Compacta holly has no leaves on bush except on ends is normal?

It’s not from too much moisture or bad drainage. Not sure if it’s disease or normal. It’s not all of them but a few. It’s not blight looking like boxwoods where they turn brown, it’s just bare with leaves on end of little “branches” or twigs. Could I be overthinking it? What about fertilizer? Read that they like slightly acidic soil.