James Fauntleroy Announces Debut Solo Album 'The Warmest Winter Ever'

Gearing up for the most wonderful time of the year, 4x GRAMMY Award-winning singer, songwriter, and creator James Fauntleroy will unveil his highly-anticipated new holiday album, The Warmest Winter Ever, on December 8. Pre-order/Pre-save HERE.

Setting the stage for the record, Fauntleroy today shares eight new tracks from the LP, including “Bad Bad Bad,” “Bring That s To Santa,” “Christmas List,” “Magic,” “Miracle,” “Mrs. Claus,” “Sleigh,” and “Unwrapped.” With the full project release, on December 8, James will roll out the final track “The Neck.”

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 releases—Warmest Winter Ever (2014) and Warmest Winter Ever II (2016)—with nine brand new tracks. Among the fresh material, James' vocals heat up the mesmerizing “Sleigh” punctuated by cheeky wordplay, “All she do is sleigh, like Beyoncé.”

On “Christmas List,” bells twinkle over 808s as he flexes his hypnotic high register. The hook resounds as he admits, “I wish I could find you.” Meanwhile, head-nodding guitar and a slick drumbeat underline “Unwrapped,” where the crooner untangles relationship struggles with a plea to “Unwrap all the bulls.” Whether it be the slick “Bring That s To Santa” or a wild ode to “Mrs. Claus,” the holidays have never had so much swag…

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.”

James' holiday fare has consistently earned critical applause. Upon release, Complex plugged Warmest Winter Ever, while HYPEBEAST urged, “For those who can't stand the tacky ballads that get play over and over again, give this tape a listen for an alternative experience. The producer and singer-songwriter gives you his bittersweet approach on this year-end holiday with plenty of soulful a capellas and melancholic instrumentation.” Notably, Rihanna, who worked with James on songs like “James Joint,” “Te Amo” and “Fire Bomb,” co-signed the project, saying “The Warmest Winter Ever… thank you so much for this.” Of Warmest Winter Ever II, OkayPlayer praised how the five-song project “[showcases] his vocals over mostly stripped down production.”

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.

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.

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