-rock version of "Santa Clause is Coming to Town." This song is available today on all music streaming platforms."This was hands-down the most fun I have ever had in a car. I’m very grateful to James for trusting me behind the wheel of a very expensive car with three of music’s most exciting artists and I’m honored to be part of bringing this special ‘A Carpool Karaoke Christmas’ to fans all over the world," said Lowe in a statement provided by Apple Music.