Magic in the Bronx, Music Everywhere

Last Sunday, we finally made it to the Bronx again for the annual Holiday Lights at the Zoo. It’s a festive, atmospheric event that transforms the park into a sparkling world of wonder. The real animals are resting in their holding areas, but their likenesses in the form of illuminated, colorful lanterns are on display along several geographically themed trails.

Without a car, reaching the zoo is quite an adventure. Hoping on the two or five subway lines only takes you to 180th Street. From there, you have to walk for half an hour along the zoo fence through a dark Bronx neighborhood. It’s definitely romantic, but also a bit eerie. (Scroll down for nine photos from this outing.)

Another year-end tradition took place last week: the Spotify Wrapped campaign. All streaming services offer something similar by now, but since Spotify is, for whatever reason, the default for many, it is the Wrapped cards that appear on social media everywhere.

Some artists use this as a chance to thank their listeners, while others protest against Spotify and its leadership. Understandably, independent artists are unhappy that a company worth over 100 billion dollars with billionaire executives seems to care very little about supporting the artists who form the foundation of its business.

Spotify, like all large companies, primarily answers to the stock market. So if enough artists remove their catalog, investors may become spooked and force Spotify to adopt more artist-friendly practices, whatever they may look like.

We’ll see. I am a believer in Martin Luther King’s quote, “Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” Or, in other words: focus on supporting what you love instead of fighting what you don’t. So instead of shaking your fist at big tech and its billionaires, go out watch a show by an independent artist and buy some merch. Or, in a broader sense: head out to dine instead of ordering in from those companies that want to become synonymous with having a good meal. Visit a local store instead of browsing Amazon. It’s the convenient click or tap they use to get us. But you (still) have a choice!

glamglare will take a vacation for the rest of the year. The Song Pick of the Day still continues – this year’s new songs are still going strong – so if you need a break from holiday music, we have something for you. If not, keep reading for five new Christmas Songs.

Happy Holidays — and here’s to a bright, music-filled 2026.

Five Songs: The Holidays are Here!

Listen to glamglare five songs on Spotify, Apple Music, or below on YouTube:

Four of these five are brand-new releases — and three of them are originals you might be hearing for the first time. A little festive joy, a little sparkle, and a whole lot of good music. Check ’em all out!

• Limahl – “One Wish for Christmas”
  The British 80s pop icon paints a beautifully festive picture of London in this mellow yet catchy holiday gem. Truly, an instant classic.
• Gina Zo – “Sleigh Ride”
  Los Angeles-based Gina Zo delivers a delightfully rebellious take — a little punk attitude, but still full of the original’s wintery charm. A super fun spin.
• Joe Goodkin – “Before It’s Christmas Again”
  A mellow original with a bittersweet twist. Or as he puts it:“This is a Christmas song with a tequila twist… a long-distance connection that briefly manifests in a New Year’s rendezvous… before it inevitably ends in departure.”A quiet, December-night kind of song.
• Luke Spiller – “Merry Xmas Everybody”
  Slade’s rock classic holds a special place in our hearts, and Luke Spiller turns it into something tender and beautifully stripped back. He shares:“I wanted to put my own spin on this classic and decided to strip back the music so people can really focus on the lyrics.”A heartfelt, gorgeously warm version. Enjoy the video:

• Bryan Adams & Friends – “California Christmas”
  Impossible not to include this brand-new single — especially since I’ll be seeing palm trees, too, this Christmas. I’m right there with Bryan Adams:“Sitting back soaking up the sun / This year — gonna have some fun.”A holiday bop with sunshine in its veins — and honestly, I’m ready.

Song Pick of the Day

Listen to/watch all seven songs on YouTube. Follow our daily updated playlists on YouTube, Apple Music, or Spotify for the 50 latest Song Pick of the Day features, or subscribe here to receive them in your mailbox in real-time. Thank you for following us and sharing the excitement.

• Avalon Emerson returns with “Eden,” where electronic shimmer meets indie-rock warmth. A song about longing, regret, and finding your way back—our Song Pick of the Day.
• Emotional relapse, but make it luminous — Madison Margot shines on “But I Do.”
• London artist Tonguetied dives into the chaos of an overthinking mind on her new track “Lucky Girl,” a restless mix of confessional lyrics and swirling electronics.
• Power reclaimed, drums ablaze — Charlotte Sands ignites with “one eye open.”
• Soft vocals meet a merciless beat: Annie-Dog’s “My Honey” captures how easily we stop listening to each other.
• Field recordings, quiet ache, and a voice that lingers — Austel’s “The Beach In December” is a small cinematic world.
• 18-year-old London artist Leoni 808 pushes electronic pop into her own inventive space with “MOVE MY BODY.”

Nine Photos from a Magical Night Among Lantern Creatures at the Bronx Zoo

Our last visit to the Bronx Zoo’s Holiday Lights was in December 2021, at the tail end of the pandemic — a time when renting a car for little upstate escapes felt almost routine. Returning this year, without a car and with the long, slightly eerie walk from 180th Street, made the whole experience feel different… and somehow even more magical.

The Zoo added new displays, reimagined old favorites, and wrapped the whole place in a glow that felt both festive and otherworldly. If getting there weren’t such an undertaking, I’d go again in a heartbeat.

Here are nine impressions from our evening — little sparks of color and light that I hope bring you a touch of December magic, too.