John Legend tells us his favorite holiday songs - and why he wants to make a Christmas album

Music plays a significant role in his celebration of the holidays, the musician recently told Business Insider at an event for his new song "Under the Stars."

"I look forward to doing a full Christmas album. That would be fun," Legend said. "When I'm with my side of the family, we sing every Christmas. We stand around the piano, we have a good time, so music is an important part of Christmas."

Some of his favorite holiday songs are the classics, including "Silent Night" and "O Holy Night," but he also said he loves "This Christmas" by Donny Hathaway from 1970.

Though he sang with Mariah Carey in 2011 for her single "When Christmas Comes," Legend hasn't recorded any of his own holiday music - until this year.

He wrote and recorded "Under the Stars," which incorporates sounds from real stars, as part of Stella Artois' Give Beautifully campaign and turned to what he finds meaningful about Christmas for inspiration.

"Being with people you love, spreading love to other people who might need help, being generous and being kind and loving," he said of the song's theme. "It's about thinking about what it means to love each other and to be giving and connected to each other." 

You can listen to three of Legend's favorite holiday songs as well as his own new one below: