This Day in Pop: 'My Only Wish (This Year)' is officially released as a single in 2020 (November 06)

[PokemonSpears]

 

On November 06, 2020 Britney's Christmas classic My Only Wish (This Year) was officially released as a single on streaming platforms. The song was originally released 20 years prior as part of the Platinum Christmas compilation album, which came out on November 14, 2000.

 

Though the song never got the official single treatment back in the day, year after year the song received radio airplay as well as important streaming during the digital era, currently being one of Britney's most streamed songs on Spotify with over 206M streams.

The song peaked in 2001 on the US Holiday Airplay chart at #7, on the Holiday 100 at #81 in 2015, at #12 on the Holiday Digital Songs Sales chart in 2020, and it also peaked in January 2022 on the Billboard Global 200 chart at #112 and at #78 on the Billboard Global 200 Excl. US. It's also appeared in many international charts over the years.

It was in 2020 when it received a proper single cover, which was also used for the vinyl released through Urban Outfitters a month after its digital release.

 

The song was written and produced by Brian Kierulf and Josh Schwartz, both of which would later get to work on the album Britney released in 2001. Josh talked about how My Only Wish came to be on the Original Doll podcast with Jame Rodriguez. He said the song originally started as a sad song inspired by the 60's era, with lyrics along the lines of "Santa please don't break my heart" eventually reworked into the cheerful tune we all know and love.

He also remembered the day Britney recorded the song, which happened to be right after she had shot the Stronger music video until the early morning. He mentions her wearing a bucket hat, which by the dates, might have probably been this

or this

but I digress

 

My Only Wish (This Year) has also been covered by various artists, including Brazilian singer Xuxa who made a Portuguese version of the song in 2009

 

It was also featured on Netflix's Single All the Way in 2021.

 

[LordofTheMoodRing]

last night I took a walk in the snow ❄️ 

[justhanging]

36 minutes ago, LordofTheMoodRing said:

last night I took a walk in the snow ❄️ 

couples holding hands, places to go

[PickleSpears]

This song sleighs 

But for real, it's such a bop! Such a classic pop Christmas song, along the lines of All I Want For Christmas Is You! I've always loved it and would die for Britney to do a full Christmas album one day.

[Jay Harrison]