Whenever I’m in a relationship I tend to find myself listening to more R&B and Neo-Soul. My love for those genres goes beyond having someone or not, but it’s often hard to listen to that music when I’m single. I begin feeling down because I’m a) reflecting on my past or b) daydreaming of what it would feel like to fall in love again. So in order to avoid the affliction, I avoid listening to R&B when I’m single.

But, I’m not single right now, so listening to my collection of 90s and early 2000s music doesn’t bring forth tears. It just makes me reflect on my current relationship and the possibilities of what could be. It’s amazing when you can notice yourself becoming intertwined in someone’s life, and you take time out of your day to remember those little things that make them who they are.

There is  such a purity that accompanies getting to know someone, and that purity is something you used to hear in R&B.

A few days ago I tried listening to some of the R&B that has come out in the past few weeks, and nothing really caught my attention. It just all kind of sounds the same. Sex. Swag. Pleasure. Forgiveness. Moving on. I can do better. Pretty little body. Those are just a few of the things that instantly come to mind when I listen to a lot of the songs that hit the radio and the Web. There is nothing original. That purity that I love & cherish, is just continuously fading away.

I honestly can’t even think of any artists on the scene right now that just bring forth such a purity that is reminiscent of the 90s music I’ve come to love so much. Okay, I take that back. Usher is still doing his thing on the scene, and his song “Climax” is such an emotionally driven track that sort of infuses that 90s style with a new school approach (i.e. the slight electronic beat.) But he isn’t a new artist, he’s been around since the 90s and he’s one of those 90s R&B artists that I love. So when it comes to new cats on the scene, yeah, nobody comes to mind at the moment. I mean, I do adore Romeo Santos, but half the time he sings in Spanish and I honestly just love him because a) he’s a cutie and b) his voice is pretty nice, even though I don’t know Spanish.

Perhaps I’m just stubborn, because I’m just going to keep being nostalgic and craving my 90s/2000s R&B. It’s just so pure to me, and it’s the music I grew up on. Some songs will never die for me, and I’ll keep listening to them over & over again. The music from the 90s and early 2000s are truly timeless tracks that can be remixed with some dubstep beat or covered by a new artist using autotune.

You’ve just got to let the 90s R&B remain pure. Don’t touch it, just embrace it. Like folks always say, if it ain’t broken then don’t fix it. 90s R&B isn’t broken, so don’t fix it….just let it speak to your soul. Teach the next generation the true meaning of R&B. It’s more than just laying a girl down and getting the business, it’s about the beauty of emotion infused with remnants of making love, not just sexing to be sexing. SMH, that right there is totally another blog post in itself.

Below are my favorite tracks I been listening to as of late. Mainly 90s/2000s songs that I’ve been in love with for over a decade. Good music!

Ruff Endz- “Someone To Love” (my favorite!)

Janet Jackson- “Anytime, Anyplace” (Janet surely knows how to sing about sex, and it doesn’t feel trashy like some of the stuff out today)

Jagged Edge- “I Gotta Be”

Aaliyah- “One In A Million” (missing her so much. Her music was so pure, so real, so beautiful!)

Maxwell- “This Woman’s Work”

Tyrese- “Lately”

Monica- “Angel of Mine”

Blackstreet- “Before I Let You Go”

Usher- “U Got It Bad”

Ginuwine- “Differences”

D’Angelo- “Untitled” (He sings about sex, but he still makes it oh so pure. Damn….such a good song!)

©Jasmine McGee.ThinkSoul25. http://thinksoul25.com