With a funny, feel-good video for their new holiday duet “Merry Christmas,” Ed Sheeran and Elton John pay homage to great Christmas music videos of yore.
After months of teasing, the British singers launched the charity tune on Friday, along with a holiday music video filled with all things happy and bright.
The video, produced by Jason Koenig, opens with Sheeran, 30, and John, 74, who appear to be hosting a Christmas party and are dressed in identical holiday tracksuits as they entertain their guests.
Sheeran ultimately finds his way outdoors, where he is met with a larger-than-life snowman outfit reminiscent of Shakin’ Stevens’ 1985 song video “Merry Christmas Everyone.
“The snowman then grabs the “Shivers” singer’s hand and walks him into the air, much as in the “Walking In The Air” part of the 1982 animated film The Snowman.
The video continues with further costume changes and party scenes, as well as a homage to Wham1984 !’s video for “Last Christmas,” in which Sheeran plays with a lady in the snow.
Before the short ends, Sheeran gets his boy band moment, reinventing the British band East 17’s “Stay Another Day” music video from 1994.
When Sheeran and John revealed the release date of “Merry Christmas” earlier this week, they paid homage to another Christmas classic, Love Actually.
The song’s publishing rights and revenues will be split equally between the Ed Sheeran Suffolk Music Foundation and the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Sheeran initially revealed the song during an interview with Dutch radio station NPO Radio 2 in October.
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