Idol Chatter & Voice Views

I’m sure we’ll get a fair amount of Christmas music from former Idol contestants this year; we always seem to.

But Mandisa beat everyone to the punch by releasing “It’s Christmas: Christmas Angel Edition” Tuesday (Oct. 9).

The album title is a nod to the fact that some of the 12 tracks are carry-overs from Mandisa’s 2008 “It’s Christmas” album.

But this album also includes two original songs — “It’s Christmas” and “Somebody’s Angel” — and a new recording of the classic holiday song “What Child is This.”

“Somebody’s Angel” will be the first single. According to Mandisa’s website, the song will be featured in a GMCtv original movie named “Christmas Angel” that will air in December.

Among the songs repeated from the 2008 album as duets with Michael W. Smith and Matthew West.

Since finishing ninth on Season 5 of Idol, Mandisa, now 36, has quietly put together one of the most successful musical careers of any Idol contestant who didn’t make the finals.

“What If We Were Real” was released as her third non-holiday album in April 2011. The album spent 78 straight weeks on the Billboard’s Christian album chart, peaking at number two.

And “Stronger,” the first single from the album, reached the top of the Billboard Christian chart.

As for that Christmas album, if you hurry up and reweet Mandisa’s tweet about its availability, you could win it and all of her previous releases. Just head here.