For this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, I wanted to venture back to 2007 and show some love to former American Idol contestant Elliot Yamin and his debut single “Wait for You”. The singer who placed third on the fifth season of the singing show was someone I was rooting for from the start, and in my opinion, he should have been in the final instead of Taylor Hicks.
Yamin, who had a rasp in his voice that was made for R&B, linked up with in-demand producers Stargate, who co-wrote the track with Michael Jackson’s nephew, Taj. The trio crafted a slow-tempo ballad in C major that, if a mainstream singer had been on a major label, would have been a huge hit.
From the moment the beat drops and Yamin croons his first note, it’s clear that “Wait for You” is an expression of love and longing for a lost lover. Over the duration, Yamin paints an earnest portrait of a man who is unable to understand why the love of their life would abandon them and have left them all alone, asking them why their pride is making them run and hide.
Despite this, Yamin still loves and misses this person, and is willing to wait for them no matter how long it takes, even if it’s the last thing that they do. Elliot conveys the idea that if the loved one gives them a chance, they can show their love for them and make things right.
The song kicked off a modest indie style for Yamin’s career, which would go on to feature collaborations with R&B heavyweight producers like Johnta Austin, Steve Russell, The Underdogs, and Jermaine Dupri. That said, while the singer never truly broke through, I do feel he’s always been right on the cusp of stardom, and a good biopic portraying John Oates would do wonders for his career.
Nevertheless, “Wait for You” is another solid song from an American Idol alum.
Final Grade: B+
“Wait for You” is available on all streaming platforms.
As a longtime music enthusiast, I’ve often wondered how quickly record labels expect lead singers from groups to release solo albums. This question came to mind recently when my iPod played “So You Like What You See” by Samuelle. Listening to the song, I realized he would be a great choice for this week’s Second Listen Sunday.
You know the voice. The moment Michael Marshall starts singing the hook in Luniz’s “I Got 5 on It,” anyone who grew up in the nineties knows exactly what time it is. However, nearly a decade before that 1995 hip-hop classic, Marshall was already responsible for another instantly recognizable vocal.
There are some albums you revisit because of nostalgia, and then there are albums you return to because they remind you just how high the standard used to be. Anita Baker’s Rapture falls into that second category. Released in 1986, the album did more than make Baker a star. It helped define what sophisticated, grown R&B could sound like without losing any soul, sensuality, or personality.