Ne-yo/Jeremih- U 2 Luv
I ‘ve been hearing this song for months and had no idea it was Ne-Yo. Actually its Ne-Yo and Jeremih and this song proves once again why Ne-Yo is entirely underrated and a producer/songwriter. He’s such a confident vocalist and truly has a great understanding of what makes a hit song. The simple production of this track samples Zapp’s “Computer Love”, putting it in a long lists of other hit songs. Just pay attention to the fine-tuned perfection of the background vocals, Ne-Yo is incredibly meticulous, he really doesn’t put out bad material. Jeremih, I can take or leave, even though he is establishing a moderate amount of consistency as an artist, but let’s give Ne-Yo his props. Plus he’s written hits for all the legends, Celine Dion, Beyonce, Rihanna, Jennifer Hudson, Jay-Z and En Vogue. The song relays a dope message, “ That’s why I only want to love you, I don’t want nobody else.” Who doesn’t want to hear that from a special someone? I always thought Chris Brown has the career that Ne-Yo should have had. I said what I said. Only flaw, encouraging text typing, even in a song title is cringey. Click the image to listen to the song.
Sexify- Leah Labelle
Produced by Pharrell, this song has been on my playlist since its release in 2012. Like all Pharrell tracks, this song is timeless and has an infectious tempo and combination of futuristic sounds Pharrell includes his signature breakdown in this song, like so many of his other song, once the bridge hit the melody and arrangement changes completely, but the tempo stays the same. The formula is perfect and that shows in how EVERYONE wants a track produced by this legend. That’s what I love about Pharrell’s music, he always puts two tracks in one. The song is all about getting sexy for the person you love, a concept that has probably died with the rise of Coronavirus. I remember Leah Labelle from American Idol, she was on the same season as North Carolina’s own Fantasia and she gave me white girl Robin Thicke/ Teena Marie vibes. One of my favorite videos on the internet is her and another amazing artist, JoJo doing an incredible cover of John Legend’s Ordinary People. I will always have Leah in my heart after her tragic passing in 2018. Click the image to listen to the song.
Tonight- Xscape
This 1993 track is a classic in the R&B community. Featuring the smooth sultry vocals of Atlanta-based girl group Xscape, this track features thier vocals in acapella style with just a simple bassline. The voices of these women blend together in complex and intricate ways and you can feel the emotion behind every lyric. Each woman has a chance to lead the song and they all do so in unique ways. Tiny Harris (T.I’s wife) takes the climax and hits it out the ball park. This song tells the story of one night with a lover, holding that person tight throughout the night. If you’re looking for a song to add to your baby making playlist, this is it. Click the image to listen to the song.