It’s not exactly a brand-new festive single, but Kate Winslet’s long-cherished Christmas track “What If” is getting renewed attention — and some fans are joking it could finally challenge Mariah Carey’s seasonal crown.
What If was first released in 2001, for the animated film Christmas Carol: The Movie, in which Winslet voiced Belle. The song is a heartbreaking ballad, full of wistful regret and longing: Belle wonders what might have been, had she and Scrooge stayed together. Despite Winslet not being a professional singer at the time, she gave the performance everything — her soft voice and emotional delivery made it deeply moving.
Chart-wise, What If did quite well: it reached #6 in the UK and even hit #1 in Ireland when it was first released. The proceeds from the single went to charity, showing Winslet’s good intentions with the track.
In 2025, the song is enjoying a resurgence. A wave of nostalgic millennials on TikTok are lip-syncing to it, and users are pushing for it to hit the charts again. Many on social media are comparing its emotional pull to Mariah Carey’s iconic “All I Want for Christmas Is You”, arguing that Winslet’s track has a grown-up, cinematic feeling that could make it a modern-day classic.
@alex_andra_23 I can't believe this is Kate Winslet 😲🙌 #throwback #millennial #over35 #momtok #2001 ♬ What If - Kate Winslet
Of course, comparing the two isn’t exactly fair — Mariah’s anthem is a pop juggernaut, a song that dominates streaming platforms and radio each December. But what Winslet’s What If has is something different: a soft, cinematic nostalgia built on heartfelt longing, not bouncy festive joy. For many, that makes it feel like a more “grown-up” Christmas song, one that resonates long after the tinsel has come down.
Whether or not it ever dethrones Mariah, the renewed love for What If shows that sometimes, the most enduring Christmas songs aren’t the ones flashing across the radio — they’re the ones quietly looping in people’s memories.
