What connection does Akron have to Olivia Rodrigo's new Christmas song?
What connection does Akron have to Olivia Rodrigo's new Christmas song?
Lauren Cohen, Akron Beacon JournalMon, November 9, 2026 at 4:36 PM UTC
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Do you still have "Christmas Wrapping" by The Waitresses in your holiday playlist?
Well, a Gen Z pop star now has her own take on the 1981 hit.
Olivia Rodrigo told Chris Butler, The Waitresses' founder, guitarist and lead songwriter, that her new song, "take me home (4 christmas)," was inspired by his. Butler's band formed in Akron in 1978 and later disbanded in 1984.
"How wonderful is it that Olivia's cover might send people back to discover our band?" Butler told the Beacon Journal. "Can't beat that."
Butler received an email from Rodrigo about two months ago, filled with "Waitresses gush," Butler said in a Facebook post. She invited him to hear her new Christmas song.
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Butler, who did not know who Rodrigo was, did a deep dive and was impressed with what he found.
He sent her an email back saying he would be honored to hear her Christmas song, praising her career and songwriting.
"I think it's a fantasticbangersmash, and if it has the same upbeat vibe as 'CW,' well … how cool is that?" he said in the post. "I'm a fan, and I wish her monster success with it. Thanks, Olivia, for the chance to connect."
Butler told the Beacon Journal that he's not quite sure what makes "Christmas Wrapping" so timeless. But he does think that the song makes people feel good.
"When I lived in New York City, it really does have a palpable holiday spirit," he said. "There is magic in the air. ... At the end of the year, change is coming, and people want to know everything's all going to be alright because there's something working out in the background for us."
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: What connection does Akron have to Olivia Rodrigo's new Christmas song?
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
