Music Reviews

Formerly a DJ and beatmaker, Mayer Hawthorne crafted a comfortable niche for himself when he began his singing career. Hawthorne quickly built a solid resume with his blue-eyed soul vibes. For this week’s Second Listen Sunday, I wanted to highlight his 2016 EP Party Of One. Featuring only three songs (the last three are instrumentals), it’s a joyous listen.

Vocalist Michael Cooper had already displayed his talents in the vocal group Con Funk Shun. He then blessed fans with his solo debut, Love Is Such a Funny Game, in 1987. For this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, I wanted to give Cooper flowers for that album’s second single, “Dinner For Two.”

The last great, David Peaston, was no stranger to the music industry as his mother, Martha Bass, and sister, Fontella Bass, were already well-known in gospel music. Peaston broke into the music industry after winning several competitions on the iconic television n series Showtime at the Apollo.

Washington D.C.-based vocalist Tony Terry hit the music scene in 1987 with his debut album Forever Yours, which was accompanied by the charting singles “Forever Yours,” “Lovey Dovey,” and “She’s Fly.” Three years later, Terry would cement his place in R&B with the release of his self-titled second album and its hit single “With You.

Twenty-six years in the game, Atlanta-based quartet Jagged Edge remains strong. Fans are eagerly awaiting All Original Parts, the group’s eleventh studio album. Thankfully JE stays on the road and recently blessed fans with a new single. This year for Valentine’s Day, JE released a cover of Deon Estus’s “Heaven Help Me.” JE changes things a bit by changing the last phrase to us.

While it doesn’t hold a candle to that magical time in the nineties, 2005 was a commendable year for R&B. We were introduced to the talents of Rihanna, Chris Brown, Trey Songz, Bobby Valentino, and Keyshia Cole, who all released their debut albums. Following lukewarm receptions to their previous albums, Mariah Carey and Mary J Blige quickly returned to the top of the charts with their respective projects.

Following the announcement of Smokey Robinson’s 24th album, Gasms, the R&B legend has become a trending topic in recent weeks. When song titles such as “How You Make Me Feel,” “I Wanna Know Your Body,” “Roll Around,” and the two eyebrow raisers, “You Fill Me Up” and “I Fit in There.” were revealed their was a collective mindset of what is Smokey smoking?

Former American Idol contestant Lucky Daye may have been eliminated after reaching the Top 20 in Season 4. However, he’s steadily built a name for himself in R&B music. He has released two albums and three EPs and received accolades from Billboard, Complex, and other music publications, making him a notable presence in the music industry.

Following the lukewarm response to Sisqo’s second album in 2001, Dru Hill returned with a new member Scola in 2002 for the vastly underpromoted Dru World Order. The group would spend the next eight years touring and eventually add new member Tao for its fourth album InDRUpendence Day this week’s Second Listen Sunday pick.

Mark Middleton broke into the music industry as a member of Blackstreet, joining the group in 1996 for their sophomore album, Another Level. Middleton’s vocals were prevalent on the massive single “Don’t Leave” and a personal favorite, “Never Gonna Let You Go.”

Soul singer October London is steadily making a name for himself in the genre of R&B. By blending classic soul sounds with contemporary R&B, October London is carving out a space for himself in the music industry. A South Bend, Indiana native, he hit the scene in the summer of 2016. The first time I heard his voice was on “Revolution,” the closing song on Snoop Dogg’s Coolaid album.

Following the lukewarm response to Sisqo’s second album in 2001, Dru Hill returned with a new member Scola in 2002 for the vastly underpromoted Dru World Order. The group would spend the next eight years touring and eventually add new member Tao for its fourth album InDRUpendence Day this week’s Second Listen Sunday pick.