For King & Country Give Carol ‘Little Drummer Boy’ A Modern Update That Leaves Crowd With ‘Chills’

Dec 13, 2022 by apost team

When the holiday season comes around, we often hear popular Christmas songs everywhere we go. One of these is "Little Drummer Boy," which everyone is probably at least a little familiar with. The song is an international Christmas favorite and for good reason too.

Each Christmas season, a few bands or artists will inevitably cover it and release their rendition. But unfortunately, not all versions of the song are unique. Some artists just copy the original song with no spin on it. It remains lilting, soft and familiar with the consistent beating of the drum.

But Christian pop group, For King & Country, covered the song back in 2017, and their version is unlike any of the other covers of "Little Drummer Boy." There may be a drummer that is also a boy, but that is where the similarities between the title and the cover song end.

For King & Country first performed this captivating cover at a live show in Phoenix in 2017. The song was also released on their Christmas album, "Christmas: Live from Phoenix." 

In the video of the live performance, as the song starts Luke Smallbone bangs the marching drum while he slowly walks toward his spot on the stage. The stage is dark and all the lights are on him. All you hear is the banging of the drum and the crowd cheering in anticipation. They can hardly wait for the song to start. 

The anticipation of the drumming is heightened when the electric guitar comes in. That's when the song truly begins to pick up energy.

The rendition became so popular that it was revived in 2022 for a televised Christmas special. 

Soon after, the stage lit up and everyone went wild. Then the rest of the band came in and it was clear that magic was about to happen. Whether it was the cellist or an additional drummer, it was clear to see that every member was passionate about their music, and they all really loved the song and what they did with it.

While most of the song sounded like a rock song, when the lead singer opened his mouth and crooned out the first verse, the song became more reminiscent of the original. Their rendition of "Little Drummer Boy" was breathtaking, and the band's fresh take on this Christmas classic was truly inspired.

The only way that artists stay relevant is through taking risks, albeit calculated risks. This rendition of the classic Christmas song was definitely a huge risk, especially because the song is celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Many of their fans might've had a problem with the song and the way For King & Country presented it. Some might have found the song to be disrespectful. Unfortunately, this is the risk that modern artists must take. Sometimes the outcome is not worth the risk, and other times the opposite is true. In this case, it was definitely worth the risk to put such a fresh spin on the classic song.

The video has since been viewed over 12 million times, which proves that the band's risk paid off. Fans clearly can't get enough of what they did with it and that shows in the comments too. 

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One person commented:

"And that is how you bring a song written in 1940 up to date — brilliant!"

Meanwhile, another said: 

"I have NEVER liked this song...until I heard this version. Now I have to listen to it on repeat ever(y) Christmas"

Other people commented about how skilled the musicians were. One person said: "Did anyone else listen to the rhythm guitarist? I don't think he missed a single lick. That was strong! Almost like Stevie Nick's 'Edge of Seventeen.'" Meanwhile, another joked that they actually made the accordion cool with the song. People who are drummers themselves spoke about the emotions they got when they watched this. One said:

"As a drummer, i literally get chills every single time i watch this 😭 I'm a part of a small church that's just starting out, but I told my pastor that we have enough drummers to do this. Hopefully next year we can do this 😁"

Another wrote:

"Being a mother of a drummer... This was really fun to watch. Great take on this classic song. Loved it."

Others spoke of the religious connotations of the song, while others mentioned that you didn't even have to be religious to appreciate the beauty of this cover. One user wrote:

"Well it doesn’t matter if your (sic) religious or not, this song rocks"

For King & Country's version of "Little Drummer Boy" is incredible on multiple levels. Not only is it simply a unique and masterfully skilled cover of an old song, but it's been appreciated by people from all walks of life. 

After the smash success of their cover, the band went on to add the Christmas classic to their set list for years to come. Audiences everywhere delighted during the holiday season at the truly unique take on the often soft-spoken carol. 

They also shot a "picture story" — a child-friendly take on a music video to accompany their rendition in 2020. Resembling something out of a children's book of fables, the tiny film is as delightful as the story itself. Fans loved the heartwarming addition. 

Perhaps this adoration from the fans is what ultimately catapulted the group into the larger spotlight and earned them a spot on stage during one of country music's bigger nights. In 2022, For King & Country performed "Little Drummer Boy" as a part of CMT's Crossroads Christmas show. 

Once again, the group brought amazing energy to their percussion-heavy performance. The show was streamed to thousands of eager viewers, who could experience the spine-tingling rendition from the comfort of their own homes. 

While the band undoubtedly performed well for the cameras, comments left by the band's thousands of viewers suggested that the group was just as good off-screen as they were that night. 

One YouTuber wrote: "My mom and I just saw their Christmas tour first night in KC Saturday. It was amazing, inspiring, everything. You smile, laugh, cry. Thank you Joel and Luke for your music. I've seen over 300 concerts and our 1st time seeing you guys." Clearly, the band had won over a fan who knows a thing about country music. 

Did you enjoy this fresh take on a traditional song? What's your favorite Christmas carol? Let us know — and be sure to pass this article on to friends and family, as well as any fellow For King & Country fans!