On Mekahel Ushers In the Season With a Queer, Cheeky, and Cozy ‘A Hoe-y Christmas’
The holiday season is creeping up fast, and we’re already eyeing the ornaments and mentally preparing for an avalanche of Mariah Carey memes. But this year, On Mekahel is stepping in to give our playlists a full queer makeover with the release of his new holiday album A Hoe-y Christmas, out today. If you’ve been craving a soundtrack that brings equal parts warmth, sass, and sparkle, this one is absolutely for you.
With the title of the album alone, it becomes clear that On Mekahel isn’t here to recreate the old-school, cinnamon-scented holiday fantasy we’ve all seen a thousand times. Instead, he’s giving us a version of Christmas that feels genuinely ours: playful, sexy, heartfelt, and centered around chosen family. As he explains, “I wanted to create an experience for people who love the holidays but want something a little different.”
Across the album’s mix of new originals and reinvented classics, Mekahel reshapes the season with queer joy as the guiding star. Tracks like Hoe-y Night and his update of Jingle Bells lean into humor and flirtation, while his soulful rendition of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas slows things down in the best way. Everything comes wrapped in Mekahel’s signature blend of camp and sincerity, proving that queer music doesn’t have to pick between fun and feeling; it can deliver both.
One of the album’s funniest moments is Hark! The Herald Who?, Mekahel’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it twist on Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. It may be short, but the joke lands. Mekahel recalls, “It was always one of my favorite jingles. But growing up in Israel, I used to wonder, ‘Who’s Harold?’ and why is he singing with angels?” It’s exactly the kind of playful curiosity that fuels the album’s charm.
But A Hoe-y Christmas isn’t just jokes and glitter. At its heart is Under the Blanket, written by Mekahel’s husband and creative partner, Dave. The intimacy he describes is deeply relatable, especially within queer love stories that often bloom away from the noise. “The song is about exactly where I want to be during the holidays: with Dave under the blanket. Every year, we escape to our cabin with our puppies, turn off our phones, and just enjoy the snow, the fire, and each other. The song captures that cozy intimacy perfectly,” he shares, painting a scene that’s equal parts romantic and grounding.
What moves us most about this album is how personal it is for On Mekahel. Growing up in Israel, he didn’t celebrate Christmas, but he was always drawn to the lights and magic. After meeting his husband, the holiday became a tradition. “Our first Christmas together was one of the most magical moments of my life, and I wanted to share that warmth with everyone who listens,” he says, and that magic radiates through every track.
With A Hoe-y Christmas, On Mekahel has crafted a vibrant, queer reimagining of the holidays, one that embraces joy, sexuality, romance, and community without dimming any of it down. Or, as he puts it best, “The whole album is a love letter to the holidays. It’s emotional, it’s sexy, it’s cozy, and it’s authentically me.”
On Mekahel’s A Hoe-y Christmas is officially out today on all major streaming platforms. Time to make your holiday playlist a whole lot gayer!
On Mekahel’s A Hoe-y Christmas is out on all major streaming platforms. Follow us on X and Instagram for all queer stuff!
Featured Image: Image Courtesy of Project Publicity.
