Despite its popularity over the last two decades, I have always felt that the one genre singing competition show American Idol always had trouble with is R&B.
Yes, the show did introduce the world to Jennifer Hudson and Lucky Daye, who did not win the show but found success later on. In addition, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia, and Jordin Sparks were all winners who specialized in R&B. All three failed to reach the heights of winners from other musical genres.
For this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, I wanted to give some flowers to Season 2 contestant Corey Clark. While Clark’s disqualification from the show was highly publicized, he could always carry a tune, and it would have been great to see how far he could have gotten on the show.
Clark’s cover of Steve Perry’s Foolish Heart during the Semi-Finals of Season 2 is still one of my favorite moments in the show’s history. After releasing his debut album in 2005, Clark stayed active in the music scene, releasing singles here and there. However, the 2013 collaboration “Loves Melody” with Philip Johnson of underrated 90’s group Philip Johnson stands out.
Fellow Portrait member Michael Angelo Saulsberry produces the song, which starts with a lush piano arrangement where Philip sings the first verse, and his baritone comes across like a smooth cognac. Corey delivers the second verse, where he provides a lush first tenor vocal with hints of a falsetto.
While mainstream success has not been in the cards for Corey Clark, “Loves Melody” is validation that, given a chance, the singer has a gift ready to share with the world.
Final Grade: A
“Loves Melody” is available on all streaming platforms.
For more on Corey Clark, check out https://cdcmusicllc.com. In addition, fans can follow him on social media at the following handles. Twitter @CDCMUSIC and on Instagram @thecoreyclark.
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.