Cher Thanksgiving Day Parade Festive Performance

Cher's stunning final performance at the 2023 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is the perfect kickoff to the holiday season.

Cher's final performance at the 2023 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade was nothing short of spectacular. The 77-year-old pop icon took the stage to perform "DJ Play a Christmas Song" during the live telecast on NBC. Dressed in a white button-down and black pants, she stood on a star-shaped platform surrounded by dozens of dancers in all-silver attire.

Cher's appearance at the parade came after the announcement of her first holiday album, Christmas, set to be released the following month. During an interview on Good Morning Britain, she teased that her Christmas album would be unlike any other, stating, "It's not your mother's Christmas album."

The decision to create a holiday album was unexpected for Cher, who initially had no intention of exploring that musical territory. However, after Warner Records suggested the idea, she agreed under the condition that she could put her own unique spin on the traditional Christmas songs. "I had no intention of doing a Christmas album," she told Billboard. "But [Warner Records] said, 'Why don't you do a Christmas album, Cher?' and I said, 'If I can do my version, I'll do it,' and they were very pleasant."

Cher's goal with the Christmas album was to avoid the typical holiday tunes that have been covered countless times. "Everybody's gotten 'Santa Claus Is Coming to Town' and 'Jingle Bells' and all that," she explained. "I just said to them, 'There will be Christmas songs and they'll be appropriate, but I want to do what I feel.'"

Despite being critical of her own work, Cher expressed her satisfaction with the Christmas album, which also marks her first studio album with original material in 10 years. "They're not 'Christmas Christmas' songs, OK, they're just great songs," she said. "And I never say that because I almost never like what I do. But, I mean, people love it and I'm happy. I'm so particular, but I love the songs and everyone who hears them loves them."

In addition to her upcoming Christmas album, Cher also released a deluxe edition of her 1998 album, Believe, to celebrate its 25th anniversary. The new version includes the original songs along with 13 remastered remixes. The title track of the original album became a timeless hit, selling over 11 million copies worldwide.

Cher's presence at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and her upcoming album release have generated significant excitement among her fans, marking a new chapter in her illustrious career.