Los Angeles-based pop-rock artist Jamie Alimorad shares the story behind his award-winning holiday single, “Santa Sucks.”
Socks and underwear. Everyone has unwrapped them at least once and tried their best to look thrilled.
Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Jamie Alimorad turned that universal disappointment into “Santa Sucks,” a cheeky holiday song that brings plenty of laughs while delivering a surprisingly heartfelt message.
Originally released on November 7, 2025, the song’s music video won Best Comedic Video at the Las Vegas Music Video Awards.
With Rolling Stone UK naming him its #1 Artist To Watch for 2026, Alimorad has plenty to celebrate.
We caught up with Jamie to learn more about the inspiration behind “Santa Sucks,” the recording process, and how the song helped him rediscover the Christmas spirit.
More About Jamie Alimorad
Originally from Harrison, New York, Jamie Alimorad studied Music Technology at Northeastern University before building a successful career as a pop-rock singer-songwriter.
His early albums, Cornerstone and Words Left Unsaid, helped establish his sound, while his ballad “Beautiful” surpassed two million views on YouTube.
His breakthrough album, This Is Tomorrow Calling, featured collaborations with Grammy-nominated artist and producer Gino Vannelli.
The singles “Not Ready To Say Goodbye” and “Brighter Days” reached the top 10 of the New Music Weekly Hot 100, with “Brighter Days” winning the Overall Grand Prize at the 24th Annual USA Songwriting Competition.
In 2022, “Give a Little Lovin’” spent 20 weeks at #1 on the New Music Weekly Indie Top 40, and Alimorad won five categories at the LIT Talent Awards.
He was named Best New Artist at the 2024 World Entertainment Awards and kicked off 2025 with a sold-out performance at Carnegie Hall.
His single “Fade Into You” also earned Best Rock Song (North America) at the InterContinental Music Awards.
Watch Jamie Alimorad’s “Santa Sucks”
If your stocking turns up a little light this year, take heart. Jamie Alimorad has been there, socks and underwear and all, and he wrote the perfect song about it.
Hi, Jamie! Good to meet you! Care to introduce yourself to the readers for those not familiar with your music?
Great to meet you too! Well, my name is Jamie Alimorad and I’m a singer/songwriter in Los Angeles. How original. I’ve dabbled in a lot of genres, but mainly write and perform pop/rock songs a la Bryan Adams. Melody captivates me and I always strive to write something that is memorable, fun to sing, and catchy.
“Santa Sucks” started as a joke about getting disappointing Christmas presents but ended up becoming a song about reconnecting with people you miss. At what point did you realize there was something more personal underneath all the humour?
That’s the great thing about creating anything – you start with this germ of an idea, and a particular intention, and sometimes it takes on a life of its own. Like any kid, I loved Christmas and Christmas music. I always looked forward to busting out those albums, songs, and performing the Holiday concerts in school. The Holidays taken on different meanings at different times in one’s life, and I always wanted to do a Christmas song, but after working in retail for years hearing the same songs over and over, I felt like they had largely become a caricature of themselves.
As I was driving into the studio I was thinking of ideas for the track. It hit me suddenly that what would make the song special is getting others involved! I’m also a music teacher, so I wanted to get my students on the recording. Then I thought, why limit it to just them,? So I asked friends and family too!
You brought together more than 50 friends and family members for the chorus and even included your music students in the video. What was it like hearing all those familiar voices together, especially after moving away from home and losing some of your old holiday traditions?
What an awesome experience making that music video and gathering all the voice memos from people all over the world! I would laugh, and laugh listening to what people sent me. They did different voices, speeds, and pitches. Some did it individually, others in groups. Two of my friends, who are also in the music video, recorded theirs in the middle of dinner at a restaurant to an audience of confused patrons sharing awkward glances.
When all was said and done, watching the music video and listening to the finished recording for the first time brought a tear to my eye. I always had traditions with my family and friends during the Holiday Season, and Christmas Eve particularly. Some traditions remain, but many have changed. “Santa Sucks” is a song I hope becomes part of many people’s Holidays for years to come.
You’ve worked with acclaimed musicians like Gino Vannelli and Ross Vannelli, and your songs have ranged from the emotional weight of “Brighter Days” to the comedy of “Santa Sucks.” How has your approach to songwriting evolved, and what does humour allow you to express that a serious song might not?
Working with Gino and Ross was nothing short of a dream come true. My dad was a big Gino Vannelli fan, and I grew up listening to those albums. In high school I became enamored with his Live In Montreal album. I studied his phrasing, his diction, and his timbre as a vocalist, and he is a master of harmonic movement. I began working with Gino shortly after college in his masters class, and we bonded very quickly. He opened my mind, and brought in perspectives as a writer that I had never even imagined. He pushed me to consistently elevate my baseline. Whenever we reached a new threshold, that became the new standard. Ross is very commercially minded and we really strived on creating the best radio ready singles we could, and we accomplished that. Two very different approaches in the studio, but both are mind boggling quick with brilliant ideas.
I’ve always found humor to be important part of my personality. My favorite band of all time, The Tubes, made a career in writing satirical social commentary songs. The Beatles are arguably the funniest band ever, and their humor shines in so many songs. I wrote a song called “Crawling Back To Me” years ago that is a very cartoonish breakup song. “Santa Sucks” is another that takes the exaggerated parts of my personality and puts them on full display.
After a sold-out Carnegie Hall performance, international songwriting recognition and being named Rolling Stone UK’s #1 Artist to Watch for 2026, you’ve had some major career milestones. What have those experiences taught you about the kind of artist you want to be, and where do you hope to take your music next?
Music has allowed me some of the greatest experiences of my life. It’s easy when you’re caught up in deadlines and the dozens of hats an indie artist has to wear in the modern industry, to appreciate accomplishments. I’ve always had big dreams. In just talking with you, I’m reminded of all these wonderful moments with my heroes, friends, and family. I was just a kid reading liner notes and lyrics, hoping I could be like those iconic figures on stage. I’ve gotten to grace iconic stages, work with some of those people that I had posters of, and grace the pages of magazines I read.
A friend texted me the other day saying he was listening to an old song of mine and that I sound so different. That’s exactly what you hope as an artist – growth. I hope that my songs bring a smile to anyone who listens, and I can’t wait for you all to hear what we’re cooking up next!
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