What’s your favorite holiday tune? Perhaps you like the classics like “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” or “Silent Night.” Maybe you like something more modern, like Mariah Carey‘s “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” Or, you might be interested in something new and more than just a little upbeat, like Tyra Banks‘ “Santa SMiZE, Santa SMiZE.”
A festive song released on the model, former “Dancing with the Stars” host and hot ice cream entrepreneur’s 52nd birthday, “[l]aughter is to be expected from listeners of the song, a three-and-a-half minute dance track jam-packed with fictional lore, a section inspired by ‘Cha-Cha Slide’ that aims to get every family member on their feet to dance at your holiday party and even shoutouts to desserts from around the world,” according to People.
“I was trying to create a classic. Who knows? It’s not for me to create that classic. It’s for me to write it and put it into the world and see,” Banks told People. “I’m not a singer. I’m not a recording artist, but hopefully people will be inspired by ‘shine bright, shine far, don’t be shy, be a star’ [from 2000’s ‘Life-Size’] and say, ‘She sang something before!'”
Tyra Wants to Make People Laugh with Her Song
Tyra surely wants her new tune to make you feel festive; however, she also wants to make you laugh and go “crazy together” with your family.
“If I’m going to get up and dance and be crazy, I love it when I see the person that says, ‘I’m not going to get up,’ get up,” Banks told People.
“We all have the uncle, the cousin, the somebody that’s just going to start the fight, that’s going to start the argument, that’s going to say the wrong thing or whatever it is,” she added. “I wanted to create this moment where everybody is just laughing and crazy together.”
The Story of ‘Santa SMiZE, Santa SMiZE’
When you listen to “Santa SMiZE, Santa SMiZE,” you’ll be treated to a holiday story.
People explains: “According to the supermodel, the song’s titular character — whose actual name is Kelly — was a little girl who lived in the South Pole hundreds of years ago with her friend, Claus. She gained fame in the region for making delicious ice cream out of snow and became a performer, with Claus serving as her backup singer and dancer.”
“But he started to get a little jealous because she was getting all this attention,” Banks says.
People also noted that “Kelly had a plan to deliver her ice cream to people around the world on the day we now recognize as Christmas, but Claus’ jealousy led him to some evil behavior. He locked Kelly behind ice, stole her signature yellow suit and turned it inside out to reveal its red fabric lining, which he turned into his own look. Then, he moved to the North Pole and started going by Santa Claus.”
People notes that “[a]ll this time, Kelly’s remained frozen — and her story’s been erased.”
“For her to be released, it’s kind of like Beetlejuice, you have to say, ‘Santa SMiZE, Santa SMiZE,'” explains Banks.
“Luckily, somewhere in America, a young girl recently learned to pronounce ‘Santa’ at a family photo session, during which her older sister encouraged the family to smize, a.k.a. smile with your eyes,” per People.
Now, Banks says, “It’s 2025, and she’s back.”
