With no album inspiring me to write, I have selected two topics that have been on my mind recently!
Beyonce
FYI — I’m not reviewing Renaissance as it requires a knowledge of Beyonce’s discography that is beyond my grasp. Instead, I am fascinated by her ability to create seismic shifts within our culture. With each release, the moment proves no match for her as she drags us toward a new conversation, ethos, and frame of mind.
This time, Beyonce is telling us to dance. Renaissance is an upbeat album proclaiming womanhood, freedom, and sexuality. The cheery feel is rooted in her mastery of Bounce and House music, which features a level of detail and focus Honestly, Nevermind lacks.
In 2016, Lemonade was beyond an album but a visual experience with its accompanying film. It showcased how videos could be used as a medium to enhance the narrative, feel, and emotion of music. Since then, the rise of YouTube and social media has made music videos essential to musical success. Artists like Normani have built their releases around their videos, keenly aware of how they drive conversation and attention.
Meanwhile, Renaissance has yet to come with a music video, and I could not be happier! It reminds me of waiting for premieres on 106 & Park and MTVJams. For now, Beyonce is building up suspense and letting the music speak for itself. Too often, artists are more concerned with how the video looks and not how the song sounds. High budget well-shot videos can only mask an underwhelming track for so long.
I welcome Renaissance being able to breathe. It allows fans to sink their teeth into the music, dissecting it for all it’s worth. Beyonce will eventually drop a visual, adding another culture-shattering moment to her unparalleled career. I hope more artists find the strength to be patient, trusting attention will never wane if the music slaps.
Men’s R&B < Nothing
After listening to “If I Get Caught,” the postmortem on men’s R&B needs to be written. The single is uniquely cringe but is representative of a broader shift within the genre. Male singers are reaching for the bottom, fighting to be the most emotionally unavailable.
Brent Faiyaz’s latest album, Wasteland, embodies this position. Brent routinely does wrong without reason or context, forcing us to regard as little thought to his actions as he does. We get vivid details of the action without any insight into why they are happening or how he feels about them.
“If I Get Caught” coupled with Giveon forgetting how to sing, and Omarion using watermelon as a stage prop, it’s time we hit the reset button. Too often, singers are careless, amplifying their terrible behavior with equally flawed musical execution.
It wasn’t always like this. Brain McKnight’s, “On the Down Low,” details his encounter with married women. Their mutual attraction is contrasted with the reality that their love and lust will be short-lived. “I Wish” by Carl Thomas takes the same narrative path, yearning to have never met the married woman he loves. McKnight and Thomas are willing to experience love even if it leaves them heartbroken.
By no means do I want singers to repeat the linen shirts in the desert and eight counts in the rain era. Yet, it increasingly feels like men today lack the emotion, feel, and range that made R&B so impactful decades ago. Jaheim could make you feel a sense of security on “Anything”, only to doubt if love is authentic on “Could It Be.” Today’s singers don’t have this range nor find comfort in exposing their ambitions and pain.
R&B is better when artists can find success in different sounds. Right now, the path to stardom is through mimicking a dating culture that encourages us to prioritize ourselves to the point that we don’t see or consider anyone but ourselves. I don’t know what or who will break us out of the never-ending rut, but I won’t be standing and listening to see how long it takes.
