To say it’s good to have one of the true talents of R&B back is an understatement.
After a few years between projects and releases, Miguel is back on the scene with the Scoop Deville-produced single “Give it to me,” a mid-tempo thumper that is all about working towards getting in the mood if you’re not already there.
A pounding bass drum, hypnotic percussive accompaniment and a welcomed one-two punch of a gliding bassline and fuzzy guitar at the outset of the chorus serve as the landscape for Miguel to entice a potential partner to let go and fly to wherever the evening takes them, presumably to their respective climaxes.
Miguel’s voice, one of the more distinct of the era, hasn’t changed a bit and that’s a good thing. You know what you’re getting when you hear a Miguel song, and that’s something I call Smooth Insistence.
He’s telling the target of his affection and lust what he wants, but he’s not abrasive, too forward or off-putting. It’s confidence that he’s got what this person needs and he doesn’t need to shout, sneer or sneak around to express it.
The ability to woo through R&B is a lost art on the radio, though several others below the radar (Kenyon Dixon and Eric Roberson immediately come to mind) are keeping the smooth male R&B genre alive.
Miguel isn’t the first and won’t be the last to be, but to have him back in a musical landscape that is either headed towards utter destruction thanks to A.I. or purgatory because tastemakers are pushing artists towards TikTok drops is a welcomed return.
Listen to “Give It To Me” by Miguel here.
