By Gail Mitchell

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Unexpected Christmas soundtrack

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In the ramp-up to the 2025 yuletide season, one of the upcoming events jumpstarting the holiday spirit is 3 Diamonds Films’ Unexpected Christmas. The rollout ahead of the theatrical film’s Nov. 7 nationwide premiere kicks off today (Oct. 10) with the release of its soundtrack’s same-titled lead single, a soulful ballad performed and produced by October London.

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In addition to London, Unexpected Christmas: The Soundtrack includes established and rising artists such as Kevin Ross, Tamar Braxton, Melanie Fiona, K-Ci Hailey, Koryn Hawthorne and Kenyon Dixon performing a 10-track mix of original songs and holiday covers. Ahead of the soundtrack’s Oct. 24 release via 3 Diamonds Entertainment/Platform Sounds, the lead single and another track — “Cold Day” with EJ Jones — are both available now in tandem with the album pre-save.

London produced the soundtrack’s lead single in collaboration with Tripp Caimbridge. Describing the creative inspiration behind the song, London tells Billboard, “I brought in the vision of making something soulful yet classic and then worked with Tripp to craft the lyrics in a way that felt timeless. The words came out of real memories: I wanted the song to feel relatable, like you could hear your own family in it. Then we built on them to give the song that universal Christmas spirit.”

Of the soundtrack’s other instant grat song “Cold Day,” written and produced by Daniel Bryant, Jones notes, “When I first heard the song, it just clicked for me. I locked into the booth and recorded it in 30 minutes.”

Unexpected Christmas the film revolves around the romantic entanglements, family secrets, old rivalries — and love — that ensue when the Scott family comes together for a holiday reunion. The comedy/dramedy stars Lil Rel Howery, Tabitha Brown, DomiNque Perry, Anna Maria Horsford and Regan Gomez. Actor/comedian Howery and Emmy-winning actress/author Brown also doubled as executive producers of the film with Norman Gyamfi. Written by Cassandra Mannand and directed by Michael Vaughn Hernandez, Unexpected Christmas was produced by 3 Diamonds Films co-founders Phil Thornton and Trell Woodberry along with Perri Camper.

“The soundtrack for Unexpected Christmas represents everything I love about music and film coming together,” Thornton, also CEO of 3 Diamonds Entertainment, tells Billboard. “From the gifted artists to the extraordinary writers and producers, everyone poured their creativity into making songs that not only move you but also live naturally within the story. At 3 Diamonds Films, we’re committed to making soundtracks matter again. We want the music to feel like an event in its own right — something that amplifies the film and creates a lasting cultural moment. Unexpected Christmas is the first step in that vision.”

Unexpected Christmas soundtrack

Courtesy Photo

Unexpected Christmas: The Soundtrack track list:

“Unexpected Christmas” – October London

“Cozy With You” – Melanie Fiona

“What Christmas Means to Me” – Kevin Ross

“Joy to the World” – Tamar Braxton

“Cold Day” – EJ Jones

“Xmas Alone” – Xenia Manasseh

“You This Christmas” – Kenyon Dixon

“I’ll Be There” – TA Thomas

“Wrapped in Red” – Koryn Hawthorne

“Christmas Just Ain’t Christmas” – K-Ci Hailey

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