Regrettably, J. Holiday, a native of Washington D.C., had a scheduled performance tonight at The Birchmere, a renowned music hall in Alexandria, VA, which was ultimately canceled. There is an expectation that the show will be rescheduled. Despite this, the intention remains to spotlight the release of the singer’s third album, “Guilty Conscience,” in 2014, for this week’s Second Listen Sunday.

Holiday took a five-year hiatus between his second and third albums to get his musical house in order, which led to the formation of his label, H.M.G. (Holiday Music Group). Arriving in stores on January 28th, 2014, “Guilty Conscience” was led by the single “After We.” Collaborating with producer Lil Ronnie and songwriter Rafal Ishman, the song initially caught me off guard. 

Given where R&B was at the time, Holiday could have easily used auto-tune, but instead, he used natural talent to assure his lady that while he believes in courting and intimacy tonight, he plans to put in that work under the sheets. “After We” was the perfect song to reintroduce the singer to audiences after his hiatus.

Holiday continues his working relationship with Lil Ronnie for the album’s second single, “Incredible,” which also utilized the producing talents of B.A.M. & Lil Ronnie. In style reminiscent of Bobby Brown on “Roni,” J shows off his affectionate side to a woman crooning the song’s lyrics as if they were compliments. If one of J’s major label peers had this song in 2014, I could easily see radio stations holding a contest to have J sing this song to a fan at a concert.”

The album’s final single, “Where Are You Now,” showcases production reminiscent of early Jam & Lewis. J takes a break from his slow jams and ballads dedicated to women for a shift in style by incorporating an evocative composition and emotional transparency in this song. Through introspection, J reflects on his past relationship with his ex-fiancée, using the music to seek answers and closure within himself.

The rest of the album hits on typical R&B tropes such as sex, love, and even the guilt and shame of being unfaithful to a loved one with a side chick on the title track. Nevertheless, Holiday sings every track on the project with a maturity well beyond his year. From the onset, it’s clear that J. Holiday wanted “Guilty Conscience” to come across as a concept album.

During the initial promo run, Holiday mentioned in interviews that “Guilty Conscience” isn’t about one specific relationship but an example of how relationships pan out and things that people don’t like to talk about—the harder things to deal with in relationships.” Hearing the album at age 43, I can confidently say Mission Accomplished, Mr. Holiday.

Final Grade: A-