On Sunday, May 14th, 2017, Trey Songz brought his music anticipated “Tremaine tour to the Warner Theater in Washington, D.C. In support of his seventh album, “Tremaine.” With a predominantly female audience in tow, Songz born Tremaine Neverson effortlessly showed through a two hour set why he’s still one of the most recognizable voices in modern R&B.
The night opened with a DJ playing various songs from Trey’s seven albums & seven mix-tape catalog. It was quite the treat to hear the audience singing word for word the lyrics to “More Than That,” which appears on Trey’s 2011 mix-tape “Anticipation.” As concert hosts, Dani Starr & DJ Quicksilver of WPGC asked, “Ladies, has anyone seen Trey’s workout video on Instagram? The women in the audience replied with loud applause.
Before Songz took the stage, Richmond VA native and newly signed Songbook artist (Songz’s record label) MIKEXANGEL graced the stage as the opening act. Initially, my wife and I weren’t too impressed with MIKEXANGEL, as his stage presence was lacking, due to his pitchy vocals. However, as his performance went on, Angel seemed more comfortable and showcased a natural tenor on the song “Anxious.”
The singer appears to be vocally stronger and more comfortable with slow songs as opposed to the up-tempo material. Hopefully, Songz and longtime collaborator Troy Taylor market Angel with more of a lover boy type angle, otherwise he could become lost in the currently overpopulated field of young R&B singers.
At 8:15, Songz took the stage to much excitement from his adoring female fans whom he refers to as “Trey’s Angels.” I fully expected Trey to open his show with something from the “Tremaine” album. To my surprise, Trey opened up with one of my personal favorites, “Gotta Go,” from his 2005 debut “I Gotta Make It.”
What followed was a musical euphoria for Songz fans as he highlighted fan favorites from every album released before “Tremaine.” Highlights included the ballads “Can’t Help but Wait,” “I Need a Girl,” and “Last Time.” Like many R&B singers before him, Songz has become known for his sexy slow jams. A Songz show wouldn’t be complete without Trey singing about sex. While Songz crooned his classics “Love Faces,” “Neighbors Know My Name,” “Jupiter Love” and “Dive In,” the ladies in the audience all felt like they were Trey’s #1 Fan.
After a short intermission, Trey returned to focus on material from his new album. Highlights included “Playboy, “The Sheets Still,” and the MikeXAngel assisted “Games We Play.” As the night began to wind down, Trey turned the venue into an intimate nightclub, by inviting any lady who had a birthday on stage to have a drink. Once Trey reached the final two songs of his performance, a one-two punch of “Say Ahh” and the Nicki “Bottoms Up” the theater had turned into an all-out party
I’ve been a fan of Trey since his 2004 mixtape debut “Young & Heartless Part 1”. Three years later, in 2007, I had the chance to see Trey live for the first time when he opened up for J. Holiday at Rams Heads in Baltimore, MD. Ten years later, Songz now headlines or co-headlines his own tours. Trey continues to maintain his position as one of his generation’s best performers with his natural charisma and loyal female audience.
Final Grade B+
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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