R&B singer Lloyd has recently been announced as one of the support acts, along with the highly underrated singer-songwriter Eric Bellinger, for Jagged Edge’s Cuffing Season Tour, which kicks off later this fall. In light of this announcement, I felt it was only fitting to shine a spotlight on Young Lloyd’s third album, “Lessons in Love,” for this week’s Second Listen Sunday.
Arriving in stores on August 4, 2008, the album was fresh off the heels of his gold-selling sophomore album, “Street Love”. For the album’s first single, “How We Do It (Around My Way),” Lloyd linked up with fellow Atlanta native Ludacris. The song was written by Wood Works with production from Baby Boy and Superkidd.
A midtempo bop, the song finds Lloyd trying to entice the ladies while Ludacris delivers his flow. The song was catchy, but it shouldn’t have been just a buzz single as opposed to a lead single because it didn’t fully catch on with the mainstream. The label then decided it would be best to repartner Lloyd with Lil Wayne for the next single, “Girls Around the World”.
Released in the spring of 2008, “Girls Around the World” was written by Lloyd and produced by his production team, Big Reese and Jasper Cameron. This perfect summer song pays tribute to the beautiful women around the world. It’s puzzling why the label didn’t promote it more, especially considering it was tied to a worldwide contest in conjunction with a tour.
The song also appealed to hip-hop enthusiasts as it samples the drum break from “Ashley’s Roachclip” by The Soul Searchers and features an interpolation of Rakim’s verse from “Paid in Full.” Additionally, Lil Wayne contributes a hot 16 bars, expressing that he finds a woman so captivating that he can’t concentrate on anything else. With all these elements, the song had all the makings of a hit.
For the final single, Lloyd took things to the bedroom with “Year of the Lover”. An exquisite ballad, crafted by the talented Rico Love and Eric Hudson, who also produced the track, captures a sensual and intimate atmosphere. “Year of the Lover” beautifully conveys the longing for a profound connection in a romantic relationship.
Lloyd’s evocative lyrics paint a vivid picture of a passionate evening, where he ardently expresses his desire to whisk his partner away on a memorable night filled with pleasure, tenderness, and romance. The rest of the album is textbook Lloyd, with tracks like “I Can Change Your Life”, “Sex Education”, and “Party All Over Your Body” working a little better than the titles suggest. I’m sure his base kept those songs in rotation.
While the label seemed to lose interest in the project after the third single failed to gain momentum, “Year of the Lover” isn’t Lloyd’s best, but it still has enough solid moments.
Final Grade: B-
“Year of the Lover” is available on all streaming platforms.
Tickets for The “Cuffing Season Tour” are on sale now.
My introduction to Nate Dogg goes back to Dr. Dre’s 1992 debut, The Chronic, and the song “Deeez Nuuuts.” Even then, something about Nate’s voice set him apart from everybody else. He wasn’t just singing on rap records. He was bringing soul, gospel, street knowledge, and West Coast cool into the same space. He set the standard for hook singers in hip-hop, and dare I say, he’s still vastly underrated.
For this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, I wanted to give Stevie Wonder his due as he prepares to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his masterpiece, “Songs in the Key of Life,” on tour. While the easy choice could have been “Knocks Me Off My Feet”—a classic that still resonates fifty years later—I chose “From the Bottom of My Heart,” the second single from his twenty-third studio album, “A Time to Love,” released in 2005.
It’s hard to believe that an iconic singing competition like American Idol has produced only two Black male winners in its more than two-and-a-half-decade history. Jamal Roberts made history last year when he won the show, following Ruben Studdard’s well-deserved victory in Season Two.