Tyra Banks’ Sweetest Comeback: How "Santa SMiZE" is Serving Up Holiday Magic and Hot Ice Cream
Tyra Banks has never met a camera or a product she didn’t love. Her new holiday persona, Santa SMiZE, is currently blanketing the airwaves with a high-octane dance track that doubles as a business
In 2025, Tyra Banks is once again proving that the world is her runway—and her recording studio. From the glossy R&B aspirations of the early 2000s to her new, camp-infused holiday persona, Santa SMiZE, Banks has navigated a music career that is as “extra” as it is enduring.
Tyra Banks is proving that “shining bright and shining far” is a year-round job. Twenty-five years after her Life-Size debut, the mogul is back with a new alter-ego: Santa SMiZE. But this isn’t just a catchy tune; it’s the official anthem for her SMiZE & Dream “hot ice cream” (a toasted-marshmallow-topped treat designed for the winter chill).
“I’m a businesswoman who happens to sing,” Tyra tells PEOPLE. While her 2004 attempt at pop stardom with “Shake Ya Body” was about the charts, this era is about the cones. In the music video, Santa SMiZE—a character Tyra says was “erased from history by a jealous Mr. Claus”—doesn’t deliver toys; she delivers pints of Smize Cream. “We’re bringing the heat to the freeze,” Tyra laughs. From the “Be a Star” innocence to this high-concept dessert pitch, Tyra’s music has become the ultimate “flavor” of her brand.
Critics are calling the song "brilliantly unhinged." One journalist noted that Tyra’s musical evolution has gone from "aspiring diva" to "marketing genius in a wig." While her Life-Size songs were about being a doll, "Santa SMiZE" is about selling a lifestyle (specifically, one that involves "hot ice cream"). Banks is leaning into the "camp" of the music to distract from the hard sell, but make no mistake: when she sings about "SMiZE-ing through the snow," she’s talking about driving traffic to her scoop shops. It’s "Shake Ya Body," but make it "Shake Ya Sundae."
“My engineer said the lyrics were too much, but I told him, ‘We have to explain the hot ice cream!’” Tyra explains. Many have often marveled at her "fearless, if slightly chaotic, commitment to the bit." By creating a fictional backstory for Santa SMiZE, Tyra has elevated her ice cream brand into a musical mythology. It’s a masterclass in the "Zag": while other celebs do traditional commercials, Tyra creates a Cape-wearing holiday hero to ensure Smize Cream is a "must-have" for all seasons.