Mickey Guyton has never stopped expanding what country music can look and sound like, and her holiday album, Feels Like Christmas, added another layer to her story. The Grammy-nominated singer says becoming a mom brought back the magic she thought she’d lost, inspiring a project that blends originals like “Sugar Cookie” and “Mistletoe Kisses” with classics such as “O Holy Night” and a reimagined “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” The album captures the warmth, family energy, and nostalgia she wanted to return to.

In an exclusive conversation with REVOLT, the Texas native opens up about how her son reshaped the way she sees the holidays, and the pride she has watching more Black artists push forward in country music. Guyton also gets into Beyoncé’s impact on the genre, her run on one of China’s biggest music shows, and the holiday traditions that get her whole family laughing.

Feels Like Christmas has such a warm, joyful energy. What inspired you to create a full holiday album, and what does the holiday season mean to you personally?

Christmas started not being so magical for me. You know, the older you get, it's just more about spending time with your family. And I used to get seasonal blues. And then when I had my son, it just changed everything for me. Watching life through his lens has been really, really gratifying and just beautiful. I just really wanted to put out a project. I became a Christmas person, so I thought it was really important to put that out. Christmas means a lot to me. I live far away from my parents, so it’s really nice to just get to be there together with my family every year.

You mentioned your son. Can you speak more on how you’re seeing life through his lens?

Yeah, he's four years old now. And just again, watching life through his lens is really beautiful. He's now starting to understand Christmas. He's starting to understand presents. And it's been really sweet. Like a couple of years ago, he was excited about a box. And now it's just really cool to watch him love that, watch him grow up with his cousins, and just experience what I experienced as a little kid. It's been really beautiful.

In this album, you have originals like “Sugar Cookie” and “Mistletoe Kisses,” but also timeless classics like “O Holy Night.” How did you choose the balance between fresh songs and holiday staples?

Well, some of my favorite Christmas songs are ballads. I love “The Little Drummer Boy” song, and I also love “O Holy Night.” And I just got the opportunity a couple years ago to sing that song, so it was something I wanted to put on the album. And when it came to the originals, I have a really great writing team that I work with, and they are Christmas people as well. And it just is kind of like the stars aligned, I think, to make the album what it is.

You’ve broken so many barriers as a Black woman in country music. How do you view the evolution of the genre, and what changes or progress do you still hope to see moving forward?

It's been really, really, really cool to see so many Black people actively and fearlessly pursuing country music. When I started pursuing country music, there were very, very few of us in this genre, and it wasn't always comfortable. I know some people like to be one of one. I didn't necessarily like that. And as time went on, I was like, “This is really hard.” The world needs to know, first of all, where country music has come from. And the world needs to know how important it is for Black people that everything has pretty much started with us, including the inception of humanity here on Earth, has come from a Black woman. And I just talked about it a lot and to see where it is, to see Beyoncé win Album of the Year for her record, to see Shaboozey get the love, and to have such major success with his song, [“A Bar Song (Tipsy)”]. I just think it's amazing.

I think the genre still has a very long way to go. There's a lot of people that want the inclusion. There's a lot of people that don't. And it's very evident and clear when Beyoncé was shunned from a lot of the country award shows and Shaboozey as well. I mean, I remember watching award shows where they were making fun of his name constantly. Like, he was a topic of conversation, and it was just really disheartening to see. But as a whole, I think there's so many amazing things happening. We just have to keep pressing forward and keep showing up in our presence and let it be known that we are here and we're here to stay.

Speaking of Beyoncé, she made waves stepping into the country scene. What did you think when she started releasing country music, and when you saw the reaction she got from some fans and artists of the genre?

Oh my God, it was so beautiful. Like, I remember when the Super Bowl happened, and she had released “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM,” and that was just so exciting. But there were a lot of people that were really excited about it, and there were a lot of people that weren't. And I mean, you know, actions speak louder than words. The way that Post Malone was treated and accepted versus Beyoncé was deafening. Like, the sounds were deafening. The silence was deafening, and that was hard to watch. But as far as the project, I freaking loved it. One of my dear friends, Cam, wrote a lot on this record. It was the most amazing thing to see that happen and to see everybody with their fans and their cowboy boots on. It was electric. It was like a wildfire. It was so crazy how that happened, and I'm just so grateful that she made those waves and it helped make huge differences… Even with the Grammys and making more categories in country music. I know people felt like that was, I don't know, like segregating the genre, but I had been fighting for multiple categories in country music for years. And she kind of made that happen. And it was awesome.

You’ve carved out your own lane in a genre that hasn’t always embraced diversity; what keeps you grounded and motivated to keep showing up authentically?

I don't know how to do anything else, so that keeps me motivated. Just knowing how important it is to be a trailblazer, it's not easy. It's not anything that I truly knew what I was signing up for. And I show up for my peers, my peers that look like me, you know? I have pretty much the most experience of all of us in this genre, and I think it's important that I continue to show up to make sure that I protect the people that come after me.

You made history overseas as a contestant on “The Singer” in China. What did that experience teach you about how your music connects beyond language and borders?

Listen, that was a wild ride, I have to tell you. But it just shows you that there's so much out there in the world. It does a disservice to you to not branch out and see what else is out there. Because music really does transcend genres. It transcends everything. It brings people together. You may not even know what they're saying, but you know the feeling of what they're saying, and I think that was a huge opportunity that was life-changing for me. And you can get fans anywhere and open your eyes, and open your horizons, and be open to other things. The biggest lesson I learned from that is to really have an open heart and an open mind to expand who you are as an artist.

You’ve performed on some of the world’s biggest stages — from singing the national anthem at the Super Bowl to the Grammys. Looking back, what moment still makes you stop and say, “Wow, I really did that”?

I will say giving birth to my son. I'm telling you, I've wanted this so bad, and my success happened right in the middle of me becoming pregnant. Like, I was like, “Are we serious right now? This is happening?” And there's everything that I've done. Like, none of that compares to him. Like, literally, it does not even compare. And I know if I feel that way, every other artist out there in the world… I'm sure Beyoncé feels the exact same way. Like, nothing will ever compare to the life that you've given. It's crazy.

Since you’ve got us all in the holiday spirit, what’s one Christmas tradition or memory that always makes you smile or maybe a funny one you can share?

Yeah, so, my family… Again, we are all grown now, so getting together is just fun hanging out with each other. My parents do this thing… They have a really big kitchen in Texas because everything is bigger in Texas, and your money goes a long way. But they have a huge kitchen, and what we do is an international cookout competition where we pick international foods from all over the world that we've never tried before. And that's the rule — you can never have tried it before, and you cook it, and we all sit around, and we have a whole taste testing, and then we vote for whoever had the best meal. There's really substantial cash prizes, so we don't play around at all. It's like we are serious about it, and it's so much fun.

So, if you’re making something you’ve never tried before, how do you know what it’s supposed to taste like?

You don't (laughs). We don't. You got a whole bunch of Black people making anything, so you don't know what. It's going to be flavorful, that's for sure.

Imagine you’re curating the perfect holiday party playlist. Besides the tracks on Feels Like Christmas, what’s one song that has to be on there every year?

Come on. It's time… Mariah Carey, “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” If that's not on it, I don't want it. And “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” I think those two.

If you could invite three artists — from any genre — to join you on a Christmas remix of one of your songs, who’s getting the call? And which song?

I mean, everybody wants Beyoncé. I would love to do “Sugar Cookie” with Beyoncé. Like, if she could just come on through… The whole Destiny's Child reunion, child. If they can just come on and do a Christmas song with me, I'd be so happy.

Lastly, what’s one thing you hope listeners feel after they finish the album — whether they’re sitting by the fireplace or just trying to find a little joy right now?

Girl, we all need joy. That's all I want. I hope that they feel a little bit of joy and to take their mind off of all the things going on in the world. I just hope they feel goodness and happiness.

Listen to Feels Like Christmas below.