Taylor Momsen is returning to the song that started it all. Twenty-five years after she sang Where Are You Christmas as a young Cindy Lou Who in How The Grinch Stole Christmas, Momsen has revisited the tune as frontwoman of The Pretty Reckless, turning the holiday ballad into a roaring rock anthem.
The new version appears on Taylor Momsen’s Pretty Reckless Christmas, a five-track holiday EP due October 31 digitally and November 14 physically through Fearless Records.
Momsen says revisiting Where Are You Christmas after 25 years “feels like coming home to a part of myself I hadn’t seen in a long time.” She reflects, “I was just a child when I first sang it, and I never could’ve imagined the way the song, and the film, would stay with people for so long and unknowingly shape my career path as an adult. Recording it now, with all the life I’ve lived in between, I hear it through a different lens-but the heart of it is the same. It’s about wonder, hope, and holding on to the magic, something I think we all need more than ever.”
When How The Grinch Stole Christmas premiered in 2000, Taylor Momsen was just seven years old. Her portrayal of Cindy Lou Who became one of the film’s most enduring characters, while her performance of Where Are You Christmas introduced her voice to millions. The song, written by James Horner, Will Jennings and Mariah Carey, became a modern seasonal standard.
Now, with Momsen’s powerhouse vocals and the grit of her bandmates-Ben Phillips on lead guitar, Mark Damon on bass, and Jamie Perkins on drums-the song has been reimagined as a soaring rock anthem celebrating both the film’s 25th anniversary and Momsen’s evolution from child actor to rock icon.
Formed in New York City in 2009, The Pretty Reckless quickly built a reputation for blending classic rock intensity with modern attitude. Their 2010 debut album Light Me Up introduced singles Make Me Wanna Die and Miss Nothing, which established Momsen as a commanding frontwoman unafraid to merge aggression with melody.
By their 2014 release Going To Hell, The Pretty Reckless had found international success, with Heaven Knows and Messed Up World (F’d Up World) both topping US and UK rock charts. The follow-up album Who You Selling For (2016) added blues and soul influences, while 2021’s Death By Rock And Roll became a statement of resilience after the death of their longtime producer Kato Khandwala.
The band made rock history by becoming the first female-fronted act to achieve seven No.1 singles on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart. Over the years, they’ve shared stages with AC/DC, Soundgarden, and The Rolling Stones, each tour reinforcing their status as one of modern rock’s most explosive live bands.
Taylor Momsen’s Pretty Reckless Christmas will feature Where Are You Christmas alongside four original festive songs written by the band. It’s the first time The Pretty Reckless have explored holiday music, but with their track record of defying expectations, it fits perfectly in their story of evolution.
This release also marks a full-circle moment for Momsen, connecting her early Hollywood career with the raw rock authenticity that defines her today. What began in Whoville now roars through amplifiers worldwide.
Momsen says the project is “about finding the light again,” a fitting sentiment for an artist who’s gone from child stardom to rock royalty. Where Are You Christmas may have begun as a sentimental film tune, but in The Pretty Reckless’ hands, it becomes something bigger-a celebration of endurance, memory, and the unbreakable spirit of rock.
Taylor Momsen’s Pretty Reckless Christmas will be released digitally on October 31 and physically on November 14 via Fearless Records.
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