Mark Middleton broke into the music industry as a member of Blackstreet, joining the group in 1996 for their sophomore album, Another Level. Middleton’s vocals were prevalent on the massive single “Don’t Leave” and a personal favorite, “Never Gonna Let You Go.”
Middleton would exit the group after this album to try his hand at a solo career. Singing with Quincy Jones Qwest Records, Middleton had plans to release his album My Turn – My Time in the spring of 2001.
Sadly the album was shelved, but one of the songs, “I Do,” appeared in the 2001 film, The Brothers. The song plays during the climactic wedding scene of Clifton Powell and Jennifer Lewis’s characters. Through lush production, Middleton conveys his appreciation for his lover in “I Do.”
In the song, Middleton asserts that his love for him is unconditional and expresses his appreciation for the love he has been given. There is no limit to where his passion can take him, and he promises never to leave the other person behind. The way they fell in love is something that Middleton cannot explain. Nevertheless, it is a love that was always meant to be.
Undoubtedly, he shares their love for each other, is committed to them, and assures them that he will always be there for them. At the song’s end, as a way to affirm his love and commitment to his rib, he concludes by saying, “I do… I love you.”.
Sadly “I Do” is unavailable on streaming platforms. However, you can find the song on YouTube.
Final Grade: A
This week’s Second Listen Sunday pick takes us back to 2006 to revisit “So Amazin’,” the third album from Christina Milian. Arriving in stores on April 19 of that year, the project was produced largely by Cool & Dre, sans one song, and saw the singer earn writing credits on nine of the album’s songs.
For this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, I want to showcase love for Rahsaan Patterson and his album track “Can We Wait a Minute” from his self-titled debut album, released in 1997.
For this week’s Second Listen Sunday, I wanted to take a trip back to 2000 and show some love to the R&B duo K-Ci & JoJo and their third album, “X,” which was released in stores on December 5, just in time for a holiday stocking stuffer. Arguably, the group suffered from the sophomore slump with their second album, as only two singles were successful.