Despite releasing a strong southern soul-influenced debut in the form of 1999’s Country Boy, North Carolina bred singer wouldn’t break through until his sophomore album 2:35 PM four years later, which featured the hit single “More Than A Woman.” While that is a great song, I wanted to highlight my favorite track from the album, “Not Like This.”
Richardson linked up with Damon Thomas and Harvey Mason of The Underdogs to create a beautiful ballad. Richardson effortlessly explains that he understands his lady has been in relationships before. Still, the other men do not come close to him. As the singer croons the below lyrics, you feel every word.
“Girl, I know a thing or two about the way things go
With someone as fine as you
You be constantly dealin with the drive-bys
And the way guys be spittin at you
So it’s hard for me to think
That you ain’t had love
Ain’t been you he thought the world of
And I just can’t see
How even a playa wouldn’t be
Ready to settle down
You never been cared for (no not like this)
Girl, don’t look no further
You never made love before (no not like this)
It’s just for you
You say you had everything
And nothing was missing
What you thought was right is wrong
So baby just let me in
Girl, I know you had it, but not like this.”
While Richardson never really slowed down musically (he has released six other albums and scored three Grammy nods), mainstream success has alluded him. Nevertheless though, “Not Like This” still holds up nineteen years later.
Final Grade: A
“Not Like This” from 2:35 PM is available on all streaming platforms
This weekend is about celebrating the King of Pop, Mr. Michael Jackson, and his legacy. For this week’s Second Listen Sunday, I wanted to highlight his debut solo album, “Got To Be There,” which was released on January 24th, 1972.
Fifteen years after his untimely passing, the King of Pop’s music continues to resonate with us, a testament to its timeless appeal. As we honor his heavenly birthday this past Thursday, I wanted to pay tribute to him with ‘Loving You’ for this week’s Slow Jam Saturday.
When we reminisce about the potential of lead singers who could have been iconic solo acts, the name Sisqó immediately springs to mind. The front man for R&B quartet Dru Hill, Sisqó, stormed onto the scene in 1999 with his solo debut ‘Unleash the Dragon.’ The success of the singles ‘Incomplete’ and ‘Thong Song’ propelled Sisqó’s solo debut to sell a staggering five million copies in the US alone, leaving an indelible mark on the music industry.