There’s a lot of music on the radio now that many 35 plus-year-olds feel they can take or leave. It seems hard to find that 80s 90s R&B vibe that many of us Gen-Xers have loved for so many years. It’s why many of us choose to hold on to R&B playlists full of music from that era. Once in a while, we do get a few songs to add to that playlist from today’s music.

People I Am Currently Watching Closely

Poreclan, H.E.R, J Brown, and a very familiar Shawn Stockman have each given me songs that I have quickly become obsessed with. These songs and the voices of the singers give me that vibe I’m always looking to add to one of my many playlists. There are certain musical arrangements and certain ways in which an artist’s voice interacts with those arrangements that determine whether they will be a song I just groove to when it comes on the radio or one I feel I need to have in my playlist on stand-by for when I’m ready to zone out and listen to what I have deemed as MY music. You’re probably already familiar with these and may have already added them to your playlist. But here are the reasons I have decided to add each to my playlists.

Porcelan

Her song Lois Lane initially came off a little cheesy to me. I remember I would usually change the channel whenever it came on because the Superman reference was too much for me at first. One day I was riding in the car and the song came on. This particular time the radio station let the full intro play and just listening to the instrumentals alone pulled me in. It’s something about that melody that I can’t quite put my finger on but in that instance, it felt so familiar and it felt good. It was the first time in a while I sat and let the song play all the way through. The melody pulled me in, then actually listening to her voice particularly in the parts where she sings “I need, need for you to come and save me. From all the bad ones for me.” it’s just something about the way she does it. Those things combined and cosmically came together to make me now obsess over this song. (I REALLY love that into)

H.E.R

Now initially for me, the mysteriousness of this singer was interesting. As it went on, it became kind of an annoyance for me. It made me wonder how far she was going to carry this gimmick, or if it was a gimmick at all. It had me wondering if maybe she just had poor self-esteem or something. Either way, I had kind of written her off. But it wasn’t going to be that easy. I actually LOVE her voice and soft delivery. I love her on the Daniel Ceasar song Best Part, and I like Could’ve Been featuring Bryson Tiller. Her song Focus is what reeled me all the way back in.

J Brown

I have to admit, J Brown hadn’t been on my radar at all. However, his song Sunrise Sunset definitely changed that. I’m so addicted to this song that I am hoping and praying he has more to come with this same vibe. This is the type of song I had to add to my “Music To Ride To” playlist. It’s one of those songs you just want to play on a sunny day while taking a long ride to nowhere. It just feels good to me.

Shawn Stockman

Of course, I’ve been a fan of Boys II Men forever, and Shawn’s song for the “Mr. Holland’s Opus” movie soundtrack has been a long-standing favorite of mine. For some reason, Visions Of A Sunset can literally bring me to tears and has done so plenty of times. His beautiful voice, the orchestra, the entire feel of the song just does something to me emotionally. I Iove him with Boys II Men and I hope they never stop making music together, but I also love his solo projects. His song now playing on the radio Feelin Lil Som’n has me hooked. It had to go in the playlist. It has me wondering what else is coming.

I know us members of Generation X have a hard time deeming new music worthy of us. But these titles here definitely deserve to be welcomed into the basement party. Yes. there’s a lot of music on the radio now that we can’t stand and want no parts of. These songs give us that 80s and 90s R&B vibe we’re always looking for. So open up those playlists, and let these ones in. Make sure when you drop by to add these videos to one of your playlists, leave a comment letting everyone know The Soundtrack Of My Life Blog brought you there.