For this week’s Second Listen Sunday, I want to take my readers on a trip to Canada and highlight Mrs. Deborah Cox and one of her signature songs, “We Can’t Be Friends.” The third single from her third album, “One Wish,” was written by Shep Crawford and Jimmy Russell, with Crawford also serving as the producer. R&B artist RL, from the group Next, joined Cox for this duet.
No matter how old you are, one of the toughest challenges when dealing with a breakup is when the other party still wants to be friends. Whether you’re still heartbroken or feeling a bit resentful, it isn’t easy to navigate a friendship with someone you were once romantically involved with.
RL opens the song as a man who realizes he had a good thing but finds himself putting on a front, pretending that there was nothing special about the relationship. I know I wasn’t the only high school senior who felt the pain in his voice when he sang, “Just months ago I was your man.”
Deborah’s verse captures the awkwardness of still having to be around your ex due to unavoidable connections like shared friends or family ties. Cox’s vocals convey the struggle of being torn and unable to let go, as there are constant reminders of happier times. She has always been a fantastic singer, and her voice flows smoothly over the production.
Naturally, since it was the 1990s, the song features a bridge where both singers showcase their vocal talents. There’s an underlying message that the two may eventually fall into a purely physical relationship, which isn’t suitable for either party. At its core, “We Can’t Be Friends” effectively depicts the challenges and complexities of transitioning from a romantic relationship to a friendship.
Cox and RL’s vocal efforts delve into lingering emotions, the difficulty of letting go, and the ultimate realization that love for your ex can sometimes prevent you from simply being friends.
Final Grade: A
“We Can’t Be Friends” is available on all streaming platforms.
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.