Frank Loesser composed the 1937 standard What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?
Frank Loesser wrote both the music and lyrics for the song, which asks a romantic question about plans for a future New Year’s Eve. The lyric’s unusual perspective helped distinguish it from a straightforward midnight celebration song: the singer wonders about a date that is still months away.
The piece became a popular standard through recordings by many performers. Its sophisticated melody and conversational lyric have made it suitable for jazz, traditional pop, cabaret, and contemporary vocal arrangements. It is often performed during the holiday season even though its mood is more intimate than celebratory.
Loesser is also known for major musical-theater works including Guys and Dolls and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. The song is sometimes misattributed to Irving Berlin or Cole Porter because it resembles the sophisticated American popular-song tradition associated with them, but the credited composer and lyricist is Loesser.