As R&B wavers in and out the mainstream, not far off in the underground, foundations are being laid for the genre’s new age, with Ye Ali at the helm. Having orchestrated in the background for the forthcoming compilation project, he returns to the forefront with the 5th instalment to his Private Suite series.
No time wasted, it starts with Sex In Your Mind, serving as the intro, it sets the scene (the, “in your mind” aspect of this song is such a traditional spin), leading into Good Girls II, switching the tempo up a notch, it’s a similar sound to the current R&B/Drill mash emerging out of New York (and who better to flex in that realm), with it’s notable samples including the legend Joe. Now X3 (featuring 11:11, Zae France and Mizzy Lott) gives us a glimpse into that compilation project. Track 4, Deleting Apps, a great example of Ye Ali’s penmanship, as a lot of today’s R&B are attempts of the golden ages, he actually challenges the norm with his writing and musicality, which sounds current but feels like the classics. Further justified with Missed Birthdays, the sonically sexier of the songs, it’s actually one of the best tracks of recent, especially if you account the vulnerability to confidently deliver such toxicity. Next is the exotic Pree Di Ting (Hold Up), “I know she got a schedule, but I’m not scared to call..”, he opens with, over the warm afro-infused composition, showcasing the depth in his craft. The theme is maintained with Girls From Houston, acting as an interlude before another standout track, Open Late, R&B at it’s core, with the subtle samples, it’s a solid effort with fellow collaborator DCMBR & Benstar, before the actual interlude Pictures With The Opps, breaking the fourth wall whilst restoring the toxic balance (can’t believe she burnt the PS5). Concluding the project with the first and (previously reviewed) well-received single Good Girls.
For a few years now, Ye Ali has garnered a loyal audience and could well have just focused on his solo success, however, he’s always appeared to put the art before him and whilst evident in the quality of these releases, it’s certainly not gone unnoticed as he’s being touted as a successor in the genre to the likes of R&B maestro Tank. With the compilation album on the way and rumours of Traphouse Jodeci 3, the future of R&B is in safe hands.
With competition so high these days, Ginuwine was Usher’s biggest rival in terms of R&B Performer, then the arrival of the likes of Omarion and Chris Brown came and even the rise of Justin Timberlake forced Ginuwine to sit back a bit.
Now with Chris Brown having to step back, Justin creating his own lane, there seems a vacancy, or atleast one last chance for Ginuwine to try, so he returns with Last Chance.
I like this song, it reminds you while you liked Ginuwine in the first place, his voice cannot be matched with anyone else and by the looks of it, he still has some moves, I always felt that he was a better dancer than Usher, he was just more Prince than Michael, which means commercially Usher was always going to get more exposure.
The video features cameos from Tyrese and Lisa Raye, this track and project even is completely unexpected as I was waiting for the TGT (Tank, Ginuwine & Tyrese) project, but I’m not complaining as Last Chance has Ginuwine singing like it literally is his Last Chance, his relevance as an artist may not be the same, he is older and the audience is a lot younger but he has never let that be a problem before (Think back to ‘Differences’)
His previous album ‘Back II Basics’ was not received as well as I felt it should have, it had tunes such as ‘Shes Like’ and ‘I’m In Love’, yet it did not help secure his status nor have an impact as big as ‘In Those Jeans’.
It has been a long journey for Ginuwine since his arrival with Pony, but don’t count him out, Last Chance has every chance to be the career saver that he needs, real Ginuwine fans remain loyal but whether he can gain a new set we are yet to see, if any song will do it..it has to be Last Chance.
ONE Fáris 