After releasing her sophomore album, Coping Mechanisms, in November, Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Tayla Parx has released her first Christmas single, “Ain’t A Lonely Christmas Song.” The R&B singer has co-written songs with Ariana Grande, Mariah Carey, Luke James and more. During the holiday season, she escapes the Hollywood scene and celebrates with her family in New Orleans.
Now, Parx has partnered with Jack Daniels to create her own “Tayla's Tini” to kick off the holiday celebrations. Parx briefly chatted with R29Unbothered to spill the tea on what she’s been working on. She also curated a holiday playlist to boost your spirits.
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Unbothered: What inspired you to release a Christmas single?
Tayla Parx: I love beautiful, melodic music that I can put harmonies in. So, I produced and wrote this song. I was sitting in the house and approached it with Christmas in mind but not in a typical way. The single has different beats and rhythms that are not necessarily the first thing you think of when it comes to Christmas. That’s what made it fun.
Tell us more about your collaboration with Jack Daniels. Is the “Tayla's Tini” your special holiday season cocktail or is it for any time of the year?
Jack Apple is one of my favorites, so I teamed up with them to do a livestream for my fans—I call them Tayla Tots—and the Tayla's Tini is perfect for the holiday season. This is my first Christmas song, so it’s only right that I have a signature cocktail to go along with it.
What are your holiday plans and favorite holiday traditions?
Usually during the holidays I’m in New Orleans with my family. I travel so much out of the year, and the holidays are the perfect time for me to get back to my roots and home. This year for Thanksgiving, I had the honor of making my family's staple gumbo—which I’m really proud of myself for sticking it out and having patience with.
Your latest album is titled Coping Mechanisms. Was this inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic, or was it mostly from previous experiences?
Definitely from my previous experiences in life and love, but it also took on a whole new meaning during lockdown. Which is something I feel like good music does. You can take it however you interpret it. Also, I think that since my fans received it during lockdown, they gave me new perspectives on it.
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Do you have a favorite song off the album that you can’t wait to perform for your fans?
The song I can’t wait to perform is “Systems.” It's one of those songs I love to dance to. My choreographer and I had a lot of fun with that song, especially dancing in the video.
Enjoy Tayla Parx's curated holiday playlist below!