R&B really rose a notch in popularity this year the help of artists like The Weeknd and songs like Drake's "Hotline Bling", but those gentlemen (and what songs of theirs we love) aren't the only ones pushing the genre forth. There are a bounty of others who are also making waves, and, as we see here, some can be incredibly effective taking a much longer approach. Jeremih, a non-stranger in the rhythm and blues realm, has had an absence of full-length material for a couple of years now, but his latest release—and third album—Late Nights, is a renaissance for the Chicago-born singer. After beginning his career with Def Jam, he dominated the airwaves with sexy, unapologetic track "Birthday Sex." That was back in 2009, though, and, after putting out two studio albums, his career seemed to hang in the balance for those aforementioned couple of years. Plagued by delays and competing on a roster with the likes of Rihanna and Kanye West, it seemed as though Late Nights was never going to be released. Luckily for us, though, it has. While Late Nights is certainly a champion of the genre it represents, Jeremih is joined by a host of rap acts on the project (J. Cole, Ty Dolla $ign, Migos, Future and Big Sean) to help spruce it up. This is no surprise, as rap and R&B often go hand in hand, but the collaborations are particularly calculated, and all really seem to work well. The biggest song off of the album is unequivocally "Don't Tell Em" featuring YG, but other tracks on it deserve the spotlight just as much. The first other highlight cut is "Pass Dat," and, following it, Jeremih slows things down on "Impatient," which features Ty Dolla $ign. The last main standout on the album is "oui", which features an unlikely sample that connects Jeremih's modern R&B with the R&B of the past. The importance of Late Nights is evident in two ways. First, it takes Jeremih's career to new places with its experimental production and dance music influences, and, second, it stand out as a highlight among its contemporaries because of its expert production value and Jeremih's own unique delivery and smooth voice. It's certainly an album that'll please old fans of his, and, given the careful piecing together of tracks within, it's sure to stand out to more new-school fans as well. Late Nights is available on both iTunes and Spotify now.
Jeremih