Following the announcement of Smokey Robinson’s 24th album, Gasms, the R&B legend has become a trending topic in recent weeks. When song titles such as “How You Make Me Feel,” “I Wanna Know Your Body,” “Roll Around,” and the two eyebrow raisers, “You Fill Me Up” and “I Fit in There.” were revealed their was a collective mindset of what is Smokey smoking?
While the song titles don’t necessarily resonate with listeners, fans can take solace that the album’s first single and this week’s Slow Jam Saturday pick, “If We Don’t Have Each Other,” is textbook Smokey. Robinson, the song’s writer, and producer, recently stated, “I chose this song as the first single of my upcoming album because it’s different musically and has a slide dance feeling to it… which is different from what I’ve ever done before. Additionally, it has a current rhythm that I love, and I hope everyone else does.
Considering how legendary Robinson’s pen game is, the lyrics might come across as mundane to some. Watching the song’s lyrics video, I understand what he’s trying to convey. In a nutshell, Robinson hopes to validate how love can be a powerful force in life. The song explores the idea that without the other person, there is nothing. The lyrics highlight how two people fit together perfectly and that life would not be the same without each other. The chorus emphasizes how not much has meaning without each other and suggests that love is the most meaningful thing in life. The song is about how two people make each other feel complete and how love is more powerful than anything else.
Even though Robinson is 82 years old, he manages to do more with this song with his heartfelt lines over smooth, breezy guitar work than other so-called R&B singers have done with their entire catalog. Harmless and to the point, “If We Don’t Have Each Other” does have me eager to see what Smokey has cooked up with Gasmas.
“If We Don’t Have Each Other” is available on all streaming platforms, while Gasms is set for release on April 28th.
Songstress Ashanti was experiencing significant success with two platinum albums at the time of the release of her inaugural holiday project, “Ashanti’s Christmas,” on November 18, 2003. Her label head, Irv Gotti, produced most of the album. This project comprises four original songs co-written by Ashanti, in addition to six cover versions of traditional Christmas standards and carols.
Vocal quartet A Few Good Man contributed two songs to the project: a cover of “Silver Bells” and the ballad “Merry Christmas My Dear,” both of which were produced by Daryl Simmons. Demail Burks, David Morris, Aaron Hilliard, and Tony Amey were the members of the group, and after introducing themselves in the festive video for “Silver Bells,” it was only fitting that they delivered a ballad on the album.
R&B legend Luther Vandross had already solidified his place in R&B when he released his first holiday album, “This Is Christmas. Arriving in stores on October 24, 1995, “This Is Christmas” validates Vandross’s ability to sing anything.