Kevin Ross is kicking off the holiday season with the release of “This Winter,” which is the first recording from the newly launched Rolling Out Music. Munson Steed, the founder of Rolling Out publication, spoke about the new venture in a press release.

“Rolling Out has always been more than media. It has been a movement rooted in ownership, creativity, and community. Launching with Kevin Ross is the perfect way to begin this next chapter. ‘This Winter’ is a celebration of love, legacy, and creative freedom, setting the tone for the next 25 years of Rolling Out.”

“This Winter” celebrates the gift money can’t buy and Ross lets you know that it’s love and the only present that matters. He explains,”This song is really about love being the greatest gift of all. No matter where you are or who you’re with, the heart of the holidays is connection. ‘This Winter’ is my way of wrapping that feeling in melody and soul. It’s the kind of record I hope people return to year after year.” The Christmas season is always a good time for a new R&B holiday classic because the sentiments about  love and togetherness are a match. London “Deelishus” Charles is Ross’s co-star in the video that is mostly a live stage performance from him. Check out “This Winter” and the beginning of the Rolling Out Music imprint. 

Soulive and Van Hunt pay homage to Sly Stone, Brian Wilson, and D’Angelo with “Flowers At Your Feet.” The funk/jazz trio connected with the soul maverick by sending him an almost completed track. Van Hunt describes his feelings about the song in a press release.

“When Alan sent me the track, it immediately felt like a Sly Stone homage—and with Sly’s passing, I wasn’t sure I could add anything to make it more special. Then Brian Wilson passed, and I knew I needed to say something—to honor both of these men who shaped my musical life.Soulive already had the Sly & The Family Stone DNA; I wanted to bring in the Smile-era Brian Wilson color and that early-’70s Sly energy. So I pulled out the Clavinet, the Mu-Tron bass, and some stream-of-consciousness lyrics, channeling all the joy and reverence they inspired in me. As I recorded, I thought about Sly, Brian, George Clinton, Prince, Thelonious Monk, and D’Angelo. And now, after losing D’Angelo too, this song carries even more weight. ‘Flowers at Your Feet’ became my way of saying thank you to the innovators who built this music, and to Soulive, for keeping the garden alive.” 

“Flowers At Your Feet” has the church stomp pioneered by Sly and then passed down to D’Angelo with the Beach Boys’ sleigh bell motif  coursing through it all. The trio’s tribute to all three icons is timely, as all of them passed this year. Questlove’s Sly Lives! started the tributes to Sly back in January before his passing in June. The Roots drummer also participated in the tribute to him at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this week. “Flowers At Your Feet” is the second single from Soulive’s first album in 15 years. Flowers is scheduled for release on January 30, 2026. They reconnected at Flóki Studios in Iceland and wrote most of the album there. Band member Alan Evans described their work as being mostly intuitive. “We’re not super precious about it, man. If it felt good, we moved on. The three of us just fall into place.  It’s like having a conversation that never ended.”

Alissia officially releases “Hypnotic Night” as her first single months after it debuted as an Amazon Original. The single is a modern funk disco opus thanks to Alissia’s heavy bass, Nile Rodgers’ magical guitar and Earthgang’s soulful rapping. “Hypnotic Night” is Alissia’s way of stepping out of the role as a supportive musician to express her solo artistry. Past gigs with Bootsy Collins, Calvin Harris, Mary J. Blige, Coco Jones, Kaytranada, Mariah Carey, anderson.paak, Ravyn Lenae and more got her ready to step into her own spotlight. She made history and became the ninth woman nominated for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical, at the 67th Grammy Awards. Now she is following her muses to craft her sound. Rodgers shared his experience recording “Hypnotic Night” in a statement. 

“Working with Alissia has been really fun. I could see her musical thoughts. When you can learn a person’s tastes through watching them do their thing and they don’t have to really explain anything to you… you can just go ‘oh yeah, I get it.’ I think it’s a hit.”

“Hypnotic Night” has to be the gateway drug to Alissia’s debut album as fans wait for it. The live video performance is a starry night in the studio. 

Liv.e and Karriem Riggins have partnered as the duo GENA and dropped their first single, “Circlesz.” The name is an acronym for God Energy Naturally Amazing and inspired by Tisha Campbell’s character Gina from the ’90s TV series  Martin. The L.A.-based R&B singer and Detroit drummer/producer started playing together as GENA earlier this year. “Circlesz” is a retro trip from the soul jazz tinkling of the keyboard and overall arrangement to the video that looks like the 1980s set from The Tonight Show. It’s amazing to hear that Martin is still influencing new artists in 2025. Riggins recently worked with Common and James Poyser to create “Victory” for the NBA on Prime 2025/2026 theme music. Liv.e released her PAST FUTUR.e album last year and is currently on tour with Earl Sweatshirt. Stay tuned, as there is more to come from GENA.