Avant’s a veteran of music industry and after more than 10 years of making romantic, heartfelt contemporary R&B, the singer-songwriter feels that he’s learned how to infuse the soul of the genre’s most acclaimed artists into a modern setting. On his latest album, Face the Music, he re-establishes his gift for melding the timeless and the trendy. “I’ve been in the game for over ten years, so I was really trying to pay homage to the greats,” he explains. “To me, [the album] depicts what music should be and what I believe music is. Seven albums deep, I just wanted to bring some heat back to the game.”
The Ohio-born singer has an open-mind as it pertains to music’s current state, but he believes that there are certain aspects of traditional R&B that are being neglected — like emotional sincerity. “Everything has to make a change,” he admits. “[But] when you bring real music like [his track] ‘You and I,’ that stands the test of time — because you’re dealing with people’ emotions. Nowadays, all people are writing about is partying. ‘What do I have on? What kinda swag do I carry?’ When you’re dealing with songs that deal with emotion, the people know that we’re going through the same things. My music is sometimes like therapy — it helps you in life.”
