The Book Of Clarence, the latest film from The Harder They Fall director Jeymes Samuel, arrives in theaters today (January 12th) with a star-studded cast that includes Lakeith Stanfield, Teyana Taylor, Alfre Woodard, David Oyelowo and many more. The film also boasts a star-studded soundtrack, including the much-talked-about collaboration between Samuel (who’s also known as The Bullitts), reclusive soul singer D’Angelo and JAY-Z entitled “I Want You Forever.”
“I Want You Forever” taps into the epic soul vein most associated with blaxploitation soundtracks of the 1970s, with Samuel on production duties (as he is for the entirety of the soundtrack). He creates a backdrop that, while slow in pace, teems with echoes of yesteryear funk. That’s helped by the churchy, syrupy tones of D’Angelo, who simply contributes a repeated chorus for the track’s nine-and-a-half-minute runtime.
“All I wanna say is that I love you so much / I don’t wanna be without you / I want you forever,” he sings, adding an assortment of ad-libs with each repetition.
JAY-Z drops in a third of the way through to deliver a sleepy, spoken word verse as he spins a tale of missing his lady. “Life don’t taste the same without you / Tears in my champagne ’bout you / Quit playin’ girl, you know I’m crazy ’bout you,” he rhymes at one point. “You know that week you ran back to your momma house / Ask my friends, they can vouch / Slept on the couch, ’cause the bed ain’t a bed without you.”
While the song was highly anticipated upon its announcement, it lacks substance and doesn’t quite live up to the hype (or justify its lengthy runtime). We have a feeling, though, that it might fit a bit better in context of the film.
This one might leave us a little wanting, but The Book Of Clarence soundtrack seems to have a little something for everybody. Stars such as Doja Cat, Lil Wayne, Adekunle Gold, Alice Smith, Buju Banton, Jorja Smith and Shabba Ranks all contribute their talents to create a diverse project that helps tell the film’s story.
Listen to D’Angelo, JAY-Z and Jeymes Samuel’s “I Want You Forever” right here and sample The Book Of Clarence soundtrack below as well.
