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.
Growing up in the nineties, movies aimed at a melanin audience often featured soundtracks that had to be just as flavorful as the films themselves. This week, for Slow Jam Saturday, I want to take a trip back to 1993 and highlight one of the slow jams from the soundtrack of “Menace II Society”.
Last week marked two significant anniversaries for one of the greatest artists of all time, Mr. Prince Rogers Nelson. It’s only fitting that I show him some love for Second Listen Sunday. The first anniversary was on the 21st, commemorating nine years since his passing. The second anniversary was on the 22nd, celebrating the 40th anniversary of his seventh studio album, “Around the World in a Day.”
One of my most significant decisions late last year was to pledge to Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. At the time of this writing, I am in Atlantic City for my fraternity’s Regional Conference, where I will represent my chapter, Beta Alpha Omega. In that regard, I believe the perfect song for this week’s Slow Jam Saturday is “The Best Man I Can Be.”