As the first snowflakes of the season begin to fall across North America, independent artist Blaine Sharp’s beloved holiday song “The First Snowfall” is experiencing a viral surge, amassing over 90,000 streams on Spotify. The swingin’ vocal version, which captures the magical transformation that happens when winter’s first snow blankets the world, has achieved a remarkable 66% listener engagement rate (Saves + Adds) on Spotify, proving that audiences are hungry for new holiday music infused with timeless sophistication and genuine emotion.
A vocalist, songwriter, and composer from Burlington, Ontario now based in Los Angeles, Sharp creates music that stops time, blending vintage charm with modern elegance. “The First Snowfall” lives at the crossroads of jazz, Broadway, and traditional popular song, evoking the warmth and sophistication of the great hit parade artists of the 1950s and 60s including Sinatra, Crosby, and Nat King Cole. Arranged by Teryn Ré, one of the rare female bandleaders in jazz today, and co-written with pianist Carey Frank, who currently tours with Kate Hudson, the track features big band instrumentation with a timeless swingin’ feel that brings freshness to vintage sound.
“I wrote The First Snowfall while feeling homesick in Los Angeles during the pandemic, when the border was closed and I couldn’t get home to Canada or see my family for over two years,” Sharp reveals. “The most Canadian thing I could think of while stuck in LA for the holidays was snow. In my heart, I kept returning to the imagery of snow and that childhood feeling when the first snow of the season would fall. This was the song I had to write.”
Listen on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/album/0VgphmvENGlHoaDZnmUymh?si=DeZTM8OZRJqd_qfirN5dkg&nd=1&dlsi=bb582ab71f3347ae
Spotify Instrumental: https://open.spotify.com/album/0VgphmvENGlHoaDZnmUymh?
Sharp crafted the song as a quiet tribute to Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas,” keeping the language simple, honest, and relatable while letting the melody do the emotional heavy lifting. “One of the most vivid memories I wanted to capture in the song is that transformation that happens in November, when everything feels grey and lifeless until that first snowflake falls, and suddenly the world feels new again, full of sparkle and the promise of the holidays,” he explains. The track was engineered by Grammy winner Harriet Tam and mastered by Grammy/Emmy winner Clark Germain.
The song carries profound personal meaning for Sharp. “My mother passed away from ALS the September before the song was released, and I made sure she was able to hear the finished version. It’s deeply emotional for me because the song’s journey into the world coincided with the end of hers. She loved family and the holidays, and her love lives on in this song and the sentiment that no obstacle, no amount of snow, will stop you from getting home to your loved ones for Christmas. When listeners share with me how this song is meaningful to them, in their own way and for their own personal reasons, it touches me deeply.”
The viral success of “The First Snowfall” has opened doors for Sharp’s entire catalog, with listeners discovering other songs including “Le Vent d’été (Summer Wind)” and “Violette.” “As an independent artist, I’m blown away by how audiences are connecting,” Sharp says. “Every time it snows now, my inbox fills with video clips and messages from people playing the song and filming the falling snow. I love that so many tag the song and share their videos on YouTube too. It’s amazing to see them experience, in real time, the very emotions that inspired the song.”
A new instrumental version of “The First Snowfall” is out now, offering fans another way to experience the beauty of the melody. “Knowing that my song is now part of so many lives for Christmas does my heart good, people decorating their tree, carving their turkey, living important moments as my song plays. Finding this connection in people’s lives is what it’s all about as an artist,” Sharp reflects. “The fact that The First Snowfall keeps resurfacing and growing bigger every year tells me it has an enduring message. I like to think of it as a snowball, gathering momentum as it rolls forward.”
Critics have embraced Sharp’s artistry with enthusiasm. “Blaine Sharp is a charismatic singer who knows what it takes to charm the audience and get them to experience something heartfelt and real, track after track,” wrote Jim Olin of All About Jazz. Jazz Corner News praised his work, noting “Wanderlust is among the year’s prettiest albums… Blaine Sharp has a voice that is both timeless and classic, it shines like the brightest suns.”
Following the remarkable viral success of “The First Snowfall” this season, Sharp is planning a tour and a new album for 2026, continuing his mission to create music that connects deeply with listeners who appreciate new songs infused with the timeless spirit of the greats.