Aug 30,2020
By Dray Breezy
Brandy
Legendary vocalist Brandy Norwood’s seventh track “No Tomorrow” has been in my top played playlist since the release of her seventh album B7 on July 31st. Cosmic right? The simplicity and forward perfection of this song are brilliant. The track initiates us with the melody at the very start of the song and Brandy takes that melody and crafts supporting vocals that sound charged, charming, and possessive. The song is about Brandy being smitten in love, so much so that she “won’t let you go, like there’s no tomorrow’’. Her vocals are primarily supporting the melody of the track during the chorus, she waits until the verses to bring her own interpretation and style to the crisp production. Arranged by star producer Cory Rooney, a patient creative, he waits until the second verse to introduce the 808. He incorporates strings at the perfect moments, breaks in the 808 at the perfect times yet still allows Brandy’s voice to shine. By the second verse Brandy is in full swing and brings us into a musical bridge that is reminiscent of all the greatest bridges in 90’s hit songs. Brandy stays true to her R&B roots while continuing to evolve sounding new and fresh.
Mariah Carey
Save the Day
The Queen is back! Mariah Carey has released the newest track off her upcoming album “The Rarities” The song titled “Save the Day” samples Lauryn hill from the Fugees “Ready or Not”. Carey and producer Jermaine Dupri join forces on this song, creating another timeless track .
Carey and Dupri have a rich history of working together. Over their 20 decade relationship they’ve created hits such as “Always Be My baby”, “Honey”,”It’s Like that”, and mega hit “We belong together”. The richness of their history shines forth in this track. Carey sounds comfortable and confident, the huskiness of her voice further empowers the lyrics. The song is an anthem, calling on listeners to to be empowered, look up and do what they can to “save the day”. The 90’s sound is in full effect and Dupri rides heavily on the original production of the Fugees track. He uses piano interludes to support the melody in clever and experienced ways. Carey once again she proves she is a master songwriter, using the bridge to build to a whistle note climax that must have come from a magical realm. She hits the incredible note without taking a breathe, transitioning seamlessly from chest voice. Carey proves time and time again that her gift is one of a kind.
Everything but the girl
Night and Day
Sometimes all you need is a guitar. Lets take it back to 1982 with duo Everything but the girl’s “Night and Day”, a cover of the 1932 song from musical Gay Divorce. I am ashamed to say I discovered this sing listening to a Kendall Jenner playlist on iTunes. I will always call it iTunes, screw you Apple and Tim can’t cook. This easy listen has three stars- Tracey Thor, Ben Watt, Guitar, and they blend together seamlessly to craft a love tribute to a undefined vixen. The sensual vocals of Tracey in conjunction with the Bossa Nova style of the song generate an unvarnished feeling of warmth. Night and Day is a mid tempo deep cut that would be perfect on any campfire playlist.