Chris Young: Boyz II Men Took Creative Control of ‘Silent Night’

Chris Young let Boyz II Men do what moved them on their collaboration of "Silent Night." The song from the country singer's new It Must Be Christmas album is one of three collaborations, and the trio were very specific about what they wanted.

This version of "Silent Night" features Young on each verse before the R&B group come in like angels with the chorus. "That was the way that they wanted to do," Young says. "I was like, 'That is just so cool,' because it's different than everything else that's on the rest of the album.

Boyz II Men cut their parts in Japan. In fact, all three album collaborators (including Alan Jackson and Brad Paisley) worked apart from Young to record their songs. There are two originals, but the meat of It Must Be Christmas is well-known classics, performed the way you already know them.

"It was something that meant a lot to me," Young says of including "Silent Night" on his first Christmas album. "I heard it a lot in church growing up, it was the last song we would sing at church service on Christmas Eve."

Other classics like "Holly Jolly Christmas" and "The Christmas Song" reminded him of other family traditions, like decorating the tree or driving around and looking at lights. It's a personal album he's excited to share with fans and family.

"That's one of the coolest things about Christmas music," Young adds. "It's so engrained in that time of year and your memories of being with your family and Christmases that have come before. It's why people love to make Christmas music."

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