In 'Carpool Karaoke' holiday episode, Chappell Roan, Lady Gaga belt Christmas classics
Will you be my passenger (pop) princess?
That's the question "Carpool Karaoke" is asking this holiday season with its first-ever Christmas special.
"A Carpool Karaoke Christmas," streaming Monday on Apple TV in the U.S. and Friday globally, stars Dua Lipa, Chappell Roan and Lady Gaga.
They're not "carpooling" with each other, though. The three stars each get their own segment riding alongside Zane Lowe, the host of Apple Music's in-house interview show, as he chauffeurs them around a different city. The segments are then strung together for an hour-long Christmas episode.
Originally a comedy bit on James Corden's "The Late Late Show," "Carpool Karaoke" spawned countless viral moments, leading Apple TV to eventually parlay it into a full series.
It draws on a "stars, they're just like us!" philosophy, turning music icons into dashboard drummers as they run through their hits and often drop easter eggs about their careers.
The holiday special is no different. Here are the top moments.
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Chappell Roan 'Carpools' with parents in the Midwest
The "midwestern princess" herself opens the episode, welcoming Lowe to her native Missouri. The two drive through a classic American landscape with Roan's parents in the backseat.
During a rendition of "Pink Pony Club," a song that features lyrics about her mother heavily, both of Roan's parents appear emotional.
"That song, I love singing it with her at her shows," her mother Kara said. "Even when we're grown up, we really care what our parents think about us. And I hope that's something that she always knows: that we love her so much and we could never not be proud of her."
"What she stands for us a lot of hope," he father Dwight added, shedding a few tears about how his daughter had taught him to respect and love all people.
The hometown tour continued with stops at Andy's Frozen Custard shop alongside Roan's childhood friends and a theater where she launched her album.
In between singing along to "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and Justin Bieber's "Drummer Boy," Roan spoke to Lowe about growing up in a religious family, and the freedom she felt when she moved to Los Angeles.
The "Good Luck Babe" singer expressed a bittersweet gratitude for the place that raised her, affirming she was happy to be from there, but also happy to leave.
Dua Lipa sings 'New Rules,' talks breakup anthems
Lipa's segment goes international as Lowe drives her to a show in Tokyo, where the "Levitating" singer performed two shows to promote her third album, "Radical Optimism." Her tour for the album continues next year, with shows in North America starting in September.
The pair runs through her greatest hits, including "New Rules" and "Houdini," along with a few Christmas classics.
She shares her philosophy on keeping life exciting by trying new things and appreciating good relationships after being in a few bad ones. She is the breakup anthem queen, after all.
"It's crazy the amount of girls that have come up to me and been like, 'You've gotten me through my breakup," the singer said, "It's surreal how music can have this effect."
Lady Gaga's 'Carpool Karaoke' segment gets Brian Johnson cameo
Gaga, the pop veteran of the trio, brings the show back state-side with a drive in Los Angeles.
For holiday cheer, the pair dive into Gaga's extensive catalog for "Christmas Tree," a little-known tune the artist released in 2008. Just after the "Poker Face" singer tells Lowe she prefers a carol that the whole family can sing, its somewhat vulgar lyrics produce some laughs.
A final celebrity cameo comes midway through Gaga's segment when Brian Johnson, lead singer of AC/DC, joins the carpool for a brief stint. And it wouldn't be Gaga without an outfit change though. For "Die With A Smile," her most recent collaboration with Bruno Mars, she dons an orange wig like the one she wore in the music video for the track.
The special closes out with Gaga inviting Lowe into the studio to lay down a grunge-rock version of "Santa Clause is Coming to Town." The song is available today on all music streaming platforms.
"This was hands-down the most fun I have ever had in a car. I'm very grateful to James for trusting me behind the wheel of a very expensive car with three of music's most exciting artists and I'm honored to be part of bringing this special 'A Carpool Karaoke Christmas' to fans all over the world," said Lowe said in a statement provided by Apple TV.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'A Carpool Karaoke Christmas' stars Dua Lipa, Lady Gaga, Chappell Roan