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Showing posts with label R&B (Genre). Show all posts
Showing posts with label R&B (Genre). Show all posts

It's Too Late ...


MUSIC


R&B REVIEWS


13-05-2024 20:44 GMT


Music Reviews (May 2024) - Discover the best emerging, underground & upcoming R&B artists, bands & labels with reviews of the latest songs, albums & mixtapes, music videos, music playlists, live events/gigs, concerts/tours, & other entertainment from your favorite indie R&B performers & entertainers daily on SRL Music Reviews.
Music by indie artist, Crystal Starr on YouTube | Spotify


Crystal Starr

"Too Late"
R&B


Good pop

As usual, before we get started with the music review of today, I’ve got some things I need to get off my chest. And yes, they’re real. Thanks for noticing; eyes up here please. Thank you. 

It's me, “Lady Jesus” by the way; in case you were wondering. I recently changed my pen name from “The Jesus Lady”. “Lady Jesus” sounds so much more exciting. But don’t let the name confuse you, I’m not very Jesus-ey at all. In fact, just this morning on my way to work, I didn’t feel like paying for gas like all the other suckers in line. So just before I was about to pay I dropped my keys on the floor and bent over to pick them up the way only a total slut would, looked back at it sensually and then had a little nip slip on purpose while I was getting back up. By the time I was done putting my boobies back in my top, two guys I recognised from the office building next door to mine were fighting each other to pay my bill. I let them fight and left.

When I got into the office there was a note from one of my colleagues on my desk. His name is “The Imagination Guy”, you might have heard of him. He’s the most annoying guy in the world, I promise you. If you think you’ve ever met the most annoying person in the world, multiply that by 1,000 and they still wouldn’t be nearly as annoying as this guy.  

The first time I knew he was a total douche bag, he was in a meeting with me and he kept on rushing through the whole thing and saying he had to go somewhere. Finally, we were done and I started to exit his office. As I left, I apologised for taking up so much of his time and delaying him; but I noticed he wasn’t getting up, or going anywhere. He was just watching me back away towards the door, and I could sense he was also waiting for me to turn around so he could get a glimpse of my, you know, my tushy. He was - I saw him through the reflection in the glass door as soon as I turned around. He even made that mouth and face that creepy guys make (like he had just eaten something spicy). But I noticed he still wasn’t getting up. I closed the door and waited outside his office for 10 good minutes. I even peeped a few times to see what he was doing. He hadn’t moved. I was totally steamed. I couldn’t believe I had wasted 10 minutes on that douche. As I walked away, my mind just couldn’t let it go. I started to go back angrily to confront him about it and give him a piece of my mind, then I got the idea to call his office line to see what he'd say. So I did. To my amazement he picked 
up the phone, and what he said completely blew a gasket inside me. He said, “I’m not in the office right now, I had to go somewhere quickly. I’ll be back in like 30 minutes”. 

The second time I realized how much of a douche bag “The Imagination Guy” really was, he was rushing out of the elevator at The Shard and I was going in. He was in hurry. He said “Hey, how’s everything going? Don’t care, can’t talk, I’ve gotta be somewhere, see you later Perky”. I was so angry he called me Perky that I tried to leave the elevator to go and smack him; and I bumped my head really hard into the closing door. I had a quick glass of wine for lunch and went straight back to the office because I had so much to do. I had forgotten all about it – that’s what happens when I drink wine, that’s why I do it in fact. Everyone was still at lunch when I got back, so everywhere was really quiet. But as I walked past “The Imagination Guy’s” office, I noticed his light was on and he was in there, despite the fact that just a few minutes ago he said he was rushing somewhere. Again, he was just sitting. He wasn’t moving or doing anything important, just sitting there. I decided to leave him alone because I was really tipsy. All I wanted to do was put my hand bag away, grab a cigarette and smoke it like I had just had sex; then get back to work. 

The third time I verified "The Imagination Guy" was way past douche status was this afternoon. We had an actual fight and I hurt him really bad. He deserved it, I promise. Let me explain. He'd left a voice message on my phone asking me to meet him to discuss some important things first thing after lunch. There were deadlines to be met and I also had things to do, so I rushed back from lunch earlier than normal in order to have plenty of time. I dropped my handbag in my office and rushed over to his. Bear in mind that at the time I received his message I was on my second glass of wine and I was totally gagging for a fag (that's a cigarette in the UK, just to be clear). I got to his door, but as I was about to knock I noticed the light was off and there was a note on the door. The note said: “Be right back. See receptionist if urgent”. As I walked away in a haste to take care of all the other important things I had to do, a little reflection from inside the dark office caught my attention and I took a quick glance backwards as I walked away, thinking nothing of it. But something told me to look again. So I walked back and looked closer at “The Imagination Guy’s” desk. I kid you not, he was right there – sitting in the dark. The reflection I saw was a glare from his glasses. I was furious. By this time I had already had it with him. He had already pushed me to boiling point and I wasn’t in control of my anger anymore. I kicked off my high heels like Patti LaBelle and charged towards the door. I was about to kick it in but, it’s a glass door – it would've shattered and hurt me really bad – not like in the movies. That made me even more furious. I had to restrain myself, turn the handle and push it open really angrily but in a controlled way. I felt silly walking back to get my shoes first, and I didn’t want the anger to wear off; so I walked in with bare feet. I was furious and steaming. I said angrily: “WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU MAN?” He replied - aloof: “You walk into my office bare feet with the lights off, breasts hanging out and skirt riding up; smelling like Sauvignon Blanc, baby powder and whisky at 2 PM on a Monday. And you're asking what's wrong with me? What the f*ck is wrong with you? You're not some sort of weird, freaky, alcoholic sex maniac are you? 'Cos I'd totally dig that. Better close the door quickly before somebody sees. And come over here and sit on my laps; I know what you need. ”

I looked at the metal folding chair opposite his desk, and I knew I only had to fold it and whack him over the head with it a few times to wipe that smirk off his stupid face. But again, I reminded myself that this wasn’t a movie – I would break ALL my nails, my boobies would pop out of my very low cut top (and I have a strict no bra policy on Mondays). I would lose my job, possibly get sued, and all types of things could happen. So I sat on the chair instead and gathered my composure. I was still bare feet so I felt really silly at this point.

He leaned over his desk with crossed arms and a really stern look on his face, and said to me in a really sinister voice (the lights were still off): “You know you could have hurt me really bad with that folding chair. The doctors said if it was even half an inch to the left I might have needed surgery”. By this time we were locked in eye to eye and I couldn’t tell whether it was the wine but I was getting a little sleepy and my head was spinning slightly. I even started to get soaked a little bit to be honest and my nipples were starting to take form, if you know what I mean - my body was confused for God’s sake, what can I say! 

For the first time, he started to speak to me like an actual human being. He made eye contact and he actually smiled – and not a pitiful smile like the one you would use when talking to a child who still believes in Santa Clause, but an actual smile; almost like I was all of a sudden real to him or something. It was really weird. 

My voice trembled a little bit because I was feeling things that weren’t necessarily pleasant and all I wanted to do was get the f*ck out of that weirdo’s office, grab my shoes and run away. I started to ask him, “What chair?”, because I had literally forgotten that I had imagined hitting him with the folding chair that I was now sitting on only a few minutes ago. He stopped me and said to me: “I’ve been having a really stressful time here in the city, so many times during each day, I have to go to my happy place to get happy before anyone can try to piss me off or stress me out – I’m so happy right now that if you pulled that yellow thong of yours to the side and sh*tted on my desk I wouldn’t even be mad at you – that’s how happy I am. And that’s why I’m always going somewhere every time you see me – to my happy place”. 

Then he continued, saying: “… but guess what? “ 

At this point it was as if I was hypnotised. I felt a deep sense of euphoria and relaxation for no reason – I was just happy. When I get really relaxed sometimes, I start to feel like I need to make poo poo but I can usually hold it for long if I can get some farts out quickly. It started to happen, so I lifted one of my cheeks off the seat slightly, and let one loose. He didn’t move an inch but all of a sudden I noticed he wasn’t leaned over his desk anymore, his back was on the backrest of his seat and he was leaning way backwards, as if he had seen it coming. Then I remembered what he said about “if I sh*tted on his desk, blah blah blah”, and about my yellow thong. How did he know my thong was yellow? Did he know I would get gas? So many things were going through my mind. But all of a sudden I didn’t want to escape from this creepy weirdo anymore, I started to feel really comfortable. Then he continued: “ … Welcome to my happy place. I invited you here because you are really sad deep down inside. Every time I look at your new Armani skirt suit, your new Louis Vuitton shoes, yet another new pair of Versace sun shades and your new limited edition Prada bag or whatever designer is trending at the time, I think to myself how happy you’ll never be if you continue to seek happiness on the outside. It makes me sick. And it f*cks up my whole day, every day”. He continued: “You see, our minds can never meet because I’m way too far advanced. But when your time comes and you too advance along the path, I will conquer you”. And then he added the weirdest thing I’ve ever heard. He said: “I’ve made you happy, now go to your office and take off your garments”. All of a sudden it felt creepy and yukky again. I covered my breasts even though they were not exposed. He said: “Take this special gift, it’s more expensive than anything you’ll ever own. I forgive you”. I put my hand out to receive the gift but he just got up, walked over to the light switch, turned the light on and opened the door. I pouted and walked out without making eye contact, still covering my breasts. I grabbed my shoes and walked back to my office. 

When I sat in my office chair to write this article, a sudden sense of clarity overwhelmed me. Something had changed inside me, and I suddenly understood everything "The Imagination Guy" had said and everything he meant from start to finish. I closed all the blinds and locked the door. I took off all the designer clothes that had made me so happy for so long, my shoes, my wrist watch, my necklace, my bracelet, my ankle bracelet, my other necklace, my other bracelet, my tongue ring, my nose ring, my ear rings, my nipple rings, and my belly button ring. The only things I had left on me were the 12 diamond encrusted studs on my … err… my ... umm... my "Dua Lipa" (that’s my vagina). They're the most expensive fashion accessories I wear that are not fashion accessories at all. I can sense you are eager to know why so I’ll tell you. You see, I like to wear really short skirts. But I also like to drink and party all the time. The 12 diamond studs I wear are fitted backwards. That means I’ve got 12 diamond encrusted spikes on the inside of my, err… "Dua Labia". Not just to prevent anyone from breaking into my, err… "house" (that’s my vagina too) but also to prevent them from leaving. I know – Ouch! Right?

I know all the ladies reading this really feel me on that one. But before you go rushing down to your local cheap ass piercing and tattoo parlour, I must warn you that this was a custom job tailored to the specific shape and size of my, err… my "lady lips". If done improperly, you’d have to walk like a man – like you’ve got two big wrecking balls and a pendulum in between your thighs – and nobody would want you anyway, so it would be pointless. Let’s move on.

But what was the gift “The Imagination Guy” spoke of and why did he not give me anything?

The whole incident was just too weird and complicated, so I thought to myself: “Fuck that guy”. 

Then I took a deep breath and, just as I was about to close my eyes my phone rang. It was my new intern. She’s been late every single day since I hired her. She always has an excuse and she says it with confidence while looking me straight in the eye each time. It's always somebody else's fault, never hers. You see, normally I would take pleasure in yelling at her: “Where the f*ck have you been??” Or “What f*cking time were you supposed to be here??” Or my favourite: “What time is it in your blissful f*cking universe??”. It’s my favourite because she never gets it. It’s from the old saying: “Ignorance is bliss”. It’s my way of calling her ignorant. I even gave her the nickname “Bliss” and she ran with it and uses it as her rap name now, he-he-he. What a knucklehead. Anyway, it occurred to me that maybe I had taken so much pleasure in yelling at her for being late that it made me happy and I in fact looked forward to it every day. So essentially, I was somehow subconsciously making her late. But it was different today, maybe because she couldn’t hear me breathing angrily over the phone and hitting the telephone receiver on the table many times furiously or in the case of video calls, grabbing the computer monitor and shaking it furiously – I was totally chilled and silent as I waited for her excuse. She didn’t seem as confident but nevertheless, she had an excuse. She said: “I’m sooooo sorry I’m late again but it wasn’t my fault; my dog got hit by a cat”... She meant to say “hit by a car”. I said to her: “Just take the day off”, and hung up the phone. I couldn’t believe I was so chilled. I put my head on the headrest of my chair for the first time and then my eyes closed slowly. 

The insane words of “The Imagination Guy” replayed in my head: 

“I’m so happy right now that if you pulled that yellow thong to the side and sh*tted on my desk I wouldn’t even be mad at you – that’s how happy I am. That’s why I’m always going somewhere every time you see me - to my happy place”.

I chuckled, I’ve never chuckled before. The whole experience started to seem funny and I saw everything that had occurred slightly differently in my head - like I was watching a TV drama or something. I saw my whole life flash before my eyes, and I realised how angry and miserable I had become deep down inside over the past few years. I had so many opinions and reservations about so many things and so many people, and none of them mattered even the slightest bit. I’d spent days and nights doing squats to make my butt tighter and tighter, with amazing results, but I didn’t realise that my mind was balled up tighter than a fist. I imagined a tightly closed fist unclenching in my mind and when it opened fully it revealed a large glowing ball shining brighter than the sun, getting brighter and brighter till I was blinded inside my own mind and consumed by the light. For some reason I struggled and I felt like I couldn’t leave for a moment, then I realised all I had to do was open my eyes. I opened my eyes, and then I took many deep breaths, like one would do after a weird dream. It felt like I had travelled a thousand miles away, yet I hadn’t moved. Everything was slightly blurred, as if I had just woken up from a deep sleep. Then my eyes cleared and I blurted out these words, like a crazy person: “I forgive you”. Those were the exact last words of “The Imagination Guy” before I left his office. That was his gift to me – the unclenching of the fist - the forgiveness of the people of the world for being such f*cking douche bags, the forgiveness of myself for not achieving my goals as quickly as I wanted, and the forgiveness of God for letting it be so. I suddenly remembered I was completely naked. I jumped up and put all my clothes back on and wondered what the f*ck had just happened. Then I got back to work.

I grabbed the CD on my desk that had been placed there by those pesky A&R guys for me to review, hit the play button, and now we are about to get right to the music review. So let’s do it. And yes, I still have a CD player. I’ve even got a cassette player too. I don’t f*ck with Spotify, but maybe all that will change after today, since I’m not angry at the world anymore. I might even use Chat GPT and make a health drink using AI. Just kidding – I will NEVER use AI. F*ck that! I’m perfectly content with the services and results of my real brain. The last thing I need is something thinking for me – I don’t even let PEOPLE think for me, I make my own decisions - f*ck everybody! Oh wait, I forgot, I forgave you all. I take that back 😊. “Phew!! Deep breaths, deep breaths, deep breaths”.

Okay let’s do the music review now. You are totally ready. You're gonna love this track. 

Just in case you are here for the first time, I’d like to welcome you but also inform you that we don’t f*ck around with throwaway music here. We do exactly that with “throw away” music, we throw it away. I must confess I have way too many CDs in my trash can right now though. Some of them deserve to be in there and some of them don’t. Others, I couldn't decide; so I put them in there too - I generally like to stay away from anything that creates doubt or uncertainty in my mind. The main one at the top of the pile is “The Tortured Poets Department”. I’ve never listened to Taylor Swift. I know you think that’s impossible but it’s true. And sometimes, to be honest I hope I never have to. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying she sucks – I’m just saying I’ve never been compelled to listen to a Taylor Swift song, or had any reason to do so. I’ve never listened to Justin Bieber, Drake, Kendrick Lamar or J. Cole either. Cardi B? NEVER! I’ve listened to one Nicky Minaj song though – the one with the MC Hammer beat. But all their latest CDs are in my trash can right now regardless 😊. I like that Steve Lacy song “Bad Habit”. I listened to a little Ice Spice the other day and it was cool – but only one song, the rest of the CD was annoying. It was like listening to the same song over and over again, remixed by AI or someone who didn't realise that's what it sounded like. It almost made me sick. I’ve got 2 extra trash cans on reserve for all Katie Perry’s future releases. But again I’m not saying she sucks, I just disliked that “I kissed a girl” song so much that I never wanted to ever hear another Katie Perry track. 

I hope I haven’t hurt any established mainstream artists’ feelings with my words, I totally meant to. Just kidding, he-he-he. To be honest, I doubt that any new mainstream artist that came out during the past year could satisfy me musically either. With all the sex music playing on the radio today, many new mainstream artists have a better chance of giving me an orgasm than an eargasm. And anyone who has ever tried knows – that’s a pretty big task in itself, so they should consider it a win. In fact, the last time my boyfriend saw me "melt" (that means cum), I saw a single tear roll down his cheek – a happy tear. So f*ck listening to all that porn music, I’ve got 16 vibrators and a boyfriend in every office building within a 10 mile radius so, when I turn on the radio you can bet your last penny I don’t wanna hear about anybody’s stretched out, vinegar needing vaginas and dirty butt plugs (please). By the way, I'm totally not a slut, I promise. Very few people have physically seen those 12 diamond encrusted studs I told you about earlier. In fact, I haven't taken them out for many days.  

Now where were we? 

Ah yes, my musical tastes. 

I’m not old, but one of the most exciting songs I’ve heard recently was “I’m Your Puppet”, by James & Bobby Purify. The track was released back in 1966 under the Universal Music Group imprint. Here’s a link, so you can get an idea of how I would have to feel after listening to a song to say it was really good. I only need to listen to the first 10 seconds of this track to get lifted. 20 seconds of it and I’m already in heaven. 30 seconds and I’m sprawled out on my office floor like a child making snow angels and floating away to my holiday home. 

To be honest with you, I never really like to tell people why I like a song when I write a review. What if I told you the first time I heard this track I pictured doing something you'd never do? Or feeling some way you'd never feel? That would be pointless because you probably wouldn't even bother listening would you? I wouldn't. Instead, I make my readers realise that there isn’t a chance in hell of me writing a review about a song or album I don’t like. It baffles me when I see people spend precious time talking about things they hate when there isn’t enough time in the world to talk about all the amazing things there are to love. I stumbled upon a post on Instagram yesterday that had me itching to comment but I had to restrain myself harder than a 13 year old boy watching his first hip hop music video. Luckily I've mastered the art of self control and I practice everyday. The video was at least one minute long. It was Tiffany Haddish saying something about people who supposedly dislike her and don’t want her to succeed. This was apparently right before she was about to go on stage. I couldn’t believe anyone would take a whole minute out of their day to address people who don't like them. I have long advocated for a Dislike button on Instagram, but no one is listening. 

Now that you know the song you are about to listen to is nothing short of a classic that you must add to every single one of your Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and Tidal playlists, I really don’t feel the need to say any more about it, but let’s keep going. The first thing I like about the new song by rising Los Angeles, US singer Crystal Starr is that it makes sense all the way through. The lyrics, the production, the instrumentation, performance style and even the music video all fit nicely together to paint the same picture; and everything is exactly where it needs to be. It's a breakup song about a frustrated lady who has had enough. The mare fact that I could tell you what it was about in one short sentence by the 30th second of the track is another plus. It's simple and straight to the point. 

What made this song even more special for me was that I’ve been listening to Crystal Starr since she made her debut over a decade ago with songs like “Barracuda”, “Bang, Bang” and “Payback”. She had a retro pop sound back then, and has moved slowly and gracefully towards a more contemporary pop sound over the years. She has managed to do it without sacrificing any artistic integrity. Everything she creates is still original, fresh and meaningful. I don’t know if she writes her own songs but she performs them like she does. Everything feels so real and natural, not choreographed like a, well, “puppet”. 

Pour yourself a drink, quick!


MUSIC


R&B REVIEWS


26-02-2022 00:12 GMT


Music Reviews (February 2022) - Discover the best emerging, underground & upcoming R&B artists, bands & labels with reviews of the latest songs, albums & mixtapes, music videos, music playlists, live events/gigs, concerts/tours, & other entertainment from your favorite indie R&B performers & entertainers daily on SRL Music Reviews.
Music by indie artist, Marco Richh on Spotify | Apple Music


Marco Richh

"Party"
R&B


Pour yourself a drink, quick!

Lately it’s been seeming like just when you breath that final sigh of frustration and think to yourself that the world has hit the lowest low it could ever possibly hit and that nothing at all could get even the slightest bit worse, the universe kicks things up a notch and proves us wrong; as if to remind us – there is ALWAYS worse. Of course you always knew that and you never forgot, because you are so wise and you’ve seen and been through so much; but it reminds you anyway and shows you things that make you remember to cherish every single thing you have and that you are able to do or are doing right now, this very moment in your life. In fact while you are reading this you should even give yourself a big pat on the back just for the mere fact that you are reading something longer than Twitter’s 280 character limit – what is being called the new average attention span of a human being. Can you believe that ish? Nobody reads anymore, not even if there was the slightest possibility of getting rich from the information that is acquired after the 281st character. But wait, "how many characters have we reached?", I hear you think, because your mind remembers seeing the word "richh" somewhere at the start. That was just the artist's name, but don't worry there is still a chance you could get rich if you are not already elbow deep in the universe's "tangible measure of quality and increment" already. Wait, you didn't know that was what money was? Of course you did, silly me. How else would you have amassed so much of it or be planning to. For the sake of the nerds who want to know now because I’ve aroused your curiosity about where this is all going – by the end of this sentence you would have read 1313 characters including all the punctuation marks and spaces. But give or take a few characters thanks to those big-headed editors. You’re so awesome right now either way. 

But where were we? Ah yes; this crazy, crazy world that just keeps getting crazier and crazier. What to do, what to do. There’s only one thing to do for now because it’s Friday night and nothing could be more shameful than wasting a perfectly good Friday night. Forget about all the craziness, forget about getting rich (or richer), forget about your problems, who's hating, who's watching, who owes you money; what Kanye West is planning; how A$AP Rocky got Rihanna; and just let go. It’s time for some good old me time. Don’t worry, all your problems will still be there when you are ready to go head to head with them one more time. But this time you’ll be refreshed and re-energized, and you'll do it like it’s your first time. I promise you, you’ll kick ass (not like your first time doing "you know what" with "you know who" though - you were totally awful 🤣 - you went in like a raging bull instead of being strategic and calm). 

So let’s get right down to it shall we? 

This song right here was chosen for all the wrong reasons but it turned out to be the perfect choice. Of late it’s been seeming like all the songs and albums we’ve been reviewing have been getting the best praises so we thought we’d shake things up and look for something a little off. Not to wipe the disgusting smiles off those  skinny jeans, Yeezy sneakers wearing; tattoo having; "I’m a God" thinking, "I blow myself a kiss in the mirror every morning before I leave the house" guys in the A&R department obviously (he-he-he); but just for the fun of it. Besides, people seem to like crappy stuff nowadays, I mean look at the clothes they're wearing. They look like they should also come with body odour and a musty smell to make them more authentic bum attire. After all why look used if it doesn't smell used right? More of the world's craziness - like non-alcoholic beer, and smokeless bongs (WTF). So of course we turned to something a little pop-ish. Pop is going through a serious identity crisis right now so we were certain we’d find a crappy song that thinks it’s the bomb without too much work. But alas, those supercool, self-righteous bastards at A&R won again – this song was awesome! 

Released back in the heat of the pandemic of 2019, “Party” is a record that is yet to get the full attention and praise it deserves, but as music fans and the rest of the world emerge from hiding and start to discover new things again, critics are saying it could be a massive summer hit this year. Let’s not waste anymore time discussing it. We’ve already agreed that you’re going to let go and just chill out tonight because it’s Friday, so what are you waiting for? Pour yourself a drink and put your best (oops!! dirtiest and most torn) clothes on. Get your socks with the holes as well, and pull last week's underwear out of the dirty clothes hamper so you are authentic. You don’t have to go out but you’ll be doing a whole lot of dancing tonight. Let’s go! 

Your 2022 Winners Anthem


MUSIC


R&B REVIEWS


16-01-2022 15:21 GMT


Music Reviews (January 2022) - Discover the best emerging, underground & upcoming R&B artists, bands & labels with reviews of the latest songs, albums & mixtapes, music videos, music playlists, live events/gigs, concerts/tours, & other entertainment from your favorite indie R&B performers & entertainers daily on SRL Music Reviews.
Music by indie artist, Tamara Bubble on Soundcloud | Spotify


Tamara Bubble

"Wayward"
R&B


Your 2022 winners anthem.

Really big song by New York sensation Tamara Bubble. If you've been following this exciting fast-rising independent Brooklyn rapper slash singer slash pop star in the making, then you don’t need a rocket scientist to tell you what to expect here – nothing but excellence. And excellence is exactly what you get. If you haven't been following her already, where the hell have you been and what have you been listening to? She's only the best thing to happen in rap music since it became acceptable to wear a thong on television. This one’s got a more melodic feel than most of her recent releases and does well to showcase her R&B performance style in all its glory. This is one of those songs that will always do well to pick you up when you are feeling like you are fighting a losing battle, and give you that extra push at the gym or when you need it most in your endeavors. It’s a track about believing in yourself - the most important thing in life

Music Review: Moves by Cj TheBest - R&B - Texas, USA | Music Discovery XO


MUSIC
R&B REVIEWS

15-10-2020 15:40 GMT


Music Reviews (October 2020) - Discover the best emerging, underground & upcoming R&B artists, bands & labels with reviews of the latest songs, albums & mixtapes, music videos, music playlists, live events/gigs, concerts/tours, & other entertainment from your favorite indie R&B performers & entertainers daily on SRL Music Reviews.
Music by indie artist, Cj TheBest on YouTube | Spotify


Cj TheBest
"Moves"
R&B


Slow and sexy wins the race

When the history books are written this song will probably go down as one of the last real original R&B songs ever written and performed by the same artist, alongside the rest of Cj TheBest’s exquisite repertoire. “Moves” was one of the emerging Texas, US R&B star’s very first records and till this day is still a favorite of anyone who has inevitably followed ever since. Cj offers a sound that is not only unique but also pays homage to many of the exciting qualities that were typical of music by the pioneers of R&B. “Moves” came at a time when singers were starting to venture off in all directions except straight ahead in a bid to find the next big R&B sound, but Cj somehow managed to create his adhering to all the very same rules and principles that made the genre what it was in its prime. 

Music Review: Netflix & Chill by Cj TheBest - R&B - Texas, USA | Music Discovery XO


MUSIC
R&B REVIEWS

13-10-2020 14:37 GMT


Music Reviews (October 2020) - Discover the best emerging, underground & upcoming R&B artists, bands & labels with reviews of the latest songs, albums & mixtapes, music videos, music playlists, live events/gigs, concerts/tours, & other entertainment from your favorite indie R&B performers & entertainers daily on SRL Music Reviews.
Music by indie artist, Cj TheBest on Spotify | Apple Music


Cj TheBest
"Netflix & Chill"
R&B

  
Released back in 2016, “Netflix & Chill” is an R&B classic, like almost every song on emerging Texas, US R&B sensation, Cj TheBest’s critically acclaimed “Round 2” album. It’s smooth and mellow with an utterly relaxing and sensual vibe. One of those tracks that will put you in the mindstate of sex god in silk boxers after all the drink money has kicked in and she looks like she’s ready. Add this to the very top of your “Booty Call” playlist. 

Music Review: Round 2 by Cj Thebest - R&B - Texas, USA | Music Discovery XO


MUSIC
R&B REVIEWS

03-10-2020 11:11 GMT


Music Reviews (October 2020) - Discover the best emerging, underground & upcoming R&B artists, bands & labels with reviews of the latest songs, albums & mixtapes, music videos, music playlists, live events/gigs, concerts/tours, & other entertainment from your favorite indie R&B performers & entertainers daily on SRL Music Reviews.
Music by indie artist, CJ TheBest on Spotify | Apple Music


CJ TheBest
"Round 2"
R&B


KO

In 10 tracks and just over 35 minutes, this exquisite and versatile R&B masterpiece will have you on your back in a blissful state of ecstasy making snow angels. Right from the very first song, “Gold Digger” - a cutting-edge rock infused R&B party song; to the last, “DJ Love” - a relatively more conventional club record that’s guaranteed to start a party every time; “Round 2” is an album that offers a fun and adventurous listening experience with a different yet ever so familiar vibe on every track. Experience the best of emerging Austin, Texas R&B superstar, CJ TheBest’s signature sound in all its glory. 

Music Review: Testing by Cj TheBest - R&B - Texas, USA | Music Discovery XO


MUSIC
R&B REVIEWS

30-07-2020 18:13 GMT


Music Reviews (July 2020) - Discover the best emerging, underground & upcoming R&B artists, bands & labels with reviews of the latest songs, albums & mixtapes, music videos, music playlists, live events/gigs, concerts/tours, & other entertainment from your favorite indie R&B performers & entertainers daily on SRL Music Reviews.
Music by indie artist, Cj TheBest on Spotify | Soundcloud


Cj TheBest
"Testing"
R&B


Good vibes

The first time you hear this sexy, slow-burning, ear-watering masterpiece, you’ll want nothing more than to grab whoever’s closest to you and press them really tight against your body with love – don’t say you weren’t warned. This will take you back to the days when groups like KCi & Jojo and Boyz II Men were sitting on top of the world. It’s a love song about never giving up on love. Really simple, quiet and smooth vibe all the way through, yet so hot it'll melt your wax.

Music Review: Gold Digger by Cj TheBest - R&B - Texas, USA | Music Discovery XO


MUSIC
R&B REVIEWS

29-07-2020 17:42 GMT


Music Reviews (July 2020) - Discover the best emerging, underground & upcoming R&B artists, bands & labels with reviews of the latest songs, albums & mixtapes, music videos, music playlists, live events/gigs, concerts/tours, & other entertainment from your favorite indie R&B performers & entertainers daily on SRL Music Reviews.
Music by indie artist, Cj TheBest on Soundcloud | Apple Music


Cj TheBest
"Gold Digger"
R&B




CJ switched up his style for this one with a Rock ‘n’ Roll beat and it worked really well. R&B and rock? One for the books! It’s the first song on his last album, “Round 2”. It set the tone for what was, and still is, one of the most promising and most authentic R&B music careers this decade. If you haven’t heard it yet, something’s wrong with you. No, really; if you haven’t heard it then your music diet is missing real R&B - that’s not healthy at all, that’s like not eating your vegetables. And no, smoking them doesn’t count.

Music Review: Bad Habit by Dorothy Milone - R&B - Washington, USA | Music Discovery XO


MUSIC
R&B REVIEWS

21-07-2020 18:38 GMT


Music Reviews (July 2020) - Discover the best emerging, underground & upcoming R&B artists, bands & labels with reviews of the latest songs, albums & mixtapes, music videos, music playlists, live events/gigs, concerts/tours, & other entertainment from your favorite indie R&B performers & entertainers daily on SRL Music Reviews.
Music by indie group, Dorothy Milone on YouTube | Apple Music


Dorothy Milone
"Bad Habit"
R&B




Released on the 3rd of July, “Bad Habit” is an exciting sensual record that is soft and easy on the ears. Charming, mesmerising and infectious with a warm beat and dark ambience that make it perfect for the clubs. A very quiet and mild, sexy, soft-pounding tune for when you are soul gazing and thinking about all the things you'd do to her, and she you.

Music Review: Everything I Wanted by Jackie's Boy - R&B - Georgia, USA | Music Discovery XO


MUSIC
R&B REVIEWS

05-05-2020 03:33 GMT


Music Reviews (May 2020) - Discover the best emerging, underground & upcoming R&B artists, bands & labels with reviews of the latest songs, albums & mixtapes, music videos, music playlists, live events/gigs, concerts/tours, & other entertainment from your favorite indie R&B performers & entertainers daily on SRL Music Reviews.
Music by indie artist, Jackie's Boy on YouTube | Apple Music


Jackie's Boy
"Everything I Wanted"
R&B



It’s always exciting when artists take a great record and make it even greater. In his latest song, Savannah, Georgia artist, Jackie’s Boy does exactly that. “Everything I Wanted” was released on the 15 of January. It’s a remake of the critically acclaimed song which was first released by Billie Eilish back in 2019.

Music Review: Homegirl by Kileza - R&B - London, UK | Music Discovery XO


MUSIC
R&B REVIEWS

29-04-2020 18:27 GMT


Music Reviews (April 2020) - Discover the best emerging, underground & upcoming R&B artists, bands & labels with reviews of the latest songs, albums & mixtapes, music videos, music playlists, live events/gigs, concerts/tours, & other entertainment from your favorite indie R&B performers & entertainers daily on SRL Music Reviews.
Music by indie artist, Kileza on YouTube | Spotify


Kileza
"Homegirl"
R&B


Love yourself

If you don’t love yourself, you probably suck - let's face the facts. Here’s a song to remind you not to worry so much about sucking or what other people think or say about you while you are getting to know you and finding out how not to suck so bad - that's what life is all about. Alright that's just what we tell ourselves (since we're facing facts right now). We suck too in so many ways (you should see our ashtrays), but we're trying hard. “Homegirl” is the brand new single by London based German singer songwriter, Kileza who is quickly making a name for herself in the UK. It was released on the 30th of January and has received nothing but high praises from some of the most discerning R&B critics out here. It’s a very pop-oriented song compared to most of her releases prior but it’s a pop record that not only makes sense but also has a positive message. It's becoming harder and harder to come by either of those qualities on a pop record these days, let alone both - how refreshing!

Music Review: Henny & Patron by Idrise - R&B - California, USA | Music Discovery XO


MUSIC
R&B REVIEWS

15-04-2020 00:35 GMT


Music Reviews (April 2020) - Discover the best emerging, underground & upcoming R&B artists, bands & labels with reviews of the latest songs, albums & mixtapes, music videos, music playlists, live events/gigs, concerts/tours, & other entertainment from your favorite indie R&B performers & entertainers daily on SRL Music Reviews.
Music by indie artist, Idrise on YouTube | Spotify


Idrise
"Henny & Patron"
R&B


To the club!

Whether you came out of the womb listening to Red Hot Chilli Peppers and smoking a cigarette or you completely shunned your mum’s breasts, kissed your teeth and went looking for your daddy, this song will make you twist your waste and shake it all around like it’s your birthday and you’ve got more toilet paper in your basement than an African elephant. It’s a celebratory track with a positive vibe and a distinctive sound that’ll make even your speakers wonder. “Henny & Patron” is poised to be a 2020 summer hit. As the title suggests, it’s about having a good time.  

Music Review: Coulda But Didn't by Mal V Moo - R&B - Ohio, USA | SRL Reviews


MUSIC
R&B REVIEWS

08-03-2020 17:25 GMT


Music Reviews (March 2020) - Discover the best emerging, underground & upcoming R&B artists, bands & labels with reviews of the latest songs, albums & mixtapes, music videos, music playlists, live events/gigs, concerts/tours, & other entertainment from your favorite indie R&B performers & entertainers daily on SRL Music Reviews.
Music by indie artist, Mal V Moo on Spotify | Apple Music


Mal V Moo
"Coulda But Didn't"
R&B


A well deserved thumbs up (not the Facebook type)

[Disclaimer: this music review was written by a couple of no good hip hop heads whose favorite hip hop music playlist has only one song in it. The song is titled “Suicidal Thoughts” by the Nototious B.I.G. Listen to it here if you are unfamiliar with it before proceeding any further; or proceed all willy-nilly at your own risk [Listen]. The song is explicit and holds nothing back, so if you can stomach that then you are ready to read further. If you can’t, just hit the play button and listen to the ensuing song, it's the stuff gospel music dreams are made of. You’ve never heard a gospel song like this and you’ll love it so much you’ll thank yourself for discovering it and come back here everyday to look for more like it. Sure, we the strict and thorough editorial team could have pulled this review and sent a warning to those two knuckle heads for being so blunt and offensive, but for the sake of freedom of speech and keeping artistic integrity alive, we decided to publish it - sorry if you hate it.]

Who is this God, and where can he be found?

For many visitors to this blue and exciting planet we call Earth, the above is one of the first and often most important questions, and sadly one that is followed by more words than an encyclopaedia but less answers than a politician. Will we ever find him? Well, of course not - don't ask how we know, we just do.

Sadly, this song won’t answer your questions but it will do well to lead you down a yellow brick road of faith, hope and unconditional love inside yourself, much like the Bible – or as we call it here – the only book that has been touched by more hookers than Charlie Sheen’s penis. Okay so maybe Mary Magdalene wasn’t a repentant hooker, and maybe she didn’t have drugs so good you’d survive a crucifixion, but we all know what groupies like to do more than anything else when they meet their idols – oops! let’s leave it at that, we’ve said too much.

So back to the song. By now you should have already gathered that we at the SRL Reviews room only review the best songs by indie artists. We don’t waste time trying to tell our readers how bad what some unfortunate artists spent so much time, money, lack of sleep, and even pounds of drugs sometimes, creating; we only focus on the good stuff. So yes, of course this song is amazing and will make you feel a keen sense of satisfaction and fulfilment after listening to it - not like many of the ones you hear on MTV nowadays.

“But why?” You may ask, why is it such a great gospel song? And here is why – it’s a gospel song that, well, doesn’t sound so gospel-ly. It’s not one of those songs that screams out “go to church every single Sunday, or go to hell!”, or “stop f*cking so much… or go to hell”; "stop smoking all that good weed... or..."; it’s a fairly simple song with lyrics of a gospel nature and the sound of an R&B club hit. To cut a long story short, it’s one of those records you could potentially find out is a gospel record while you are notoriously and enthusiastically grinding, humping and air spanking late at night in the club.

Music Review: Party by Marco Richh - R&B - Arizona, USA | SRL Reviews


MUSIC
R&B REVIEWS

21-02-2020 16:49 GMT


Music Reviews (February 2020) - Discover the best emerging, underground & upcoming R&B artists, bands & labels with reviews of the latest songs, albums & mixtapes, music videos, music playlists, live events/gigs, concerts/tours, & other entertainment from your favorite indie R&B performers & entertainers daily on SRL Music Reviews.
Music by indie artist, Marco Richh on | Spotify | Apple Music


Marco Richh
"Party"
R&B


A monumental moment in R&B

Larger than Billboard.

It’s too big!



The latest release by independent Arizona, US R&B sensation Marco Richh, who is known and loved for his authentic and ever so passionate and sensual R&B sound, “Party” is one of those records that is so big yet so modest that you’ll need to create a special music playlist in your music player for it – and probably be astounded at how many R&B records released today are worthy of making it into that playlist, if any at all. 

It’s one of those records that sets the bar so high when you hear it for the first time, that everything else you listen to for a while is bound to sounds like trash.

If you’ve ever heard grown folks say stuff like “when was the last time a song really made you feel something?”, and kind of knew what they were saying but didn’t really know what the hell they were talking about, this song will clear all that up for you. If only one thing is guaranteed after you’ve heard this record, it is that you’ll be feeling very peculiar, to say the very least – as the case seems to be with many of the exciting, edgy, tatted up, gangster or gangster-ish looking music lovers who were born after the millennium; you won’t understand what that feeling is – it’s soul, a whole lot of it. That is not to say Millennials and generations that followed aren’t soulful, but rather that most of the time many are too busy with other stuff to even acknowledge its existence. And yes, even musicians. This song will take you back to the days of Keith Sweat, Dru Hill and B2K, and then catapult you into the future when real R&B music is back again and musicians are hitting so many high notes on one record you could damn near have an orgasm just listening.

As the title suggests, "Party" is a club banger with a beat and a groove that will have you looking for the nearest speaker, and the biggest one for that matter, just so you can feel the juicy bass rumbling throughout your whole body. No hype is required at all to get this record to number one on the Billboard charts where it belongs. It excels on every level and then goes a step further and blazes a trail in contemporary R&B that not many of today's acts will be able to follow. Download it, don't just stream it free - it's better than that, and you are too.

Music Review: Moves by Cj Thebest - R&B - Texas, USA | SRL Reviews


MUSIC
R&B REVIEWS

19-12-2019 14:49 GMT


Music Reviews (December 2019) - Discover the best emerging, underground & upcoming R&B artists, bands & labels with reviews of the latest songs, albums & mixtapes, music videos, music playlists, live events/gigs, concerts/tours, & other entertainment from your favorite indie R&B performers & entertainers daily on SRL Music Reviews.
Music by indie artist, CJ TheBest on Bandcamp


CJ TheBest
"Moves"
R&B


Classic

Passion is what sets great artists apart from good artists. Sure one could have all the talent and required knowledge to work a guitar or piano and write a hit record, a generous budget and all the right professionals in place to record, producer, promote and distribute it, but at the end of the day it’s that initial passion that determines the success of not just the record but of the artist as well. It filters right through the microphone through analog to digital converters, mixing consoles, fancy plugins and essential ones too, digital to analog converters, your music player, your speakers, headphones, earphones, EarPods or AirPods, the air around you, and finally your ears, no matter what condition they are in; and you can feel it like a touch on your skin. Great artists like Prince where so passionate they were sometimes difficult to watch on stage. They made amazing songs but sometimes you weren’t sure if they needed time alone backstage with the microphone or if they were just really into the song they were singing. Prince would have his tongue out sensually making all types of flicking and licking motions and caressing the mic like R Kelly at his first quinceanera, while touching himself slowly up and down, pointing right at you, playing a guitar and jiggling his butt cheeks all at the same time – how many hands has he got? Prince had so much passion and energy when he walked up to the microphone no one bothered whether he was gay or straight, what the hell was up with his ‘90s porn star moustache, where the rest of his pants were or how a man so small could have even the most macho of men feeling like little girls. He captivated the audience and put them under a spell for the whole show.

R&B music is one of those genres you can’t have without deeply felt emotions, and consequently it usually involves a whole lot of passion. Greats like Keith Sweat, Boys II Men, Mary J Blige, Tony Braxton, Brandy, Jill Scott and Erykah Badu gave us great songs that we could dance to, but they also gave us music we could appreciate in our somber moments as well - sometimes it was the very same songs we danced to. They were versatile in ways that allowed their passion to take various forms that were all appropriate for whatever contexts they explored in their songs and they played a huge part in diversifying the music collections of the new born hip hop fans of the ‘90s while paving the way for the current sound of R&B music, which may seem less passionate but is also an accurate representation of the deepest of the deep emotions many of us are able to feel today – yes, we are not all as emotional as humans once used to be. For example, when was the last time you watched a chick flick and cried? Have you watched “Can’t Hardly Wait?” or “There’s Something About Mary”? Did you cry or were you moved to the point where you found yourself hugging a cushion or pillow tight with your cheeks pressed against it? Well, try watching any of today’s chick flicks – they seem to have a slightly different effect and hair pulling, spanking and horse riding seem to be at the center of it for some reason, or are we watching the wrong ones? Everything seems so sexed up nowadays. When did we all become sex maniacs and muff munchers? Was it Lil’ Kim? Trina? Salt n’ Pepa’s “Let’s Talk About Sex” (one of the best hip hop sex songs ever)? Was it R Kelly? Or was there a point further back in the music timeline when artists started talking too openly about sex?

Musicians have always talked about sex in their songs, but they did it creatively and tastefully until quite recently so we can only blame it on the ‘90s and the early 2000s when PAWGs started to emerge and presidents started getting caught with their pants down in the office and all started looking like they had just or were in the process of getting a trouser friendly kiss every time they were standing at the podium. Whatever it was that happened, it changed our music and consequently our cultures have become more open about sex, and apparently a lot less able to resist an opportunity to have it. Luckily we still have talented, extraordinary artists out there who are still into creating good music that is not always only about sex and when it is, it’s written tastefully such that you don’t necessarily have to be in the mood before or after listening to it. Here’s Texas, US R&B singer, CJ TheBest’s debut single. It was released a few years back and is still in a category of its own as one of the most creative R&B releases this decade. You could tell someone really took their time to sit down and write. It’s one of those songs you hear and think to yourself, “why haven’t I ever heard this on the radio?”.