Produced by Greg Kurstin, Clarkson co-wrote the song with Ashley Arrison and Aben Eubanks for her then-fiancé, Brandon Blackstock, stepson of American recording artist Reba McEntire.
A slow-tempo Christmas neo-jazz pop song, "Winter Dreams" features a 50-piece chamber orchestra conducted and arranged by film composer Joseph Trapanese.
Upon the release of Wrapped in Red, "Winter Dreams" has received a fairly positive response from music critics, who described it as a sweet but not too saccharine Christmas song.
[4] A slowtempo Christmas neo-jazz[1] pop[2] song, "Winter Dreams" was written by Clarkson with Ashley Arrison and Aben Eubanks, her longtime friends.
[3] Matt Casarino PopMatters found the music as reminiscent as Grizzly Bear's "Two Weeks" (2009), but blossoms into a heartfelt, joyful ode to holiday love.