Heads were bobbing, toes were tapping and all eyes were on the man of the hour, R&B singer Avant at an intimate and exclusive listening session hosted by Verve Records.
As Avant previewed songs from his forthcoming album, Wake Up, his enthusiasm for each cut was palpable as he hummed along, gyrated in his seat and smiled ear-to-ear throughout the session. For Avant, the smile was an indicator that he was pleased with the results of having pushed himself artistically for his latest release.
“I wanted something to challenge me and have fresh new material. I’ve done ballads all my life. I didn’t want to veer away from it, but [I didn’t want to] be bored with it either. So with this album I tried to gear it more to young hip-hop stuff,” he says.
Longtime fans can rest assured that even with the change, Avant is still maintaining his signature sound and serving up music that grown folks can enjoy.
“I hate cats who try to get live on every cut on the record. It’s cool to do one or two joints, but you can’t bog down the whole album with that. I’m trying to move on to more grown music,” he assures.
Judging from the tunes we heard, Avant is balancing his newfound affinity for an edgier and younger hip-hop oriented sound with his signature slow jams and ballads, while throwing in a few surprises along the way.
Some of the highlights included a surprising cover of the classic song, “Africa,” by rock band, Toto. The modernized production and Avant’s smooth vocals added a fresh update to the song. Other standout tracks included the potential wedding song of the year, “Walking on Water,” and the inspirational “Never Give Up The Fight,” which was written in response to his grandfather and uncle’s cancer battles. The latter two tracks feature Avant’s emotive vocals which transport you right into the moment he captures with his music.
While his mid-tempo jams were solid, not many of them made a strong enough impression. But bedroom freaks should be pleased with the slow jam, “Hot 16” where he compares his package to 16 bars of rapping that will make sweet music once inside of a woman. Talk about an extended metaphor!
Before the session wrapped, Avant did share some exciting news regarding his reunion with singer, Keke Wyatt. The two last hit it big together with their duet, “Nothing In This World.” “I will do a duets album with Keke with 12 songs — six originals and six remakes,” explains Avant.
Now that’s one listening session we can’t wait to hear. –souleo
