When you're a part of OVO Sound, the record label founded by Drake and a few others, you know that whatever you release is going to get some serious attention. That's the case with the mysteriously rising R&B duo, Majid Jordan, and, as we saw with the first single, "A Place Like This", already having gained nearly a million hits on SoundCloud after being released for only two weeks, we know that they're to be taken seriously indeed. The two individuals had been featured on Drake's double-platinum single, "Hold On We're Going Home", too, so there's really no reason why these guys have to stay shrouded for long. The two talents, Majid Al Maskati and Jordan Ullman, are both in a very unique position, as they're able to take their music in basically whatever direction they want, and still get plenty of listens. So, being the brilliant artists that they are, the two have decided to take the high road and release some of the most innovative, genre-meshing electronic-laced R&B that we've heard all year in the form of their debut EP, A Place Like This. "Her" is a previously unreleased song on the EP that immediately jumped out at us with its smooth electronic production and soulful R&B vocals. The song isn't necessarily dark, but it does emit somewhat of a serene vibe through its mellow synths and deep bass. The percussion is crafted creatively, one moment being abundant, but just seconds later, totally absent. Around three minutes into the track, the sound actually fades out to nothing, which would typically establish the end of a song; however, Majid Jordan decides that they aren't quite done yet, and bring the song back for a little while longer, which we love. In addition to "Her", we were first presented the trap-infused R&B of "U" almost a week ago, as the song was released as the second single from the EP. A couple hard-hitting kicks alongside a snare constituted the main beat, we remember, which was constantly glossed over with more percussive elements. The synths were deep, the vocals dreamy, and the song we undoubtedly chalked up as one of the better electronic-inclined R&B efforts we've heard this year, along with their first single, "A Place Like This". The first single had possessed a different vibe than the two previously released songs, being more of a banger than a soft R&B track, but we loved it all the same, and appreciated the dynamic it offered to the project. Make sure to check out A Place Like This in its entirety on iTunes if you find yourself liking our favorites listed below.
Majid Jordan