R&B soul singer returns with his new single “Mr. Midnight” feat. The Colleagues from his forthcoming eighth studio album What A Time To Be In Love. The grown man’s low jam is written by Mr. DeVaughn and features production by 812LABS Media Group and L’indcis. When I heard the track’s opening instrumentation, I didn’t know where the song would go.
Thankfully once the self-proclaimed “Love King” beings to croon his way through the music, I was impressed.
DeVaughn sings lyrics such as, “Let me be your Mr. Midnight. In the midnight hour, Just call me up and I’ll satisfy you ’til tomorrow. Just call me Mr. Midnight, and that’s who I’ll be all your dirty little thoughts and your freaky little fantasies.”
Instead of coming off as crass or corny, DeVaughn is smoother than a fine cognac. The early word is that Raheem will embrace social issues on the project. If DeVaughn’s past work with Washington D.C., emcee Wes Felton on their The Crossrhodes project, I expect some great music.
What A Time To Be In Love is due for release on Friday, November 20th, via the SRG/ILS imprint.
In the meantime, “Mr. Midnight” and “Marvin Used To Say,” which will also appear on the singer’s new album, are available on all streaming platforms.
Final Grade A
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.
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