James Fauntleroy- "I Don't Wanna Be Alone"
Despite our efforts to bring the profound compositional and vocal stylings of one James Fauntleroy to your attention, you probably still don't realize exactly what you're dealing with. Fauntleroy has been the go-to man behind-the-scenes for the industry's top tier of performers, co-writing the entirety of Justin Timberlake's two-part smash LP The 20/20 Experience (copped a Grammy for that one,) writing the original version of "Fertilizer"--adapted to Frank Ocean's own Grammy winning record Channel Orange-- and has written for everyone from Drake and Rihanna to Joe Jonas and Chris Brown.
James is part of an entire regime in music production that takes stylistic cues from Japanese animation and sci-fi narratives, making the music nerd a triumphant force in the entertainment industry alongside Frank, Thundercat, Om'Mas Keith, Flying Lotus and a slew of others reigning supreme over the entertainment industry. His latest offering "I Don't Wanna Be Alone" follows recent collaborations with Vince Staples and Timbaland, Jay Z and Drake before that, showcasing a broad range of r&b flavors with left-of-center sentiments with a stripped down acoustic bed-rocker that unfolds like a satin sheet. Fauntleroy's layered mid-range croon topples over a harrowing guitar-driven ballad, conveying exactly how pervasive his vocal trademark is in contemporary pop (in all its r&b tinged glory) as you get clued into where Justin and Frank got their own phrasing from. Its an impressive one-off that has been well-documented through his Instagram over the past few months, but we still don't have word on whether a solo debut is in the works. However, if you've heard any of his other offerings, you know exactly how grand of a roll-out that would be. So savor the moment and rock with the latest from Fauntleroy below.
