R&B isn’t dead, Love is…

Ah yes, the what seems to appear much nowadays as an age old debate consisting of those sold on the idea of a genre that once was. Regardless of proof that extremely solid albums have been released throughout much of the last decade, many believe R&B is “dead”.

When I hear such a statement, I normally immediately wonder what listening platform the believer uses on a day to day basis.

With so many outlets to find R&B that suits your taste, why settle for a flavor you don’t like?

Possibly, because it’s readily available? Or maybe, just maybe you’re in denial that you’ve outgrown what you used to enjoy and honestly don’t know what you like anymore?

And that’s fine. It happens to all of us. But as I sat on the bus back to New York and played D’Angelo’s Voodoo album on repeat, I placed myself in his discomfort expressed 16 years ago and realized how it was still relatable today.

D’Angelo made it clear through out promotion of his then upcoming release that “(Contemporary R&B)’s a joke, and the funny thing about it is that the people making this s — — are dead serious about the stuff they’re making,” he says, laughing. “It’s sad — they’ve turned black music into a club thing.

After my 3rd loop on the album, I began to search for what’s “missing” about today’s direction.

Love.

“Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life” — Oscar Wilde

At some point along the way, Art began to imitate Life. When Art would sit down to put together the perfect love story, it would leave the Love part out. The house with the picket fence was still there, the cars, the money but the Love was gone. The now, perfect love song sounded like a person in love with what they have or can get rather than a person in love with WHO they have. Although wholesome soul and contemporary R&B was made throughout this period, it was overshadowed by the lifestyle people wanted to hear more about.

Life at one point would give up their coat for their loved one, plan special dates, pamper and show appreciation. Life would get married, stay married and work through the problems all of which would be imitated through Art, by song. But as Oscar Wilde pointed out, Art has truly taken the reigns and in order to understand how to regain control, some soul searching is necessary.

It wasn’t so much the lyrics on Voodoo that triggered such theory but rather the adlibs, harmonies and passion found throughout the album. If we took a moment to break down some of today’s ingredients in an R&B piece, we’ve lost a lot of the organic components that once were mandatory for a hearty turnout. There stood a time in which you would scream about love, cry about love, you heard joy or pain effortlessly in every run.

Few and far between the love song still exists, although it is very possible that due to trust issues and the fling lifestyle of the current times that we just don’t value love; so how could one value a song about it?

Now this isn’t to discredit any of the subgenres that have emerged through the course of the last decade. We have always been advocates of bridging the gaps in R&B of all avenues here at Up Close And R&B.

But if we ever want to hear more records about love rather than infidelity, money, and so forth; Love has to make a comeback first.