Of every genre in modern music, R&B is arguably the most eclectic in its body of artists. From soul crooners to the furious high tech beats of club DJs, R&B has become a blanket term for virtually every kind of music that incorporates smooth, dance-inspired rhythms with the sizzle and brooding tinge of the blues. Mikey See, a rising star in the west coast indie pop scene, has often been described as one of R&B’s more experimentally minded young voices, and his single “Love My Body” definitely lives up to his burgeoning reputation as one of the most fearless artists in the entire genre.
YOU TUBE: https://youtu.be/K58bNNsU2VM
If urban music is truly in need of a hero right now, one won’t give in to the commercial interests of big marketing firms and archaic establishment figures who don’t want to see music progress unless it involves making a whole lot of money in the process, Mikey See is nominating himself for the position, and singles like this one are definitely enough to fuel his campaign.
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/iammikeysee/
While somewhat stationary in its melody, “Love My Body” rocks pretty hard for a pop song, and shows off a lustful confidence that is enough to make even the most seasoned of musicians feel a little envious. See weaves his lyrics from a distance over a crudely reckless beat that dabbles in ambient themes before devolving into a thrilling jam, resulting in a gravitational pull that sucks us into his orbit and doesn’t let us escape once the song is in full swing. There are plenty of opportunities to go off the rails and let the volume overwhelm us with its girth, but See carefully backs down the hostility every time it feels like we might be consumed by his flames. To say that “Love My Body” makes for a very engaging listening experience might be the biggest understatement made in music journalism this year. Mikey See doesn’t write pop songs, he creates sonic portraits for us to study and determine for ourselves what their true meaning may or may not be.
The next chapter in the history of pop music will be written by artists who have no concern for the boundaries set forth by those who came before them. Mikey See is dead set on moving the needle for R&B, but his mission doesn’t stop there. What we can learn from “Love My Body” is that See’s music is going to grow and develop on its own terms, and whether or not contemporary urban pop follows him or not is ultimately irrelevant to his journey. I admire the courage it must have taken to make such vulnerable music right out of the gate, and considering the fact that this single is cut directly from his very first studio record, I would have to say that his efforts deserve all the more credit. This isn’t meant to put any pressure on See, but after listening to this new song I feel like I can expect to hear even bigger and better things coming from his camp in the future, and there really isn’t anything in the world that could convince me otherwise.
SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/track/2UfDvBn3H8B0VaTPFIq8qx
Kim Muncie