Taylor Momsen is revisiting a holiday classic — with a rock twist.
The Pretty Reckless frontwoman has re-recorded “Where Are You Christmas?” 25 years after first performing the song as Cindy Lou Who in How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
The reimagined version appears on the band’s new holiday EP, Taylor Momsen’s Pretty Reckless Christmas, released Friday (Oct. 31) via Fearless Records.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
The original ballad, co-written by Mariah Carey, James Horner, and Will Jennings, first appeared on the 2000 film’s soundtrack and was famously performed by Momsen at just seven years old. That same year, Faith Hill’s version reached No. 65 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Momsen’s 2025 update opens with a nostalgic snippet of her childhood recording before launching into a full-blown rock version, anchored by crunchy guitars and her signature gritty vocals. “Where are you, Christmas? Why can’t I find you?” she sings, giving the wistful lyrics new energy and edge.
The six-track EP also includes four original songs — “I Wanna Be Your Christmas Tree,” “Christmas Is Killing Me,” “Blues on Christmas,” and “When We Were Young” — as well as a reprise titled “Christmas, Why Can’t I Find You.”
“Pretty Reckless Christmas started as just one song, but the moment we got into the studio, it took on a life of its own,” Momsen said in a statement. “There was so much emotion, nostalgia and chaos wrapped up in it that it didn’t feel right to leave it standing alone. To really honor it, I needed to build a whole world around it. That’s how this project became a full body of work — something bigger, deeper and far more personal than I ever expected.”
Momsen’s last studio album with The Pretty Reckless, Death by Rock and Roll, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart in 2021, making them the first female-fronted band to hit No. 1 on the chart with their first four albums.
Meanwhile, “For I Am Death,” The Pretty Reckless’ first new music since its 2021 albumDeath by Rock and Roll, climbs to No. 1 on the ranking dated Nov. 8. It’s the band’s eighth leader and fourth straight, a streak that dates to 2020, when “Death by Rock and Roll” led for three weeks, followed by reigns for “And So It Went” and “Only Love Can Save Me Now” in 2021.
In 2013, The Pretty Reckless made its maiden appearance on the tally with “Heaven Knows,” a song that ended up reigning for four weeks beginning in March 2014. That kicked off a streak of four consecutive No. 1s, with “Heaven Knows” followed by “Messed Up World” (2014), “Follow Me Down” (2015) and “Take Me Down” (2016).
