With Valentine’s Day fast approaching us, I had to decide which song to feature for this week’s Slow Jam Saturday appropriately. I flirted with the idea of ranking songs with the word Valentine in the title. For my rankings, I could have pulled the catalogs of numerous singers, including James Ingram, Eric Bellinger, Lloyd, Michael Henderson, Ryan Leslie, and New Kids On The Block. In the end, I decided to go with 112’s Cupid.
The third and final single released from the group’s self-titled debut, “Cupid” is a song anyone can relate to. Arriving in the prime of nineties R&B, “Cupid” highlighted the group’s writing talents overall. The song was also a writing collaboration with Arnold Hennings and Courtney Sillis. In addition, Hennings also produced “Cupid”. Slim leads the song with his trademark falsetto while his group members provide backgrounds. The song lyrics are set to a lush instrumental and solidify the actual meaning of Cupid.
In Greek mythology, Cupid means “passionate desire” and is the god of desire, erotic love, attraction, and affection. From the moment Slim sings:
“Girl if I told you I love you
That doesn’t mean that I don’t care, oooh
And when I tell you I need you
Don’t you think that I’ll never be there, ooooh
Baby I’m so tired of the way you turn my words into
Deception and lies
Don’t misunderstand me when I try to speak my mind
I’m only saying what’s in my heart.”
Over the course of six albums, 112 has had numerous ballads, but nothing comes to the beauty of “Cupid”, and it’s easy to see why fans consider it their signature slow jam. We hear the sincerity in Slim’s voice and can relate to his message.
One of the most challenging things in life is getting over heartbreak, but as the song says, you won’t know unless you try it.
Final Grade: A+
“Cupid” from 112 is available on all streaming platforms.
For this week’s Second Listen Sunday, I want to revisit 2004 and highlight Romeo’s debut solo album, formerly of Immature. Titled “Food for Thought” and released on June 22nd, this project marked the singer’s change of name to Young Rome in an effort to distance himself from the youthful sound of his group, much like his bandmate Marques Houston had done a year earlier.
In the nineties, Hip-Hop reigned supreme, and every label CEO wanted a share of the lucrative R&B market. One strategy was to keep singers on their roster who could deliver catchy hooks, keeping everything in-house and saving money. Bad Boy had Carl Thomas, Death Row had Danny Boy, and Roc-A-Fella had Rell, our featured artist for this week’s Slow Jam Saturday
Growing up in the eighties, I was surrounded by incredibly talented male R&B singers who could deliver unforgettable love songs. Artists like Luther Vandross, Jeffrey Osborne, and Peabo Bryson dominated the airwaves, but Freddie Jackson was another voice that truly deserved recognition.