Using tempo to control the mood is a staple attribute of any keen R&B player both now and historically, and it’s something Jarea Wilson proves to be very capable of doing in her new single, “Love Needs an Answer.” Rather than relying on the swagger in her lead vocal alone, which is certainly enough to make a statement to anyone listening to this melodic track, Wilson gets sophisticated with the arrangement and leans on the groove of the instrumentation to extend the emotional depth of her lyrics. Not only does this put an exclamation point on her verses, but it accentuates the rhythm of her delivery, asserting hers as an execution steeped in precision more than pop predictability.
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The vocal layering in this mix is really amazing, and I think it adds something to the narrative that wouldn’t have been present in this single in a different setup. There are instances where production frills get in the way of our being able to appreciate an artist’s natural skill, but this is a rare case where the mastering of the lead vocal does something to flesh out the quality of our singer’s crooning as opposed to embellishing her sound. Jarea Wilson is still pretty fresh in the spotlight, this being her first single to catch the attention of multiple press outlets and fans the same, but she has a good handle on how to present herself without sounding synthetic in her presence.
Dissonance has been fading from R&B instrumentation quite a bit in the last few years, and this isn’t solely because of the minimalist trend we’re seeing across the pop underground; contrarily, I think it’s because of a lack of talent capable of utilizing it with any real, melodic success. Right off the bat, Wilson showcases a minor-key harmony that tears away at her organic serenade ever so slowly, but her strength at the microphone seems rather empowered by the challenge to her singing. She’s the kind of vocalist who benefits from an arrangement that pushes her limits in the booth, and if this is just a taste of what she’s going to be putting up throughout her career, I’ll be intrigued to hear what she produces next.
Love needs an Answer
Listen to Love needs an Answer on Spotify. Jarea Wilson · Single · 2022 · 1 songs.
I think Jarea Wilson establishes herself as a player who values true melodicism far more than she ever would linguistics, which isn’t to say her lyrical abilities are devoid of potential in this performance. “Love Needs an Answer” teases us with possibilities for both the artist and her craft as it grows with her audience, and although I think there’s nothing more Wilson needs in her aesthetic to sound like a professional ready to take on the elite class in pop music, I haven’t any doubts as to whether or not she’s going to continue cultivating a sound all her own long after this track has been succeeded.
Clay Burton