Ex-Journey singer Steve Perry has released a heart-tugging original holiday song, “Maybe This Year.” His first-ever original Christmas tune is newly-added to the album The Season (Deluxe Edition.)
Perry released The Season last year around this time with covers of eight Christmas classics. On the Deluxe Edition, he tacks on “Maybe This Year” and a soul-leaning cover of Donny Hathaway’s “This Christmas.” Blabbermouth reports Perry has dedicated these new songs to famous Motown era singer/songwriter Lamont Dozier.
“I wanted to write an original Christmas song of my own, so Dallas Kruse and I began writing what became ‘Maybe This Year.’ I wrote the lyrical sentiment about how the holidays can bring such joy and sadness and how for me, both these emotions give me connection to feelings of gratitude for so many years gone by, and a desire to hold on to these holiday feelings we share throughout the coming year. Along with ‘Maybe This Year,’ I have also added one of my favorite Donny Hathaway songs, ‘This Christmas.’ I dedicate both these tracks to my friend Lamont Dozier.”
“Maybe This Year” is a wonderfully slow piano-based lament, with Perry achingly crooning to reunite with a lost love. Background violin swoons as Perry wishes to have this Christmas be a new beginning for the couple. Gorgeous, wistful, it easily fits in a smoky jazz club.
It isn’t all warm holiday feelings for the former Journey vocalist, however. Perry is currently embroiled in a lawsuit against his a couple of his old bandmates, suing them for using the band’s name and image on merchandise without his permission. Journey guitarist Neal Schon calls the suit “bunch of total crap.”
Anyhoo… stream the song below and you can listen to The Season (Deluxe Edition) on Spotify right now. And right under the tune check out a TikTok of Perry in his studio, decked out with holiday lighting, teasing “Maybe This Year.” .