While it’s undeniable that no two styles of music are identical and every genre offers something unique and spellbinding for listeners to connect with, there’s something really special about R&B. Since its very inception R&B has been just as physical a style of music as it is emotional and audiological.
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Many have tried to do justice to the R&B genre and failed miserably due to no fault of their own, they simply just didn’t have the emotional depth that it takes to stir us in the style of Sam or Otis. But Ronnue does. The Seattle-stationed songwriter and performer released a new single, “You Got Me Open,” this year and it’s been searing an imprint into the underground much as his previous cuts have, but with a bit of a caveat. The insular scene that gave him his start won’t be able to contain his momentum for long, as it’s now clear that no matter how many mixes he cuts of a single, he has but one element he wants us to focus on – his harmonies at their grandest
Ronnue has such a strong vocal range that were it mixed any higher in the album version of “You Got Me Open,” it might have overpowered the backing instrumentation as well as Lisa G. Allen altogether. He’s careful not to force his tenacity on us though, evenly weaving his lyrics between the slow beat of the track like a master craftsman completing an intricately constructed project. There are a lot of minute details within the subtext of “You Got Me Open” and its viciously seductive rhythm, most of which will keep music enthusiasts busy for months upon coming in contact with the song for the first time.
Having spent the last week listening to this single as well as the mixes with J Esq and D08 on repeat, I’ve found that with each sampling of the track, we’re able to discover a different layer of Ronnue’s charms. He wants us to think that he wears his emotions on his sleeve, but this artist is a lot more enigmatic and mysterious in his poetry than most ever care to.
If “You Got Me Open” is representative of the content that we can expect out of Ronnue in the future, then he’s in for a very long and prosperous career ahead of him. I don’t feel like it’s wrong to suggest that he has become a staple songwriter in this new era of Seattle’s casual R&B crowd if nothing else, as he has expert skill at producing sleek melodies that pack an emotional punch as well.
Some journalists have called him a singer from a different time, and to a certain degree, I would have to agree with them. His passionate vocal delivery is what sets him apart from the crowded talent pool in modern R&B, and a song like “You Got Me Open” could easily sit beside standards of the genre without sounding out of place or strangely contemporary in the least.
Chadwick Easton