If Pharrell and/or The Neptunes didn’t produce this then they’ve strongly influenced the duo: the electronic-style production has a very strong Neptunes feel about it from start to finish, combining a base pop element with an infusion of alternative lashings for a great production that boasts energy, power and a touch of cool, making it one that could certainly be a favourite with the mainstream. The Autotune is initially a little offputting, but gradually it works well enough with the instrumental and the whispery nature of their vocals. Inevitably, the track would be better without it, but it works well enough.
The video’s a good accompaniment to the track, using a mostly-monochrome filter and general minimalism to take the audio away from feeling like a pop track and further into a less-definable realm. Worth a watch, worth a listen, and a duo to keep your eye on.
After a forced hiatus due to various other commitments, we can finally resume the latest weekly series from the OTU brain trust. I must admit, this is fast becoming my personal favourite series in OTU history, purely because it allows both yourselves and I to rediscover tracks that we either once loved or once forgot about, and that’s frankly a lot of fun.
Enough of the self-appreciation.
Click on below for another diversity-laden edition of SYFA, featuring a trio of prominent current mainstream names, alongside a couple of acts that have slipped away somewhat.
After a few weeks away, R&B Fridays is back and swollen with star quality for this week’s edition. Of course, in keeping with tradition, it’s also released on a Sunday. Nice to be back into routine eh?
I find it hard to separate this track from Drake’s demo that leaked the other year. Obviously we were never supposed to hear the Drake version as he wrote it for a female lead in mind, but he did a damn good job of it! Once it had leaked I didn’t think we’d ever hear a singer take and finish it, but eventually it’s found its way to new Roc Nation signee, Rita Ora. Those who aren’t familiar with that name should know that she’s a British singer, who’s creating a lot of buzz at the moment, so get in on the hype now.
The video itself is nothing special but does well as support for a big single. I do think that getting Tinie Tempah in as a feature is a good attempt to add some original flavour to a song many had rinsed when the Drake version had leaked. You can pre-order this single by clicking on below.
It’s a little late this week, but with good reason as R&B Fridays is on a 2-week hiatus after this episode, due to ‘international commitments’ of the team.
We’re into our second week of what proved a popular new feature last week, and you’re in for another journey not too far down memory lane. I call it Recollection Avenue.
This genre-less weekly episodical seems like the perfect opportunity to mix things up, and whilst there’s still ‘normal’ stuff in there, feel free to indulge yourself with the two curveballs I’ve thrown in this week.
Last week you may recall Kid Cudi featuring heavily, and this week’s theme is…April 2009. I’ll be honest, it was more coincidental than anything.
That’s right folks, do not adjust your monitors. R&B Friday is actually available on a Friday. As a result, it does mean the material isn’t particularly plentiful this week, but it doesn’t mean the quality isn’t there. In fact, I suspect many R&B Fridays fans will rather enjoy this episode, with 2 Frank Ocean-related tracks and a remix of one of The Weeknd’s best tracks featured.
A really likeable track from Usher and Diplo that I’ve had in rotation since its release, and Usher treats fans with official visuals for the effort, suggesting its probably the lead single from an upcoming album.
The video captures the complexity of the audio well, combining slower, isolated scenes of Usher’s reflective moments with speedy, intense ‘action’ sections into a cohesive and enjoyable experience. The duality of both the lyrics and production is used superbly, as Usher’s recollective mindstate is visualised with lonesome scenes alongside flashes of action, and equally the peaks and troughs of the production are emphasised appropriately within those scenes. Other plus points include the closing section of the video, which brings a nice finality and structure by suggesting that most of the encounters we see were indeed reflective inner thoughts, whilst the lighting and scenery used throughout give the track a darker, more serious vibe that removes the gloss from the house-inspired production and gives the track more depth.
I’d expect this to be a very popular single in the next few months. Released here on 16th April, but you can grab it on the US iTunes now.
No artist in the R&B and pop genres has generated the buzz Rita Ora has over the past week, so it’s only right that the Roc Nation signee and London native gets the headline spot for yet another milestone episode.
A very slow week for R&B/pop music this week (those new Chris Brown/Rihanna collaborations don’t count as music), and as a result it’s a pretty short, and stream-heavy, episode this week.
I’ve made this statement before, but R&B really is in a bad spot at the minute, with a serious lack of both quantity and quality as many of its stars are either inactive or pursuing pop careers. It’s a sad state of affairs, but I retain hope that the likes of The-Dream will be back soon to restore the natural order.
Diplo tweeted a track earlier, amusingly claiming it was with a ‘promising young artist’, for it to be revealed as a new effort from none other than Usher. You probably figured that last part out from the title of this post.
The collaboration is a successful one too. Diplo’s served up a progressive production that has a quiet intensity in the verses, building slowly to what actually ends up being a gentle climax in the hook (calm down). It’s an effective twist that throws you off, and increasing awareness of the second layer of progression in the track, as it builds towards the final third, and once again, it switches to the slower style. Clever. Just as much credit goes to the evergreen Usher, whose vocal versatility draws you in time and time again on this one, with his work on the hook being a particularly good performance. One that threatens to be a club banger at times, but in each instance surpasses that ‘easy’ option for increased listenability.
Grab your scarf and gloves, stick on a pair of headphones and warm up with the second volume of our Winter EP. There’s been a rather large gap between this edition and the first instalment, but it’s arrived eventually and couldn’t be better timed with the weather getting much colder recently.
Once again, our resident designer (Indi) has lovingly put together a crispy new artwork, which adds a nice touch of visuals to accompany the listening pleasure of the 5 tracks included below. As per the previous edition, there’s no restriction on genre, artist or anything else: if it feels wintery, it’s got a chance of making the cut!
Click here for volume 1, and head below for volume 2.
Apologies for the lateness here, but spending most of your weekend travelling isn’t conducive to the satisfactory scheduling of your favourite weekly series.
Eric Turner’s Youtube channel mentions Turner’s “stadium sound“, and that’s a rather accurate description. I’ve had this song on repeat ever since it was released a short while ago, and it’s stadium pop style is a big reason for that, making for an uplifting and engaging listen that feels suited to any listening environment.
Eric’s been involved in some big tracks with both artists in the past, as Indi’s already covered in the audio review, and their inclusion makes for a big duo of co-signs. I’m a fan of Lupe’s verse on this, with his speed and timing sliding in nicely with the production, whilst Tinie’s contribution is surprisingly enjoyable, alongside the huge Eric Turner vocals which are an excellent listen that really anchor the track.
The video has a likeable spray paint effect throughout, as the respective performers are visualised in an exciting, perpetually-moving art style that adds an unpredictability and uniqueness to the visual, in a relatively simple manner. Decent watch that brings the audio to life.
I wanted to open this week’s episode with a breakdown of why the number 135 was special. Turns out, nothing of any significance is tied to the number, so that’s that.
All caught up? Good. Feel free to resume your browsing by clicking below for this week’s instalment. There’s also a surprise new feature included in this episode that we’ve been requested to add for some time. Mysterious. → Continue Reading R&B Fridays: Episode 135
Yes kids, it’s not Friday, but every day is a good day to get a fix of some good R&B right? RIGHT!
I’ve also assembled here a quite perfect trifecta of tracks for your listening pleasure; none of that sweet baby music making here in this episode, just three tracks that will get you moving. Click on below to see what is in store for you this (or last, should I say?) week.
An unexpected cover version of a rather controversial track! Although I shouldn’t be surprised by anything Mike Posner does really, he seems to be capable of anything.
He and Blackbear (not someone I’m personally familiar with) do an excellent job of covering this mainstream hip hop track, adding an acoustic sound to it. Well worth a watch.
Great new cover from the lovely Yasmin, as she takes on Frank Ocean’s excellent American Wedding.
Making comparisons between the original and the cover is somewhat redunant so I’ll bypass that, and instead praise this for the fresh take on the track that it is. Whilst Yasmin’s singing credentials generally haven’t been questioned, there are still some who are to be convinced, and this will go some way to doing that. There’s a rich, addictive soulfulness to Yasmin’s voice here that’s not been properly explored in her material to date, with the complexities of the track pulling her vocals into areas previously unchartered (at least, to our knowledge), and makes this cover just as much about the showcasing artist as it is about paying homage to a great song.
An enjoyable, unique take on the track and its worth a watch for fans of the original, and/or fans of a little laidback soul material. Yasmin’s Light single is due for release on 15th Jan too, be sure to grab that one.
A highlight from his debut project, Those Who Wait, the soulful tones of Daley are brought to life with this very watchable visual.
The monochromatic filter throughout the video is a perfect fit for the intense, slightly dark lyricism, and its straightforward nature contrasts well with the diverse set of genres Daley crosses with the audio. The finer complexities are embodied in the more artistic elements of the video, with the various painted women adding a mystical, ethereal aspect to the video, whilst the gradual development of the scenery and weather conditions progressively heightens the intensity of the clip.
Certainly worth a watch, and most definitely worth a listen. Grab the track on the free mixtape here.
An interesting collection of ‘mid-rangers’ this week, as 3 of the 4 included artists are of the sort who regularly release material and frequently collaborate with big name artists, but don’t quite seem to have fully nailed down a spot in their respective lanes. There’s always plenty of talent floating around in that middle ground, and inevitably it’s where we find the next big stars: time will tell if any of these guys are to be that breakout artist.
As promised, Mike Posner drops off his first new project since his 31 Minutes To Takeoff album, and there’s a ton of potential in this heavily-stacked mixtape.
A huge 21 tracks have made the lineup, with a good mix of covers and original material, whilst the features are definitely plentiful with Bun B, Elzhi, Casey Veggies, Machine Gun Kelly and many more hopping along with Mike for this mixtape. Clever little move from Mike adding in some funny subtitles to each track, which I suppose is both entertaining and informative (‘Drive to This’, ‘Fall Asleep To This’ and so on!), and also suggests there’s a good diversity of styles on show. Grab the project for free below.
It’s been a while since we got new music from Mike, and he’s right back on the scene with The Layover mixtape scheduled for 20th November, with this refix of the Elton John classic being the first taste of the tape.
Rather than attempting to be another cover version that falls short, this is instead a bold, modern take on the track that allows it to be entirely seperate from the original, courtesy of an electronica-inspired production that creates a futuristic atmosphere around the track. Posner’s vocals are solid throughout, and in keeping with the production attempt to utilise a more modern crossover style rather than attempting to go note-for-note with Sir Elton, whilst Bun’s contribution fits in surprisingly well as his bassy delivery contrasts well with the rest of the track. Free grab below.
A quiet week on the R&B/pop scene (or rather, the ‘worth checking out’ section), with no posts of note to catch up on aside from the album review of Drake’s Take Care.
Pretty much exclusively fresh, upcoming artists this week though regular readers will be familiar with almost all those involved. Click below for this week’s handcrafted, lovingly-selected musical provisions.
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