Tonight’s (December 3) CMA Country Christmas is almost guaranteed to get all of its viewers in the holiday spirit. The show features heartfelt performances from many of the country music’s biggest stars. However, the show isn’t all about deep feelings of Yuletide joy and wonderment. Jon Pardi took the stage to perform “400 Horsepower Sleigh” and brought strong Christmas party vibes early in the broadcast.
After a heartwarming opening performance from the CMA Country Christmas co-hosts Amy Grant and Trisha Yearwood, Pardi’s performance brought some upbeat party vibes to the evening. His performance of “400 Horsepower Sleigh” was the shot in the arm the night needed. More importantly, it reminded fans of how fun the holiday season can be.
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“Everybody needs the party guy,” Pardi said about his role in tonight’s festivities. “I’m that guy,” he added.
Jon Pardi Released a Christmas Party Soundtrack
Merry Christmas from Jon Pardi dropped last October and quickly became the soundtrack to Christmas parties across the country. Penned by Rhett Akins, Joe Fox, and Lydia Vaughan, Pardi included “400 Horsepower Sleigh” on the album alongside a strong mixture of original songs and holiday standards.
Fans who gave the 12-song collection a spin last holiday season likely noticed a lack of sappy Christmas songs. That was by design. He talked about his holiday album on an episode of Country Heat Weekly last December. “I am not the ‘Silent Night’ man. I am not the ‘Oh, Holy Night’ man. And, if I’ve got to see the little drummer performance from those two dudes one more time. If I’ve got to see that cheesiness I’m gonna lose it,” he joked. “I made a Christmas record for the people. For the people who just want a Christmas record that sounds high-energy and fun and normal,” Pardi explained.
Pardi went on to say that he heard many people call his holiday album “the workin’ man’s Christmas record.” He added, “It’s Christmas but not too Christmas-y and it is fun. A lot of feedback was like, ‘It gives me energy when I’m doing Christmas stuff or decorating a tree.’ And that was my goal. Goal reached.”
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