If anyone knows how to sing about love, it’s Brian McKnight. The singer/producer/songwriter is on his eighth studio album, Gemini, and while he’s aged, the sound of his songs proves he still knows how to satisfy and sweet-talk women.
McKnight is the master of the R&B ballad — you’ve heard some of his stuff: “Anytime,” the late 1990s slow grind about yearning desire, and his biggest hit, “Back At One,” in which he pledges dedication to his one true love.
On Gemini, McKnight tweaks the ballad formula a bit and infuses his music with different musical styles ranging from gospel, jazz, doo-wop, hip-hop and traditional R&B. He sounds fresh on “Here With You,” which has a warm live band sound to it. On the song he talks a little freaky, but never approaches an R. Kelly level of raunchiness. “Whatcha Gonna Do?”, which features Juvenile and Akon, is weak thanks to Akon’s nasal delivery, but the track doesn’t disrupt the flow of the album.
Like R. Kelly, McKnight contrasts songs about love and sex with songs about Jesus and Christianity. The song “Me & You” sounds like a song that should’ve been in Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ: “And they kicked him, and they spit on him … and they nailed him to the cross and he died for me and you.” If you can get past this duality — some may call it contradiction — then it should pose no problem; after all, one of Ray Charles’ genius creations was the mix of R&B and gospel.
Fans of McKnight won’t be disappointed; Gemini is more of the adult contemporary R&B music we’ve come to expect from him. Just be sure to bring some holy water with your edible underwear because the album takes you to the bedroom and the church.
