Kim Kardashian’s ‘Santa Baby’ cover is dividing the internet: ‘Absolutely terrifying’ or ‘artsy’?
Kim Kardashian released a new cover of “Santa Baby” just in time for Christmas, and it’s safe to say the song’s music video is a conversation starter.
Fans have been having mixed reactions to the surrealist music video, with some deeming, in Instagram comments, it’s “artsy” and “funny” and others calling it “absolutely terrifying” and “the definition of a fever dream.”
“Santa Baby” bills itself as a “film” directed by Nadia Lee Cohen and Charlie Denis, with a musical performance by Kardashian. Cohen directed an A$AP Rocky video in 2019 and a Kali Uchis video in 2018. Denis directed a Victoria Monét video in 2023. They collaborated on a video for The Garden in 2019.
In the video, a scantily clad Kardashian, 44, crawls through a house, navigating what appear to be the dregs of a bizarre holiday party, where football players and elves mingle.
Her breathy cover of “Santa Baby,” produced by Kardashian’s brother-in-law, Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, plays in the background, the audio distorted like background of a VHS home movie from the ’90s.
Kardashian makes her way past overflowing garbage cans and people lying dazed on the floor, with the remnants of Christmas decorations strewn across the retro carpets and wood-paneled walls.
The video is full of random vignettes, including a man having his head shaved, strange carolers, a person in a large reindeer costume being pet by two others and a creepy, waxen-faced woman knocking on the window.
The biggest surprise comes at the end, when Kardashian finally finds Santa Claus.
At first, Santa’s face is obscured by a vintage camcorder, but then he reveals himself to be none other than “Home Alone” star Macauley Culkin.
Some viewers loved the way the music video turns Christmas nostalgia on its head.
“I think at this point in Kim’s career, she’s done a million ad campaigns for all her companies.. I think this is her expressing herself and doing something different. It’s unsettling, a little weird but also funny and shows some of the weird things we do as a society in the name of ‘christmas’,” one person commented on YouTube.
“It’s so campy. Represents the whole Christmas-based Americana style/stereotype throughout the years,” another person wrote.
Kardashian recently broke into scripted television with her role in “American Horror Story: Delicate,” and some fans noted her music video’s horror-inspired vibes.
“I love it Kim,” one person commented on YouTube. “it reminds me of a horror movie (mixed) with Christmas.”
Khloé Kardashian also weighed in, commenting on her sister’s Instagram post, “Come on Santa!!”
Others on social media were not fans of the video.
“Is this for Halloween…. because this scares me,” one person commented on YouTube.
“Honestly i love her but this was super disturbing to watch,” another person wrote.
“This left me feeling quite uncomfortable,” another viewer said on Instagram. “It seems to highlight many of the issues often criticized about Hollywood, and it comes across as undermining the true meaning of Christmas.”
Others simply embraced their confusion.
“Absolutely not what i was expecting and absolutely bizarre but I’m here for it!” one person commented, and another person wrote, “I love whatever this is.”
