Steve Wariner's voice is a little warmer on his 2021 version of "On Christmas Morning," one of six originals cut for his new Feels Like Christmas album. The piano chords strike a little deeper too on this new recording, premiered exclusively on Taste of Country.

The song's calming message works just as it did in 1990, however. Lisa Silver co-wrote "On Christmas Morning" with Wariner for his Christmas Memories album. At the time, he tells ToC, he was reflecting on Christmas experiences from childhood. The Dec. 25 holiday is no less special today, however, as it's also his birthday.

"My wife makes such an effort to not wrap my birthday presents in Christmas paper and make my birthday totally separate from Christmas," he shares. "We will usually have a celebration in the late evening when all the Christmas celebrations are behind and I will have my cake and all of that. She’s so sweet to do that. Christmas has always been a major part of my life, maybe a little bit because of my birthday, but it’s also just my favorite time of the year."

Look for the new Feels Like Christmas album on Oct. 15.

Among the other originals on the project are "Feels Like Christmas Time," "Christmas In Your Arms," "Our Savior Is Born," "Tennessee Snowfall" and "It Won't Be Christmas." The rest of the album includes holiday standards, like "The First Noel Noel" and "God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman."

Credit Matt Rollings for the jazzy piano that supports Wariner's timeless vocals during this new song. He actually played many of the instruments on the album as COVID-19 precautions limited the number of people Wariner could have in the studio.

"Normally," he shares, "I would make a big event out of it with the players and engineers in my studio and would have a Christmas dinner with decorations, but with COVID I couldn't bring a lot of people out. In fact, I only brought out a string quartet to be in person and Jimmy Mattingly (Garth Brooks' fiddle player) came and played the violin on 'Our Savior is Born.'"

Look for Wariner to stay busy through the end of 2021. After taking 2020 off aside from a few very socially distanced shows, he's resumed touring and has about 10 shows remaining through December.

See the Best Country Christmas Songs Of All-Time, Ranked

This list of the top country Christmas songs was compiled by blending staff opinion, reader feedback and airplay and sales data.

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