Under the Christmas Lights

Details about the track first emerged in August 2017, when the song title appeared as a registered work on BMI and GEMA.

[2][3] On September 18 that year, she took to her social media accounts and claimed that she "had something big planned for the holidays", and that more information would follow.

[4] Stefani spent much of summer 2017 residing with her fiancé American singer Blake Shelton at his Oklahoma estate.

[6] The song was released for digital download and streaming on October 6, 2017, by Interscope Records, along with the rest of You Make It Feel Like Christmas.

[12] The staff at Rolling Stone wrote that it sounds like a 1960s holiday song, in response to Stefani who said the parent album was inspired by the Christmas music of Cher, Phil Spector, and the Osmonds.

Laura Mace, Monet Owens, and Dolly Sparks provided background vocals for the track with arrangements from Grace Potter.

[14] With the six original songs on You Make It Feel Like Christmas, many critics believed their lyrical content was inspired by Stefani's relationship with country singer Blake Shelton.

[14] Alan Sculley, a writer for the Montgomery Advertiser, included the track with "My Gift Is You" as two of the successful original cuts off of the album.

[22] She wore a "Nutcracker-inspired uniform, complete with green sleeves and red bows, plus a little bit of punk flair with plaid add-ons around her waist, fishnets and thigh-high boots"; Emily Krauser from Entertainment Tonight enjoyed the performance, writing "she gave little drummer boys everywhere a run for their money".