1 Jonas Brothers Song Ripped Off Wham!’s ‘Last Christmas’
One of the only 1980s songs to enter the Christmas canon was Wham!’s “Last Christmas.” A Jonas Brothers song took way too much inspiration from “Last Christmas.” On the other hand, “Last Christmas” is probably going to stick around long after any Jonas Brothers song.
The Jonas Brothers’ ‘Leave Before You Love Me’ sounds like Wham!’s ‘Last Christmas’
Wham!’s “Last Christmas” has a lot going for it. The song has a soaring vocal from George Michael, some lovely synthesizer riffs, and a soundscape that manages to fuse British new wave music with the classic Phil Spector Christmas sound of the 1960s. However, what makes the song a winner is its beautiful melody. If you hear “Last Christmas” one time, the tune will stick with you for the rest of your life.
For that reason, it’s not surprising that another pop hit would copy the melody of “Last Christmas.” The Wham! clone in question is “Leave Before You Love Me,” a collaboration between the Jonas Brothers and EDM star Marshmello. The reuses the melody of “Last Christmas” and some of its tone.
While “Last Christmas” is about the pain of a breakup, “Leave Before You Love Me” is about the narrator deciding to end a relationship because he is worried that it could get too serious. The two tracks are about the misery that comes with loneliness. Both songs feature a relatable sentiment but “Last Christmas” is probably going to stick around for a lot longer because, once a song enters the holiday canon, it’s very hard for it to fade away. Meanwhile, “Leave Before You Love Me” was released in 2021 and it seems to have been forgotten by everyone except the most dedicated Jonas Brothers fans — even though it’s one of the group’s better songs by far.
Why ‘Last Christmas’ works sounds so stark
During a 2017 interview with The Guardian, music writer Mark Ellen discussed why “Last Christmas” works. “It’s one of those rare songs with the same tune and chords for the verse and chorus, and no middle-eight section, but with a strong enough melody to sustain it,” he said.
Michael’s engineer, Chris Porter, discussed the pop star’s role in the song’s production. “George wasn’t a musician, he had no training on instruments at all,” he said. “It was a laborious process, because he was literally playing the keyboards with two or three fingers.”
Porter explained why Michael managed to make a classic song despite his personal limitations. “One of the really clever things about George was that he realized that he wanted the focus of the listener to be his voice and not musicianship,” he said. “So the music’s often very stark. On ‘Last Christmas,’ there is a very simple foundation for the vocal and the melody to sit on.”
Why the song changed everything for Wham!
Porter felt that “Last Christmas” was a turning point for Michael. “I think this was when George started to realize that if he wanted to, he could do everything himself,” said Porter. “He could cut out all these other people and their ideas.” After Wham! broke up, Michael managed to have a successful solo career without the help of his Wham! partner-in-crime Andrew Ridgeley.
Love or hate “Leave Before You Love Me,” it took a lot of inspiration from an earlier hit.
