J-Stylz, formerly of the legendary group Blackstreet, gave fans a wonderful holiday slow jam last year with “Christmas Without You.” The song starts with J-Stylz professing his intentions for his lady love but simply stating that all he wants for Christmas is you! Hearing the song, we can tell that J-Stylz is writing about a man who has learned from past mistakes and needs his woman back.
The message continues to the second verse, where Stylz has a line about “Shopping for gifts just isn’t the same without you.” I am sure many fellas can relate to that line as, for whatever reason, gift-giving reason seems to approve when you are in a relationship. The first Christmas I spent with my wife, I always remember my late grandfather saying, “Ever since you started dating her, your gift-giving skills have improved.”
Stylz avoids over singing and using autotune instead of letting his smooth voice speak for itself. I sincerely hope the right people hear this song as “Christmas Without You” is another song that would feature significantly in a Christmas rom-com as part of a montage scene. Furthermore, J-Stylz is a heck of a writer, and I would not mind a full-on Christmas album or EP in the near future.
Final Grade: A
“Christmas without You” is available on all streaming platforms
Be sure to follow J-Stylz on the gram @jstylzmusic and on his website
For more with J-Stylz, check out my in-depth 2020 conversation with him
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.
In the nineties, Hip-Hop reigned supreme, and every label CEO wanted a share of the lucrative R&B market. One strategy was to keep singers on their roster who could deliver catchy hooks, keeping everything in-house and saving money. Bad Boy had Carl Thomas, Death Row had Danny Boy, and Roc-A-Fella had Rell, our featured artist for this week’s Slow Jam Saturday
Growing up in the eighties, I was surrounded by incredibly talented male R&B singers who could deliver unforgettable love songs. Artists like Luther Vandross, Jeffrey Osborne, and Peabo Bryson dominated the airwaves, but Freddie Jackson was another voice that truly deserved recognition.