sandbox r&b

this album isn't any more retro than his other albums (probably less). but 'plantation songs'? that's p fucked up.

idk i think folks were joking/exaggerating. taking it out of context here might be a bit misleading

but, as twitter has the world's most annoying archival system, never mind

god i hate the elle varner single so much

really?! which one, "refill"? i'm at the stage of "watching with interest" rather than "actively raving about her" but i can't hear anything there to particularly hate...

the elle varner w/ jcole is the only one ive heard but i remember liking it a lot

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V8mfEG3WHM&fmt=18

yessssssssssssssss

about to listen to that, but before i do.

jhené aiko just got signed to def jam <3

how many lex's are there?

Just two. I was/am Alex in Montreal.

really?! which one, "refill"? i'm at the stage of "watching with interest" rather than "actively raving about her" but i can't hear anything there to particularly hate...

― degas-dirty monet (lex pretend), Friday, December 16, 2011 11:32 AM (8 hours ago) Bookmark Permalink

the elle varner w/ jcole is the only one ive heard but i remember liking it a lot

― joey joe joe junior shabadoo, Friday, December 16, 2011 11:43 AM (8 hours ago) Bookmark Permalink

yeah i meant "only wanna give it to you," it's on the radio pretty heavy over here and her vocals are SO obnoxious

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dthg5uxeNt0

yeah dawn!

did we talk about this yet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1EpKYEfJU8

http://www.youtube.com/v/dthg5uxeNt0&fs=1&hl=en

yeah dawn!

― nice catch cuauhtemoc blanco niño (dayo), Saturday, December 17, 2011 7:05 AM (1 hour ago)

i like this

I have resigned myself to slowly but surely falling in love with Elle Varner, despite her overt obnoxiousness.

she is both annoying and hot in the tradition of ilx's favorite cliche bomb, but when the radio's on and i can only hear her wretched caterwauling only the latter matters.

The way she over-sings every note is either glorious or insufferable, mood depending. There is no middle ground. "Only Wanna Give it To You" is kind of a thin song, though; "Refill" is a much vehicle for her to go completely nuts in

part of my problem is that "Only" sounds exactly like that Jazmine Sullivan retro breakbeat song from last year, except she knows how to oversing in a good way. i haven't heard "Refill" but i suppose i should give it a listen since it's never fair to judge an artist by one song (two songs, on the other hand, totally fine).

Prepare for instant revulsion, then gradual, reluctant infatuation. I imagine dudes who crush on Zooey Deschanel feel the way I do about Elle Varner.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Gk8cjWIdMQ

yes i hate "only want to give it to you"! the line "i want you more than a new pair of shoes" is the most annoying line and most annoyingly sung in history.

new pair of horseshoes otm

it is just trying too damn hard, that song, that line, ugh.

i love anthony hamilton and would listen to him sing anything but the new album is kind of boring. and lex otm about "baby girl."

also i love that k michelle song upthread!!! thank you ilx r&b threads you bring such good things to my life!

relistening, you guys are right about her singing on this! its too bad

i do think the song itself is pretty strong tho; i certainly like the retro vibe of it a lot more than that beyonce / 'swag goo' song

love love love '4am'

thicke's album is kind of disapointingly hit-and-miss imo but "mission" is so great

is it just my copy of the thicke album or does "full time believer" end really suddenly?

also did he just call himself a pterodactyl on "dangerous"?

"Breath Again" is very good, sort of like a sequel to last year's "Skydiver." This other leaked Cassie tune is pretty good as well:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAZC7eJufw8

Like Cassie produced by Justice or somthing, but actually very listenable!

Also been feeling these random songs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vdcnw8-WjCg
(HELLLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOO)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IR3vRCXCsyY
(new Carl Thomas album is pretty good)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mv9RysqSB4

and the new SWV single is way better than it has any business being:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7DyeivNVJk

Yes! Carl Thomas keeping the water drip sound alive.

kind of bummed about the RichGirl breakup, but the solo tracks I've heard from Lyndriette and Seven are pretty good. Here's Lyndriette's single:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdeB6cbRTJw

new Teairra Mari single:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aA4OrfnGaKI

"tears on my tuxedo" on the thicke album is kinda ridiculously good

i guess since his music is in a way very conservative and throwback, i don't think thicke gets enough credit for being a weirdo r&b singer like the way that r. kelly or even terius crossed over to non-r&b critics

like this album is really ridiculous but in that way that keeps you on your toes and makes individual songs unique w/o having to be some sonic outlier or something in that way that good kells albums used to, imo

"Love After War is terrific.

have you heard the Hamilton record?

yeah that is one of the best songs on here

yeah idk it kinda bored me but i don't typically get bowled over initially w/ those kinda albums

"all tied up" is my fave off of the Thicke album

robin thicke is one of those people who makes life seem unfair. classically handsome, great voice, great songwriter, probably a great dancer, is rich. damnit

AMAZING taste in women

One of my favorite performances of the year:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKP4pDzt2JQ

robin thicke is one of those people who makes life seem unfair. classically handsome, great voice, great songwriter, probably a great dancer, is rich. damnit

― nice catch cuauhtemoc blanco niño (dayo), Monday, December 19, 2011 8:31 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Permalink

AMAZING taste in women

― k3vin k., Monday, December 19, 2011 8:44 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Permalink

yeah i was gonna say, you didn't even mention gorgeous movie star wife.

j0rdan otm though, there's a lot of character and playfulness in Thicke's music that people don't necessarily pick up on unless he's laying the goofy retro stuff on thick like on parts of Sex Therapy.

the nicki & thicki letterman performance should have put paid to any thoughts of robin thicke being a good dancer

after letting them sink in a bit i think i pretty much agree with shipz on the relative merits of the thicke and hamilton albums

keith sweat!! this is doooope

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_Y9QMA9LX0&ob=av2n

you guys are fucking up by not having that song in your life

this is pretty lol

http://www.essence.com/2011/12/21/robin-thicke-on-loving-black-women-interracial-dating-and-pleasing-paula/

I have a song on my new album called, “I Don’t Know How It Feels to Be You,” and she and I were in the middle of an argument and she said, “Robin, no matter how hard you try, or how compassionate you are, you’ll never know what it’s like to be a Black woman.” So I got up and I wrote this song in five minutes.

i can't.

Listening to the new Mya album... It sounds very very very sparkly so far.