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.
Nineties R&B was home to many female groups, so standing out took more than good looks and a major industry endorsement. I still remember seeing Allure in a Vibe ad and thinking how gorgeous those four women were. The question was whether they had the talent to compete in the music scene.
In 1996, I first heard the Houston quartet Ideal on the Original Gangsters soundtrack. Their interpretation of Marvin Gaye’s “Inner City Blues,” featuring the Chi-Lites, caught my attention.
For this week’s Second Listen Sunday, I want to revisit 2004 and highlight Romeo’s debut solo album, formerly of Immature. Titled “Food for Thought” and released on June 22nd, this project marked the singer’s change of name to Young Rome in an effort to distance himself from the youthful sound of his group, much like his bandmate Marques Houston had done a year earlier.