Kenyon Dixon lives and breathes R&B. He is so committed to the genre, he named his last album The R&B You Love and delivered just that on the set. Highlighted by his GRAMMY-nominated song “Lucky,” the 17-track LP was rooted in R&B of the ’90s and early 2000s. However, Kenyon knows that the tree of R&B has deep roots and wide branches, and he’s decided to get creative on a series of deluxe editions of the project. For the first deluxe, Dixon takes his fans back to the days of bellbottoms and afros to dive into the soul of R&B on the EP The R&B You Love: Soul Of The ’70s.
The EP features three tracks from the original album – “Lucky,” “Lucky Prelude (ILY)” and “Wait” – that had 1970s throwback vibes and the addition of a trio of brand-new songs – “Too Long,” “Never Gonna Give You Up” and “Can I Have This Groove” – that all sound like lost classics from that period.
Kenny’s falsetto is on fire on “Too Long,” a tune that finds him yearning for his woman every time they’re apart. He remains in his upper register with “Never Gonna Give You Up” and keeps the sweet talk coming to his lady as he assures her that his commitment to her is rock solid. “Can I Have This Groove,” the last of the new tracks, finds Dixon professing his heartfelt feelings to his lover for life over a sound bed filled with horns, strings and live instrumentation.
Although born in 1989, Kenyon Dixon did his homework and replicated that soulful 1970s sound to the tee with his contemporary flair on this project. In addition to that, the songs are perfectly sequenced, with the previously released and new tracks arranged to create a mood that sounds as if it was recorded in a time capsule.
Dixon shared some additional insight into The R&B You Love and his forthcoming deluxe edition series on social media. “The R&B You Love [Album] is all about exploring the different eras of R&B/Soul and showcasing how they’ve inspired me,” he wrote. “With the Deluxe album(s), I wanted to take a non-traditional approach and instead, expand on those eras and create more music that gives the acknowledgment of those moments even more context. So here’s a way to reimagine some tunes you’ve already fell in love with. First up, The ’70s! 🕺🏽 Feel the love.”
We feel the love and love the feels that Kenyon Dixon delivers on The R&B You Love: Soul Of The ’70s. His unique approach to The R&B You Love deluxe series not only reimagines the music but reinvigorates the collection. We can’t wait to hear the next eras that he takes a deep dive into on subsequent deluxe editions. He’s off to a phenomenal start.
Kenyon Dixon The R&B You Love: Soul of the ’70s [Amazon][Apple Music][TIDAL]
