While R&B quintet Troop had yet to release an album since the late nineties, the group stayed active with touring and solo offerings from some members. In 2014, the group surprised fans by releasing a new song, “Santa Can You Help Me.”
Lead singer Steven Russell had already validated his legacy by writing numerous R&B hits for nearly two decades. With this song, though, he gets help from group mate Jon Jon. R&B fans will notice the music has a sample of the group’s cover of The Jacksons’ “All I Do Is Think of You.”
Featuring the classic Troop sound and harmonies, “Santa Can You Help Me” could’ve easily set the stage for Troop’s first R&B Christmas album. While Allen McNeil sadly wasn’t a part of the record, remaining members Steven Russell Harts, Jon Harreld, Rodney Benford, and the late Reggie Warren sounded great on the song. It doesn’t try to appeal to a modern demographic.
“Santa Can You Help Me” brings R&B soul to Christmas this holiday season with an expression of love. The song is about affection, accepting responsibility, and the sincerity many of us long for, especially at this time of year. While the song is eight years old, it still sounds better than some Christmas R&B tracks that have hit the streaming market this year.
Final Grade: B +
“Santa Can You Help Me?” 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.