Anniversary.
10 years. A whole decade passed. September 25th, 2012 was the release date for Miguel’s sophomore album. Thinking back, the first time I ever even heard about him was around 2010 when he went by Miguel Jontel and the girl I was interested in had the song “Vixen” in her Myspace profile page. Miguel started to catch some buzz after his commercially successful album titled “All I Want Is You” so one would imagine his sophomore album to be a big deal.
Image Via Amazon
Fast forward two years later, I remember Miguel building hype around the album and he did that by rolling out three different EPs leading up to the album titled Art Dealer Chic Vol 1-3. Some of the songs off the three EPs ended up on the album which of course they were polished. The main standout out of EPs was the first one. The first three songs released were Adorn, That I Do (FTRMX) and Gravity (which is my favorite amongst them). The version released in Art Dealer Chic was shorter, without the third verse and the bridge. In hindsight, this worked out perfectly because the version of Adorn we have now is wayyy better.
At the time, I was truly enamored. This was a completely different sound that I ever heard of. This wasn’t your typical, traditional R&B where Ne-Yo, Trey Songz and Chris Brown (at the time) were into. The aforementioned artists were actually leaning towards the EDM wave at the time. This was a totally different sound for everyone which was perfect for Miguel. The sound he tapped into with Adorn is reminiscent of previous songs like “Girls Like You”, “Hard Way” and “All I Want Is You”. This was the moody and eccentric R&B where The Weeknd, Frank Ocean, Jhene Aiko and more were emerging from.
Don’t Look Back
The placement of Adorn as the first track of the album was always off to me. I felt like it could’ve meshed somewhere else. Don’t ask me where cause I’m not an A&R. Adorn to me is the song that pulls you in but Don’t Look Back is actually the first track to this world you are about to experience. The build up of the synths, with the bass, accompanied by Miguel’s smooth voice is easing you in. The slow tempo of the song and the climatic point of the hook is exactly the essence of every song in this album. Not to mention Miguel’s vocal range. While it is indeed mesmerizing, the vocal experience is foreshadowing on what to expect: living life passionately, living through every emotion possible (especially lustfully) and more importantly, the act of love as he mentions in the last lines of the song.
Use Me
To be transparent with you, I have this song in a playlist ready, locked and loaded for a special night. When this song comes on, 8 out of 10 I would most likely participate in the procreation of a child. Miguel is certainly in his bag with this one. This is one of the many layers Miguel taps into. The seductive, lustful songwriting is vividly captured off the first few lines:
“Sedate Me.
Salacious, Salty, and Sweet
I’m Overwhelmed By Tasty Thoughts of You”
The arrangement of the guitars, the bass thumping heavily on the second count, this song feels like sex, drugs and rock and roll. During the bridge of Miguel singing in and out, creates an atmospheric musical experience which is felt throughout the whole album.
Do You
Yes, the song is about taking drugs but it’s also about love. Love does feel like a drug so the two can be interchangeable (I’m not condoning the use of drugs).
How Many Drinks
The song is produced by the legendary Salaam Remi who has worked with Amy Winehouse, Nas, The Fugees and BlackThought. This song proves once again Miguel’s songwriting and vocal abilities. He again creates a world where he is completely infatuated with this woman and how he wants to charm her. The snares in the beginning, followed by the futuristic instrumentation, is all tied in with the seductive and sensual essence that is Miguel. Crazy to think this song also had a remix with Kendrick Lamar who was also receiving a lot of buzz from his BET cypher freestyle (remember those?), his freestyles, and his highly anticipated and critically acclaimed album, Good Kid Maad City.
Candles in the Sun
This is the last song in the album but also the heaviest. Moving away from the usual R&B love themes, this is in the same vein (thematically speaking) as Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Goin’ On” or Sam Cooke’s “Change Gon Come”. Of course Candles in the sun didn’t become that impactful but the message behind it in raising awareness of the world around us is imperative.The chorus alone perfectly depicts what crux of what the song is about:
“Diamond in the back, babies on crack
Kick in the door, waving the .44
White collar, war, crime, money gets spent
Candles in the sun, blowin in the wind.”
Not many R&B artists risk themselves and create a song socially conscious. We often overlook life in the grand scheme of things where everything that has an action, has a reaction. With that said, life is too fragile and too short to have violence or anything of that matter.
Different parts, different shapes, different colors, different everything. The album though is heavily sexual and love driven, there’s also themes of mortality and the human experience. Life is meant to be lived passionately, to live in every emotion in its entirety. Even though this album barely speaks about any negative, Miguel touches upon the highest of the highs (maybe literally?). The moment of being in love or the moment falling in love. The moment of making love, or the moment of living in the thrill. All different ways to live a dream, the way you want to. Differently of course.
