[5] Before recording, Odom and producer Steve Greenberg developed a list of 75–100 Christmas songs to choose from.

He told The Wall Street Journal: When we got the masters back in September, I hated them.

In an interview with the New York Observer, Odom added that he wanted to create an album that didn't feel disconnected from the political climate, an album with a "finger on the pulse of the time we're living in.

"[6] He also noted, "We give ourselves permission to abandon ship if a project isn't working out.

[1] Odom toured in 2016 and 2017 to promote the album, performing concerts backed by a jazz quintet that included a drummer, percussionist, bassist, guitarist, and a pianist who is also Odom's musical director.