Looking for the soul of Christmas? Look no further. These discs have plenty of it — along with no shortage of R&B, blues, funk, hip-hop, pop and more. Streaming links are included, so you can get right into your own holiday groove right here and right now. Right on.
Ne-Yo
Another Kind of Christmas
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Ne-Yo’s Another Kind Of Christmas is his first-ever holiday album. The three-time Grammy winner brings his own unique point-of-view to the season with five newly penned tracks and reimagined versions of thoughtfully selected Christmas classics – including Someday At Christmas, a plea for peace written by Motown songwriters Ron Miller and Bryan Wells for Stevie Wonder during the Vietnam War, and Marvin Gaye’s I Want To Come Home For Christmas, inspired by the plight of prisoners of war. Ne-Yo says, of the album, “see you this Holiday season and every holiday season after! Think you’re gonna love it that much!”
Keb’ Mo’
Moonlight, Mistletoe And You
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Keb’ Mo’ returns to lift spirits with a heartfelt feel-good holiday album, Moonlight, Mistletoe & You. After 25 years, the widely respected artist has finally gifted his eclectic global fanbase his first Christmas album, offering a melting pot of influences and original songs. Moonlight, Mistletoe & You embraces Keb’ Mo’s diverse talents, showcasing the 4X Grammy Award-winner’s genre-bending capability. Produced by Keb’ himself and recorded by Zach Allen at Stu Stu Studio in Franklin, Tenn., the malleable artist provides seven new songs sprinkled with three covers. “After 25 years of performing without releasing a Christmas album, I felt now was as good a time as any to spread some love and compassion,” Keb’ Mo’ says. “There’s something about Christmas time that makes everyone’s hearts a little lighter and I wanted to contribute to the movement of spreading a little joy. I feel like I was able to accomplish that through the making of Moonlight, Mistletoe & You.”
Johnny Ruffin Jr.
White Christmas
THE PRESS RELEASE: “This album is a Christmas project from my heart and soul. As a singer and musician I poured what I knew into each song. Christmas is a time of joy and cheer and that is what I wanted to bring to everyone listening.”
Jessica Ray
A Christmas Vibe
THE PRESS RELEASE: “She’s serious about her songwriting, and gifted with a versatile vocal range that’s been inspired by all of the greats of soul music. Jessica Ray is the essence of contemporary music, creating her own signature of soulfulness, deeply rooted in the traditions (and the vibe) of Memphis. Jessica’s music always comes from that space. Get ready to be amazed…”
Rocky Paterra
Naughty List
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Rocky Paterra is a singer/songwriter from Pittsburgh now based in New York City. Growing up with a strongly rooted musical theatre background, Rocky has been and continues to work as an actor in and out of New York. It wasn’t until just a few years ago that he began crafting his passion for songwriting. In addition to writing for himself, he finds extreme fulfillment in writing for other artists. His new album Naughty List is an original holiday pop album inspired by his love of the holidays and extreme love of contemporary holiday music by artists such as Mariah Carey, Sia, and Kelly Clarkson. This album features music, lyrics, and vocals by Rocky Paterra as well as features from Dan Kiernan, Zoe Jensen, Rosanna Spindler, and Emily Willmore. Rocky’s sound is influenced by artists such as Charlie Puth, Superfruit, Bruno Mars, and more. They’re fun. He’s fun. The music is fun…unless it gets serious. Then it’s serious! But it’s mostly fun!”
Inside Joke
Christmas Presents
THE PRESS RELEASE: “I had a few Christmas songs in the bag. A couple of songs previously appeared as bonus tracks and I even had recorded a few new ones over the years that have sat idle on my computer. At the end of last year, I made a goal to release a full-length Christmas album in 2019. I love Christmas music, after all, and it only seemed right that I release a Christmas classic for families to enjoy—as many have longed for Inside Joke music that can blast all 12 months of the year.”
