Photos: Capitol Records Nashville

There had been some chatter about Carrie Underwood finally releasing a Christmas album over the past few weeks, and the singer officially announced today that her first ever Christmas album, My Gift is coming out in September!

“I’ve always wanted to make a Christmas album and it’s been a long time coming,” says Underwood in an official statement. “I knew this would be my next music project after wrapping my tour last year, and I think it’s turned out to be the perfect time for an album like this, in this period of such personal and spiritual reflection. For me, it’s more important than ever to focus on the true meaning of Christmas in a project like this. Even though it has been a tough year for all of us, sometimes I feel like the greatest realizations can be inspired by the most difficult times, and make us more grateful for the things we do have and for what truly matters.”