R&B singer J. Brown returns with his sophomore album, The Art Of Making Love, following last year’s Chapter & Verse. In his 1956 book, psychoanalyst and social philosopher Erich Fromm said, “Love is a decision, it is a judgment, it is a promise. If love were only a feeling, there would be no basis for the promise to love each other forever. A feeling comes and it may go. How can I judge that it will stay forever, when my act does not involve judgment and decision.” For his sophomore album, Brown wants to explore all the elements that arise when you truly know and experience love. For the album’s first single, “123 Fourplay”, Brown links up with Grammy-winning songwriter/producer Carvin Haggins. Brown starts the song with a falsetto before harking back to a nineties R&B flavor. Listening to the lush arrangements on the song, it’s clear that Brown intends to show the younger guys the significance of connecting with a woman’s mind before engaging in physical intimacy. One thing men must learn as you learn is that making love to a woman is more than the act of undressing and engaging in sexual activities. David Deida said it best “The way a man penetrates the world should be the same way he penetrates his woman: not merely for personal gain or pleasure, but to magnify love, openness, and depth.” The album’s second single is “Weightless, ” featuring talented vocalist Kevin Ross. “Weightless” has a seventies-esque groove in the production as Ross and Brown trade vocals about their sexual prowess with the ladies. Hopefully, Brown decides to do a video for the song because, with the right director, it could make for a fire visual. The melancholy ballad “My Whole Heart” is the album’s third single, and Brown is going for the crossover crowd. It could be huge if Justin Timberlake, Sam Smith, or Adam Levine had this song. This song is an interesting choice for a third single as Brown sings with a maturity well beyond his years, and I hope it gets the attention it deserves. The remainder of the album finds Brown exploring all of the tropes of an album where the theme is love. Surprisingly it doesn’t become repetitive and should please fans of R&B. Any man who has worked a swing shift will identify with “Stay Up,” while “If You Could See You” will speak to anyone who sees the best in a significant other when they don’t see it in themselves. The only song that seems out of place on the album is the mid-tempo “Space,” as conceptually, it didn’t fit mesh with the rest of the album and came across as filler. Nevertheless, The Art Of Making Love is a solid sophomore effort worth the stream. Final Grade: B The Art Of Making Love is available tomorrow on all streaming platforms.
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Songstress Ashanti was experiencing significant success with two platinum albums at the time of the release of her inaugural holiday project, “Ashanti’s Christmas,” on November 18, 2003. Her label head, Irv Gotti, produced most of the album. This project comprises four original songs co-written by Ashanti, in addition to six cover versions of traditional Christmas standards and carols.
Vocal quartet A Few Good Man contributed two songs to the project: a cover of “Silver Bells” and the ballad “Merry Christmas My Dear,” both of which were produced by Daryl Simmons. Demail Burks, David Morris, Aaron Hilliard, and Tony Amey were the members of the group, and after introducing themselves in the festive video for “Silver Bells,” it was only fitting that they delivered a ballad on the album.
R&B legend Luther Vandross had already solidified his place in R&B when he released his first holiday album, “This Is Christmas. Arriving in stores on October 24, 1995, “This Is Christmas” validates Vandross’s ability to sing anything.
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