This Christmas, all they want is to ride along! Pop superstars Lady Gaga, Dua Lipa, and Chappell Roan team up for some festive caroling in A Very Carpool Karaoke Christmas, a holiday special that was unexpectedly released on Apple TV+ and Apple Music on Sunday night.
The hour-long special, part of the Emmy-winning Carpool Karaoke: The Series, appeared as a surprise release at 9 p.m. PT/midnight ET. This marks the return of the franchise after the conclusion of its fifth season, which ended 18 months ago on Apple TV+.
Zane Lowe takes on the role of host for all three segments, introduced as the guest driver and duet partner. A short prologue shows James Corden passing the reins to Lowe via a phone call from the UK.
Lowe’s mission involves driving Roan through her hometown of Missouri, Lipa around Tokyo before a performance, and Gaga around Los Angeles on her way to a studio. The final segment ends with Lowe jamming with Gaga’s band on electric guitar, performing a cover of “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,” which is also released as a standalone audio track.
The special has a modern, festive vibe reminiscent of traditional Christmas variety shows. Each guest joins in on classic holiday tunes while also belting out their own chart-topping hits. They pass the essential Carpool Karaoke test with flying colors, showcasing powerful vocals, great stage presence, and natural charisma—seatbelt or no seatbelt.
The caroling spans from Lipa singing along to The Ronettes’ “Sleigh Ride” to Roan’s karaoke performance of Wham’s “Last Christmas.” Gaga stands out with her own original Christmas song. She tells Lowe that she prefers “wholesome and sentimental” holiday music—songs “the whole family can get together and sing”—before launching into her cheeky 2008 hit “Christmas Tree,” which blends “Deck the Halls” with saucy lines like “underneath the mistletoe, everybody knows we will take off our clothes” and “my Christmas tree’s delicious.”
Speaking of Gaga, Roan’s segment kicks off with the singer showing Lowe around her parents’ farm, where she introduces him to a chicken named after Lady Gaga. The whole family joins the car, and they sing along to Roan’s hit “Pink Pony Club.” Lowe asks Roan’s mom about her feelings on inspiring the song, leading to an emotional response from Kara. She says, “I started to tear up just listening to her sing it just now. We love her so much and we’re so proud of what she does and who she is.”
Roan’s father, Dwight, adds, “What she has taught me as a father is respect for other people and all people… and that’s what I want people to understand. Everything about her is about loving everybody, and she has taught me that.”
Roan also opens up about growing up in a “very religious” environment, describing it as suffocating. She shares her journey of finding liberation in Los Angeles, although she remains grateful for her roots in Missouri, understanding the fears people have when confronted with things they don’t understand. “It’s like one degree every conversation,” Roan reflects, explaining the need for patience and open dialogue.
The mood lightens when Roan stops at Andy’s Frozen Custard with two high school friends, ordering the “James Brownie Funky Jackhammer.” She jokes, “I would literally rather have an Andy’s Frozen Custard custom than the Grammy. I’m not kidding.”
In Gaga’s segment, a fourth celebrity makes a surprise appearance when she shares footage of her late grandmother singing AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell.” Lowe lets AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson into the car, quipping, “I brought you Brian Johnson for Christmas.” Gaga reminisces about her early days, recalling how she was an extra in the 2000 video for AC/DC’s Stiff Upper Lip at the age of 17, where she was caught headbanging despite being told not to.
Gaga also covers Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog” and performs her recent global hit “Die With a Smile,” sharing behind-the-scenes details about recording the track with Bruno Mars for her upcoming LG7 album. “It was crazy,” she says, recalling how they wrote the second verse at 2 a.m. after hearing a demo from Bruno. “He had me singing for four hours. He had an exact way that he wanted to hear it, and I wanted to give him that.”
In Tokyo, Lipa goes Christmas shopping with Lowe and sings part of “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” alongside the Whitney Houston original. She reminisces about a childhood moment when she got up on stage during a Katy Perry concert to perform the song, saying, “I was like, I want to be on that stage. I want to perform. I want to do rooms like this.” She now ends every show with “Dance With Somebody” as part of her own setlist.
