Stanisland Magazine

JayDon’s new R&B album is infectious, with heavy influences from the Usher era

JayDon has long been an advancing force in the music industry, let alone the R&B scene. His vocals — a variation on the soulful acoustics heard throughout the 2000s — have swept both his generation and new ones into a tornado of movement. There’s no doubt his influences reflect that era, creatively adorning each of his deeply contrasted, highly saturated music videos.

Me My Songs & I and a Familiar Sound

We all heard the explosive breakout single — a high-octane whirlwind — and the rest of Me My Songs & I can be thought of in the same way. From the soft melodic imprints of I’ll Be Good to the ballad of Separated, there’s been exceptional work put into this album — one released through Usher and L.A. Reid’s own project “Gamma“. JayDon has been busy crafting music with catchy formulas through glossy optics, presented with visuals to match.

This has often been the case for many artists — take 1% pop to taste to finish with pan-seared R&B, a recipe that served Def Jam Records well. This is especially evident on its lead single Boujee Baby and The Way You Move, crafted by the hands of Blaq Tuxedo — a rising production powerhouse of the game.

This music is interwoven into tracks like Until I Deserve You and Jealous Of The Moon. While they’re certainly exciting, they can feel like part of the old guard’s attempt to resurrect a sound based on current trends rather than artistry. Given JayDon‘s music has been released through Usher and L.A. Reid‘s own label, you can sense their fingerprints throughout.

The Verdict

While every track is an anthem, the album runs out of ideas, and sounds familiar, verging on clichéd. But it’s the flow and temperament of the singer’s cadence that holds it together. JayDon‘s soft vocals and range sustain a balanced mid-tempo tone which rarely changes. Either way, this is an explosive album worthy of anyone’s time — though easily forgettable.