Who sings the John Lewis Christmas advert 2020 song? All you need to know about Celeste and ‘A Little Love’

The John Lewis Christmas advert is finally here – and it features a brand new song performed by soul singer Celeste.

The 26-year-old said she felt “honoured” to be part of this year’s festive campaign, which celebrates kindness shown by the British public during the pandemic and encourages viewers to Give A Little Love to others.

Here’s what you need to know about the Brit award winner and this year’s song.

Who is Celeste?

Born in Los Angeles and raised in Brighton, the British-Jamaican singer began writing music and performing in bands as a teenager.

She provided vocals for dance and electronic artists including Avicii, Tieks and Real Lies before being spotted by her manager after she posted her first song on YouTube aged 16.

In 2017, she was signed to Lily Allen‘s label Bank Holiday Records and released her debut EP The Milk and Honey. She signed to label Polydor the following year.

After winning a Brit rising star award in 2019, she was crowned BBC Music’s Sound of 2020 in January this year.

The newcomer has been compared to Amy Winehouse, while critics are praising her for her beguiling, soulful voice.

Songwriter and producer Jamie Hartman – who cowrote her single Strange – told GQ: “She’s a classic jazz singer. Her voice is a combination of all of the heartbreak and soul that’s in her as a human being. A lot of artists are broken in one way or another and it’s the cracks in their soul that elevate their ability to bring people into their world.”

What song is used in the latest campaign?

In another step away from its traditional approach, for the first time a new song was commissioned for the Christmas campaign. The track called A Little Love, was written and record by Celeste.

The performer said: “I felt honoured to be asked to take part. I wanted to create something that felt classic but still true to who I am as a writer and performer.”

Every time the track is downloaded Celeste and her record label Polydor will make a 10p donation to the campaign. 

What songs were featured before?

John Lewis’ campaigns have been gained popularity due to their heartwarming themes and their soundtracks.

Although this year’s advert features a brand new track, the retailer’s festive adverts are usually soundtracked by an acoustic version of well-loved tunes including Elton John’s Your Song or The Beatles’ From Me To You.

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In previous years, featured artists included the likes of Ellie Goulding, Lily Allen, Tom Odell and Dan Smith from Bastille, among others.

Some of the carefully-chosen have become instant hits, with Gabrielle Aplin soaring into the mainstream when her 2012 John Lewis Christmas song The Power of Love reached number one in the UK.

Lily Allen’s cover of Somewhere Only We Know also reached the top of the singles chart in 2013.

You can check all the songs that have been used for John Lewis’ Christmas adverts in previous years in our round-up.