Chicago-based R&B singer Donell Jones’s career went to the next level in 1999 with his sophomore album “Where I Wanna Be.” But I wanted to highlight one of his rarity, “I Hope That It’s You,” for this week’s Slow Jam Saturday. Initially appearing on the “Black Gangster” soundtrack and later his 2002 album “Life Goes On, “the song is a personal favorite.
“I Hope It’s You” by Donell Jones details the anxiety felt in wanting to find a special someone who will fulfill and satisfy one sexually. ‘Someone who can give me everything I have been wanting / Someone who could love me, hold me day after day / I hope it’s you, I hope it’s you, I hope it’s you.’ In the chorus, Donell sings of his expectations that the right person will be there for him to fulfill his needs and bring love into his life.
Repeatedly, Donell sings, ‘I’m hopin’ it’s you’ to convey the significance of who will be his partner in this journey. The song’s verses also describe Donell’s past experiences of being hurt and disappointed in romantic relationships: “Are you that someone, who can give me what I want? Are you that someone, who can touch my heart again? If you are that someone, what do I have to do?If you are that someone, what do you need from me?” The use of the word ‘someone’ in the chorus and the subsequent verses is significant because it conveys Donell’s desire to be reassured that her interest is a good person whom she can trust and who can give her the love and affection she wants.
In the second verse, this sense of how hard it is to please Donell is reinforced, together concerning their ‘legendary’ status as hard to: I need you to change my world, Make it what I want … I’m the one that wants it all, And I know that you want it too He provides a guidebook for what it takes to make this work, in the pre-chorus: You gotta put in some effort, You gotta invest … I need you to take it further, Don’t you wanna do the same?
The bridge and outro reflect Donell’s grind to find fulfilling love, highlighting a deep desire to find a man who satisfies her needs while she satisfies his. At its core, the song is about Donell expressing a passion for a partner who can fulfill their needs for love, physical intimacy, and relational support.
While ‘I Hope It’s You’ was never a single song, it validates Jones’s ability as a songwriter and resonates with anyone searching for someone to share their life with.
Final Grade: B+
“I Hope That It’s You” is available on all streaming platforms.
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