Ciara, “Backseat Love”
Ciara taps into her sensual side once again for “Backseat Love.” This robotic, mid-tempo slow jam screams electric sex. Ciara sings, “Backseat, windows up/That’s the way I like to f*¢k” on the hook, and it’s easy to picture her dressed in all black, doing some dominatrix/contortionist dance moves at the same time while serving Janet Jackson realness. There’s no word on whether there’ll be an actual video to accompany the song, but the vocals and music do a good job of painting the sexy picture. “Backseat Love” is another joint from her forthcoming Ciara album, which is available for pre-order on iTunes, and it definitely deserves a place on your playlist.
Listen here.
Joe, Doubleback Evolution of R&B
R&B vet Joe is back to romance us with his 10th studio album, and just before the August 1993, 20th anniversary of his debut album, Everything. He’s still the man we fell in love with, but a little more evolved. The lead single, “I’d Rather Have a Love,” makes it evident that he’s tired of being a player. And then there’s “Love & Sex” featuring Fantasia, which sounds like a nod to Teddy Pendergrass. Joe reveals that although he’s learned there’s a difference between love and sex, he still wants both at times in the ongoing battle to be a responsible adult. At 40, he’s grown, but still a flawed work-in-progress, and his story is told via song in much of what sounds like an ode to the soul songs of the late 1970s.
Available where music is sold.
Beyoncé, “Part II (On the Run)” [Solo Version]
Most of us have heard the Magna Carta Holy Grail version of “Part II (On the Run),” which features Jay-Z and Beyoncé, but this is what is sounds like without Jigga’s verse. No rap, all R&B, and still pretty good.
Listen here.
Mane Rok, The Gemini
It becomes evident after listening to a few of Mane Rok’s tracks that he’s a student of the old school… which makes perfect sense, since he’s shared the stage with hip-hop legends like KRS-One and Gnarls Barkley. The Denver native, who’s also a student of graffiti, is fresh off tour, where he performed in several Pacific Northwest cities. This six-track EP, The Gemini, also features his comrades, Ichiban and InkLine. They describe themselves as an “astrological trifecta” (Mane Rok and InkLine are the Geminis) and keep up with the theme as they rap about beats, rhymes and life.
Listen here.
