This is the sound of freedom. Indeed, I Do, the barebones opening single from Musiq Soulchild's much anticipated solo return to the spotlight is a restless, no b.s. statement that defies musical categories and familiar genre tropes. Is it an alternative rhythm and blues statement or a jazz-kissed composition? Is it an atmospheric groove; a new age love song that flashes a knowing wink as it rides a rhythmic pulse that is as brazenly current and immediate as it is strikingly vintage? The answer: All of the above.
Musiq croons over the stripped down track: Sometimes I don t like you/You always got a problem with anything I do...
If you are looking for a safe, color-by-numbers love song, this ain t it.
When longtime fans and music heads take in Life on Earth, an album executive produced by multi-instrumentalist Warryn Campbell (Kanye West, Alicia Keys, Mary Mary, and DJ Quik), they will be experiencing the boundless evolution of an artist who for nearly 20 years has made a career out of confounding his critics while turning on followers to one of the most effortlessly smooth and adaptable voices of his generation. With a string of awards from Billboard, BET, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers and an impressive 11 Grammy nominations under his belt, the multi-platinum Musiq Soulchild has always strived for musical progression.