Category: R&B

Throwback: Black History Month: The Supremes

JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Black History Month and pays tributes to the glamorous Supremes.

Over the course of the lat handful of years, the Roskilde-born, London-based singer/songwriter, musician, producer and JOVM mainstay Marie Dahlstrøm has developed and honed a reputation for being one of the most prolific and acclaimed artists in contemporary, indie/underground R&B.

The JOVM mainstay’s third album, last year’s A Good Life was a deeply personal album that was informed and inspired by the recognition that she contained multitudes, thousands of different selves co-existing and contradicting each other — simultaneously. For the Danish-born artist, she’s an acclaimed singer/songwriter and producer. Producer Dan Diggas‘ romantic partner and creative collaborator. A mother, and on and on.

“These different pockets of life also create friction,” she acknowledges. “I’ve been figuring out where I belong, what I’m supposed to do and how I fit into all of this — because I am so much more than an artist. When you have big dreams or goals and you see time being taken away from achieving them, and going towards something else — how do you make that a positive experience? There are always challenges, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a good life.”

Fittingly, A Good Life thematically explores dismantling the long-held idea that your validity as an artist somehow diminishes when it’s not the focal point of your life and that somehow being a parent negates creativity. Of course, that can be said for artists, who have to support themselves and their creative endeavors with a day job not even remotely related to their passions.

The album also featured collaborations with Jay Prince, Kofi Stone, Cory McKenzie Tribbett, Delleile Ankrah and Sipprell among a list of others, and production from Conor Albert and her partner Dan Diggas.

The JOVM mainstay announced the forthcoming release of A Good Life Deluxe, which will feature two previously unreleased tracks “Glass,” and her latest single “Nothing On You” feat. Odeal, as well as two new remixes and reworks of album tracks “If I Belong” featuring contributions from Samson Jatto (drums) and Jay Asafo (bass) and “Now my Own,” featuring frequent collaborator, London-based rapper Aligo.

Anchored by a shimmering, looping guitar line, reminiscent of The Isley Brothers‘ “Footsteps In The Dark,” a sinuous bass line and a swaggering four-on-the four, atmospheric synths and twinkling bursts of keys, “Nothing On You” is driven by Dahlstrøm’s and Odeal’s yearning yet effortlessly soulful and gorgeous solos and harmonies. While sonically being a remarkably contemporary bit of neo-soul tinged R&B, the song thematically harness back to classic soul — a sweet and earnest longing and desire for a deeper, sustainable connection with that special significant other.

“This song was made in the very first session Odeal and I had together. It was such a natural and smooth process,” the acclaimed JOVM mainstay explains. “Daniel’s production provided the perfect foundation and it felt really natural to develop the song. The song is a true love song – feels like a nice way to start the year.”

Black Yacht Rock Club is a emerging New York-based supergroup of incredibly talented songwriters/musicians/producers and artists, who have in many cases worked with a who’s who of contemporary music — Jerome Jordan (vocals, guitar), Justo Ontario (vocals), Phearnone (vocalist, emcee and violin), Ramsey Jones (drums, songwriter, arranger) and Entrfied The God of Sound (production, songwriting) — that specializes in blending a number of classic genres simultaneously with a contemporary twist. 

If you were frequenting this site last year, you might recall that I wrote about “Wishful,” a two-step inducing bit of synth-driven R&B and funk that I think will remind listeners of The WhispersThe Gap Band and contemporaries like Dam-FunkTuxedo and others, complete with a remarkably catchy hook and soulful crooning.

The New York-based supergroup start off 2024 with “Raize,” continues a run hook-driven, slinky 80s-inspired synth funk — with the new single seemingly nodding a bit at Cherrelle’s “Saturday Love” and “I Didn’t Mean To Turn You On,” Shalamar‘s “Night To Remember” and others but with a incredibly contemporary dance floor friendly break around the 3:00 minute mark. The production and arrangement serves as a lush, velvety for Justo Ontario’s soulful and plaintive crooning. Simply put, it’s the sort of banger that I’d put in a DJ set.