Welcome back to Slow Jam Saturday. We are continuing to pay homage to this month’s artist Jon B. This week, we are looking at what many consider Jon’s best album, Cool Relax. For his second album, Jon had more creative control and it shows in the music. “Don’t Say,” “They Don’t Know,” “I Do (Whatcha Say Boo),” and “Are U Still Down” (featuring 2Pac) were the singles from the album. Any one of these would have been a fine choice to highlight Jon’s talent, however, I had to go with an album track.
Initially, I wanted to go with “I Ain’t Going Out.” The reason being, I could relate to the lyrics of the song, particularly when it comes to the newness of a relationship. We all know when you find the right one that your friends then take a back seat. However, I decided on track #13, the sultry slow jam, “Can We Get Down.”
The song’s production is smooth as an aged cognac, and the lyrics can set a mood without ever crossing into the crass territory. We have all been in a situation where you want to be intimate with someone you may be living with. Sometimes, it is hard to find the exact words to say in your youth, and with “Can We Get Down,” Jon provides the lyrics for you. “What do I have to do/what do I have to say/to get you to come over girl/and let me have my way tonight.” For me, the song’s strength is that while Jon wants sex, he knows that it’s not a guarantee just because you are coming over.
Of the 93 songs in my Jon B. iTunes playlist, “Can We Get Down” has the most plays at twenty-eight. Now, if I could hear live just once, I can cross it off the songs to hear live.
Final Grade: A
Cool Relax is available on all streaming platforms.
For my DMV readers, I highly encourage you to check out Jon B. later this month when he performs at The Birchmere. Tickets are available for purchase at The Venue’s Box Office and Ticketmaster.com
As the King of Pop’s biopic continues to perform well at the box office, I wanted to revisit one of Michael Jackson’s overlooked solo albums, “Forever, Michael”, released in 1975, for my first Second Listen Sunday of 2026.
As Joe prepares for his upcoming Tiny Desk performance, it’s a fitting time to revisit “U Should Know Me,” one of the hidden gems in his catalog. This song, which he wrote and produced himself, first appeared in 1998 on the soundtrack for “Caught Up”, a hood drama starring Bokeem Woodbine and Cynda Williams.
As fans look forward to his upcoming co-headlining “Nights Like This” tour with Akon, Ne-Yo is smoothly transitioning into country music while still maintaining his R&B roots with his latest single, “Ms. Tundra.” This infectious track is the third release from his forthcoming tenth studio album, “Highway 79,” set for release on July 10 via Compound Entertainment.