When it came time for Ari Lennox to decide what she wanted to contribute to Carols Covered, a collection of Christmas covers available on Apple Music, the “Shea Butter Baby” singer drew inspiration from one of her favorite movies, even if it doesn’t have much to do with the holidays. “I decided to cover ‘My Favorite Things’ because I really love The Sound of Music,” Lennox says. “The original version really spoke to me because Julie Andrews is a phenomenal, beautiful singer. Her tone is crazy, and I just wanted to do my own version.” Lennox’s version, like the rest of her catalog, is particularly soulful, a path she admits might have been forged by one of her most beloved Christmas gifts. “I remember getting a boombox,” Lennox says. “I loved music so much that I would have a cassette tape and just record all of my favorite songs, all my favorite things on the radio, from Ludacris to SWV. Whatever was playing on soul and hip-hop radio. So a boombox was a special gift that I got.”