{"id":61689,"date":"2025-12-05T11:22:07","date_gmt":"2025-12-05T11:22:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/61689\/"},"modified":"2025-12-05T11:22:07","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T11:22:07","slug":"staten-island-rb-artist-and-late-night-serenader-jordan-barone-releases-christmas-single","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/61689\/","title":{"rendered":"Staten Island R&B artist and \u2018Late Night Serenader\u2019 Jordan Barone releases Christmas single"},"content":{"rendered":"

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 Staten Island\u2019s own Jordan Barone<\/a> is ending the year on a sentimental note.<\/p>\n

The 31-year-old R&B artist and producer, who\u2019s been quietly building a devoted following over the past decade, is stepping into the holiday canon with \u201cHolding On To Christmas,\u201d a smooth, wistful Christmas single shaped by heartbreak and homespun creativity. The live music video, which leans all the way into its vintage holiday aesthetic, premieres today.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a fitting full-circle moment for an artist the Advance\/SILive.com last spoke to in 2015<\/a>, back when Barone was known more for his behind-the-scenes engineering work than his own voice. He started in the industry as an audio engineer, working with artists from PnB Rock to Kehlani to Mac Miller, but over time, writing for other people wasn\u2019t cutting it. <\/p>\n

\u201cI realized they didn\u2019t want [the songs] because I was making them for myself,\u201d Barone told the Advance\/SILive.com. \u201cI realized I\u2019m the only person who can get these ideas out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those ideas eventually became the foundation for his label, Red Planet Records<\/a>, which he launched with his brother, Stefan<\/a> (CEO). Alongside his role as COO, Barone was the label\u2019s first artist, releasing a handful of R&B tracks in 2018 before slowing down to figure out his sound. Now, he said, he found it: a blend of smooth and emotional R&B delivered under a persona he\u2019s coined the \u201cLate Night Serenader.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople make music to turn up to on the weekends,\u201d he said. \u201cBut there\u2019s five other days during the week. I make music for the people that are in their cars, going to work and want a way out. So you can cry to my music, or you can enjoy my music and get smooth with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"JordanJordan Barone performing on stage.Courtesy of Jahtiek Long<\/p>\n

\u201cHolding On To Christmas,\u201d though, was born from a slightly less philosophical place. <\/p>\n

\u201cMan, I was alone for the holidays,\u201d he laughed. \u201cI got out of a relationship and yeah, just felt alone. It was like the longing back for someone that you miss, wanting to spend that certain month of those holidays with someone.\u201d<\/p>\n

That longing sits at the center of the song\u2019s lyrics, which gives a warm, yearning message wrapped in holiday glow. Barone opens with that quiet ache (\u201cBeen alone at night \u2026 I just want you back with me\u201d), before leaning into the kind of sentimental daydreaming that defines December (\u201cThis time of year is when I think about you \/ Let\u2019s go somewhere with a view \/ Or we can hit the mall and go and get you something new\u201d).<\/p>\n

The catchy chorus (\u201cI\u2019m holding on to Christmas \/ I hope I get my wishes\u201d) turns the season itself into a stand-in for hope. But where the song leans melancholy, its music video leans classic Christmas movie. <\/p>\n

Barone released the studio version on Nov. 28, then built a live rendition after a guitarist and bassist he frequently collaborates with jumped in wanting to add their parts. Before long, he had background singers, a fuller arrangement and a vision for a cozy, throwback-style music video. <\/p>\n

The only problem? He needed a fireplace.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a fireplace in my house, but there wasn\u2019t enough room to accommodate everyone,\u201d he said. After striking out on Brooklyn brownstones, he found the perfect Airbnb in Pennsylvania. So he, his band and his creative team packed the car \u2014 along with all the Christmas decorations from his home \u2014 and turned the rental into a full holiday set. <\/p>\n

\"JordanBehind-the-scenes of Jordan Barone’s “Holding On To Christmas” music video.Courtesy of Jahtiek Long<\/p>\n

\u201cI was like, I want the nutcrackers, the fire, the fake snow, the tree, all that stuff,\u201d he said. \u201cI wanted it to look like it was Christmas Day.\u201d The final cut is intentionally grainy, leaning into the nostalgia. <\/p>\n

The team behind the video includes Besart Ficic (Bizzaro Beats<\/a>) on the electric guitar, Niall Sullivan<\/a> on bass, Marcely Molina, Luz Ramos and Joy Ling on background vocals, producer Jorge Diaz (IamJD<\/a>), Barone\u2019s manager Victor Pellot<\/a> at 6DegreesMGMT (\u201cthe transportation for everyone\u201d), videographer Billy Perez<\/a>, photographer Jahtiek Long<\/a> and behind-the-scenes documenter Robert Martinez. Ficic and Pellot have also recently joined the Red Planet team as CIO and GM, respectively. <\/p>\n

The Staten Island community, he said, is a huge part of his identity as an artist. Growing up in Huguenot, he always felt connected to the borough\u2019s tight-knit, often overlooked creative scene. Being from the \u201cforgotten borough\u201d has given him something to prove.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou say Staten Island, and they just look at you \u2026 you have to show that you\u2019re worth it.\u201d With Wu-Tang as the borough\u2019s biggest musical legacy, Barone hopes to be next in line.<\/p>\n

And as he prepares for what he calls a \u201ctakeover year\u201d in 2026 \u2014 releasing more music, expanding his label and pushing further into R&B and pop \u2014 he\u2019s keeping his roots close. <\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019ll ever move too far away,\u201d he said. \u201cI like that little space away from the chaos.\u201d In the meantime, he has a brand-new Christmas staple to share (possibly his \u201cown Mariah thing every year,\u201d he joked). <\/p>\n

\u201cHolding On To Christmas\u201d is available now on all streaming platforms<\/a>, including the original single, live version, sped up, slowed + reverbed and instrumental. <\/p>\n

Watch the official music video for \u201cHolding On To Christmas (Live)\u201d below. <\/p>\n