On Thurday (Nov. 5), Olivia Rodrigo released her first-ever Christmas song "take me home (4 christmas)," which immediately drew comparisons to the Waitresses' 1981 classic "Christmas Wrapping." The band's Christopher Butler made a post stating that the pop star had reached out to him in advance and they met at Rodrigo's Unraveled Tour in Columbus (which Stereogum reviewed) just last week. As many are jumping to accuse Rodrigo of plagiarism, Butler is doing his best to quell the backlash.
"Thank you all for the comparisons to 'Christmas Wrapping,'" he wrote in the YouTube comments. "The vibe is there, but no plagiarism." He also agreed with another commenter who referred to the song as an "homage" rather than a ripoff. In his original Facebook post, Butler explained what went down before the release of "take me home (4 christmas)":
BACKSTORY: About two months ago, I received a weird email from someone claiming to be “Olivia Rodrigo”. It was filled w/ Waitresses gush, and just had to be fake. Said she’d written a Christmas song, and invited me to hear it.
?????
I didn’t know who OR was, so I did a deep dig. Wow…what a career.
So, I wrote back:
<Um...
Er...
Well. If you really are you, thanks for contacting me. And your comments are really sweet, and very flattering.
They're really sweet and flattering...even if you AREN'T you.
If you really are Olivia Rodrigo:
I like you.
I like your music.
I like the arrangements especially. Soft-loud-soft, etc. And that your recordings sound like people are playing on them.
I like that you're insisting on/demanding that you be recognized as a songwriter.
I like that you have women in your band.
I like that your lyrics are intense, real, and poetic.
I like that you "got" my songwriting, and that you like our band.
I like that you were smart enough to hold on to your masters when you signed your deal.
I like that you are you, and will growgrowgrow.
...and I would be honored to hear your Christmas song.
Really.
Best/CB>
Her song was/is great. It’s going to be a smash, maybe even that elusive Christmas #1 contest they have every year in the UK.
Then she invited Beth and I to her Daisy Chain Festival in LA. Too short notice, but then I got texts from her minder at her label. OR's 86 show/6 month tour was landing in Columbus, and Ms. Minder repeatedly said “She wants to meet you”.
So, Beth & I did meet her after the show. After just killing it for two+ hours.
A delight.
"And PS: tho comps were offered, we paid for our tickets, because I have a strict policy of paying to see my friends perform," he added, and then continued: "GANG: Olivia's Christmas song was released yesterday. I think it's a fantasticbangersmash, and if it has the same upbeat vibe as "CW", well...how cool is that? I'm a fan, and I wish her monster success with it. Thanks, Olivia, for the chance to connect."
He also made a response to BBC's article that discussed the influence of the Waitresses' hit in Rodrigo's: "GANG!!!! Thanks to the BBC for this write-up. And kudos to Olivia Rodrigo for doing the right thing. Respect, Fan Boy gush, and wishing that her song is a monster smash," he wrote. Notably, Butler never commented on Gwen Stefani's much more blatant "homage" last year called "Shake The Snow Globe."
On Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen on Thursday, music video costar Cynthia Nixon mentioned an Olivia Rodrigo Christmas album but surely (?) she misspoke. But there is a B-side that's available exclusively on vinyl and cassette, and it's a melancholy Christmas song called "miss this christmas."
