James Fauntleroy Unveils 'The Warmest Winter Ever'

4x GRAMMY Award-Winning R&B polymath James Fauntleroy releases his highly-anticipated holiday album The Warmest Winter Ever via Platoon/Aesthetic.

The Warmest Winter Ever consists of 25 future holiday staples that can be enjoyed year-round. It collates fan favorites previously only available on Soundcloud: Warmest Winter Ever (2014) and Warmest Winter Ever II (2016). Last month, eight brand new tracks—“Bad Bad Bad,” “Bring That s To Santa,” “Christmas List,” “Magic,” “Miracle,” “Mrs. Claus,” “Sleigh,” and “Unwrapped”—were unveiled alongside the album's announcement.

The project's final previously unreleased song, “The Neck,” is out today along with a visualizer fit for the season. The song marks a sultry and upbeat focal point of the record, which consistently expands and redefines the definition of holiday music. On the song, James couples standard romantic R&B lyricism with layered vocals reminiscent of a Christmas choir.

About The Warmest Winter Ever, James says, “This project delves into the enchanting world of Christmas, and many aspects of this holiday, from embodying Santa Claus to becoming Santa's helper. It presents a fresh perspective on holiday music. ‘The Warmest Winter Ever' is a collection of songs released from 2014 up until now, exploring themes of romance and Christmas across 25 tracks that are sure to get you in the mood.”

Recently, Fauntleroy received his seventh GRAMMY Award nomination (and his first as an artist) for Nova, his collaborative album with producer/jazz impresario Terrace Martin. Nova, which was released on August 25, 2023, is up for Best Progressive R&B Album. Upon release, it was praised by outlets like BET, which raved “‘Nova' Is A Triumphant Tribute To Brazilian Samba.” Vibe similarly echoed “something magical transpired with this James Fauntleroy collaboration.”

More to come from James Fauntleroy in 2024.

ABOUT JAMES FAUNTLEROY

From Inglewood, Ca, 4x Grammy Award winner James Fauntleroy is perhaps best known for co-writing seven of the songs off of Bruno Mars 2017 multi Grammy-winning album 24K Magic, including Song of the Year, That's What I Like - having become the first [pure] songwriter to ever bring home a Grammy for Album of the Year.

Other notable songs/albums Fauntleroy has worked on include 9 Chris Brown songs, 25 Justin Timberlake songs, 12 Rihanna songs, 5 Beyonce songs + "On The Run" with Jay-Z and featuring on songs with Nipsey Hussle, Drake, Big Sean, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Nas, Travis Scott, ASAP Rocky and more.

Oh you wanted to hear the "more"? He's also co-written and/or produced songs performed by John Legend, Sza, Snoop Dogg, Stevie Wonder, Ty $, Joe Jonas, Jordin Sparks (No Air), Britney Spears, Brandy, Kelly Clarkson, Frank Ocean, Chris Cornell, Vince Staples, David Archuleta, Pet Shop Boys, Timbaland, Jhene Aiko, Mariah Carey, Jay Electronica, John Mayer, Leona Lewis, Diddy, Ashanti, Usher, Teyana Taylor, Anderson .Paak and inexplicably many others.

Additionally, James Fauntleroy co-founded the 1500 Sound Academy. Students come from the area (Inglewood, CA), all across the nation and around the globe to learn about engineering, producing, branding, publishing/business, songwriting from expert guest speakers and a curriculum that includes practical information along with the musical and technical lessons.

Alongside music, Fauntleroy has a background in 3d modeling, web design, and coding. In 2022 he collaborated with Disney for their 100th Anniversary to design the Disney 100 Mickey Mouse: Icon of Wonder - expressed as both a 12ft statue and a special edition run of smaller replicas.