Kenny Lattimore
Here To Stay
SoNo Recording Group
Buy via Official Store | Listen Below
In my interview with R&B singer Kenny Lattimore earlier this year, he talked about the ‘70s gospel and soul that influenced him when he recorded his biggest hit to date, the wedding-ubiquitous “For You” in 1996. If you expect that pedigree to keep him stuck decades behind, you’ve got the wrong guy. These days, he takes full advantage of the freedom to reinvent himself on each new project. With his latest effort Here To Stay, Lattimore may have just become “the Benjamin Button of R&B.”
Though contemporary R&B can split fans into factions of old school vs. the new, his embrace of evolution in the genre makes for a thrilling symbiosis in the studio. A singer gets fresh colors to paint with, and some emerging creatives get to sketch on his expansive musical canvas too. Staying open to this shows that even as an OG, he remains a student.
Among those he learns from are upstarts Darren “Champ” Jenkins, Terry Harris Jr., Blake Straus, Bizness Boi (6LACK, PARTYNEXTDOOR) and Fwdslxsh (Lil Nas X). Established hitmakers Aaron Lindsey (India.Arie, Marvin Sapp) and the legendary Daryl Simmons (Boyz II Men, TLC, Aaliyah) bring their considerable skills to the table as well.
The best kept secret in the personnel is Drak-kar Wesley (a.k.a. singer-songwriter Madicin). He delivered big wins for Lattimore with “Love Me Back” (from Anatomy Of A Love Song, 2015) and “Stay On Your Mind” (from Vulnerable, 2017). This time, Wesley steps up as a producer and co-executive overseeing Here To Stay. As always, he brings out the best in Lattimore’s versatile and naturally youthful tenor.
Keeping soul at the center, modern constructions like the lead single “Pressure” read as pleasurable and plausible. And the swag-heavy “Only Girl” hits it out of the park. While the beat knocks, Lattimore croons the smoothest smack talk ever (“Fellas, you can fall back / I’ll be taking all that / I just made sure that / She’s my only girl”).
Lattimore’s reunion with Daryl Simmons is an exhilarating surprise in the track list. Having collaborated on From The Soul Of Man (1998), they make magic again with “Never Knew.” This romantic rhapsody sparkles and snaps, encapsulating the breezy feeling of falling head-over-heels in love.
The honey-and-sunshine feel of that track—and the album overall—is easily attributed to Lattimore’s recent marriage to attorney, author, and television personality Faith Jenkins. That new relationship energy pulsates through Here To Stay, whether on the bassy, bumping “Nothing on You,” or the record’s wildcard, the crushed-disco, future boogie of “What Are You Waiting For.”
This record is for those who love love. From sensual mids (“Take A Dose”) through to a close made for candlelight and pillow talk (“Survive”), the sequence of the album forms a rose petal path straight to the bedroom.
Here To Stay reaches deepest on the confrontational intimacy of “Lose You,” a vibe-forward, shape-shifting track that takes structural liberties and pays off big. Facing the threat of change, the lyrics double as a promise to his fans and reassurance to a lover (“Why would I do something to lose you? / Like your heart isn’t valued / Love is there like I told you / My consistency is what sold you”). Lattimore’s delivery is insouciant, cool, and startlingly frank. If any moment on the record deserves highlight, this is it.
Despite the title, Here To Stay won’t overstay its welcome. Brevity is simultaneously its strength and weakness (it unfolds in less than 40 minutes). The project has no wasted space, but some of these soundscapes make the listener wish for extended cuts.
Still, after building his fanbase, he has to be calculated to refurbish the traditional sound and not cause a revolt. With this disc, Lattimore succeeds in remaking himself without betraying himself. His sophisticated pedigree meets a strong crop of songs engineered for digital streams and radio spins. We love to see it.
2021 marks 25 years since the eponymous debut album that made Kenny Lattimore a star. After this long, some of his contemporaries have lost their drive or taken poor care of their instruments and can’t perform as they might like. Lattimore, however, is beating the odds handily to experience a creative renaissance. Here To Stay is peak artistry and promises to push him forward. Foot on the gas. No looking back. And definitely no skips.
Notable Tracks: “Never Knew” | “Lose You” | “Only Girl” | “Pressure”
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