Miguel (feat. Kendrick Lamar) - How Many Drinks (Remix)

It's so easy to develop a man-crush on musicians these days. Whether its Frank Ocean or Kanye West, we (meaning I) seem to be constantly wooed by artists constant images of gratuitous celebrity, inventive music, general youth/coolness, and the package of street fashion it all comes bundled in that permeates our (meaning my) most vain desires. Miguel is no different. Miguel, the multi-racial R&B crooner checks off all the boxes on the list. He had some big hits, especially his smash record "Adorn" and he is easily one of the 3 heavy-weights in the R&B game right now, along with Frank Ocean & The Weeknd. He's young and hip, meaning all my friends who are girls love hearing his music and then immediately wanting to fuck the next thing they see. And he's always wearing the flyest fashions in the vain of Kanye & A$AP Rocky. Dude wears so many designer sunglasses you'd think he was included in Randy Savage's Estate Will (R.I.P to the big homie *sheds single tear*). And finally, Miguel just makes awesome music. From R.Kelly type sexual bluntness in songs like "Pussy Is Mine" to politically charged existential statements like "Candles in the Sun" Miguel showcases powerful vocal ability over a keen ear for amazingly contemporary and fitting instrumentation. Though the music is very fresh and inventive, that doesn't stop Miguel from registering in the leagues of Stevie Wonder & Marvin Gaye in terms of staying power and potential to be legendary. I think Charlamagne tha God said it best when interviewing Miguel on Power 105.'s The Breakfast Club, when he told Miguel

"Do you even realize how timeless Adorn is? Do you know 20 years from now we're going to be at cookouts, and that record's gonna drop and we're gonna be like 'Oh that was my jam!'? Do you realize that?" (10:55 in the video)

I doubt Miguel realizes the impact that the music he makes has on the industry, but he's all the better for his inventive and eclectic approach to incredibly soulful music. That's all besides the fact that he can sing like a motherfucker. Dude has immense vocal range or whatever the hell they call it, always knowing when to hit the right notes, and bolstering it all with the perfect background harmonies. It's awesome. To top it all off, the guy is a rockstar. Remember when he had rockstars? There are very few rockstars left. I mean, of course there's the likes of Jay-Z and Kanye, or wannabes like Lil Wayne & Kid Rock, but what happened to people like Jimi Hendrix & Prince? Wretched excess and an in your face style is what the kids are really looking for these days. Miguel is a return to all that, and rightfully so. He released his debut album "All I Want is You" in 2010 under Jive Records, but after poor promotion and a label battle that ended up having Jive absorbed by RCA, the record somehow started charting again, and selling quite well. It was inconsistent, but it had its shining moments, like the title track "All I Want is You" featuring your boy Jermaine Colesworth XIV. It wasn't the best or most groundbreaking R&B release, but it was a glimmering signal of what was to come from the soulful singer. After staying on his grind with a slew of mixtapes, including the "Art Dealer Chic" trilogy, and Mischief: The Mixtape, as well as being on a few track by artists like Blu & Asher Roth, but Miguel's real debut album, Kaleidoscope Dream, was released in October 2012 to strong sales and critical praise. With his punk-inspired lyricism, blunt sexual force, and lyrics and music that would make the most asexual of people want to do the dirty, Miguel was finally on the airwaves and in the hearts of bloggers across the internet. My nigga even won a Grammy.

Sid Vicious if he was way more sus or Prince if he was way less sus.

I mentioned Miguel in passing in an earlier post about the J Cole track "Power Trip" that he was featured on, but I haven't dedicated an actual blog post to any of his own songs or his album Kaleidoscope Dream. Seeing as it was one of my favorite albums of 2012, and one of the most creative and beautiful R&B albums ever made, that decision is almost criminal. Hindsight is 20/20, and I'm here to correct my transgressions. Not Justin Timberlake 20/20 though, that would be sloppy and unfocused hindsight. This is more like looking through a telescope... nay, a kaleidoscope of my musical dreams. The king of bad segue's and having to search Google for 15 minutes to learn how to spell segue is back, presenting a new fresh record from one of the best artists in recent memory. This is the "How Many Drinks (Remix) [feat. Kendrick Lamar]".

Now this is sultry. First off, the music video. Miguel was going for an aesthetic where he could communicate the energy and visuals of his live performances, whilst still making a well produced music video. The silhouetting, the deeply colored light shows, and the play of darkness and flash makes this is a visual feast, with nothing gaudy or out of place going on. Even the subtly of dress, like what Miguel & Kendrick are wearing, complements the overall aesthetic. The song is equally amazing, as Miguel serenades the lady of his choice at a hypothetical party, bluntly speaking on how he just wants to know how many drinks he has to buy her so they can spend the night together. He does it with a confident style, and a mature sense of lust so as to not make it come off as some sort of date-rapey Drake anthem. A high falsetto is answered by a brooding yet nervous speaking voice. The lyrics are cool and reassuring, whilst still communicating a sense of urgency, especially near the end when Miguel breaks into a chorus/bridge hybrid, and starts ad-libbing about how his home is "just a short drive away" and he's not trying to waste anyone's time, as he hits high notes like he's only just started trying. Kendrick drops a pretty romantic verse, but it's kind of strange reconciling the sexual nature of the song and verse with the image and voice of Kendrick Lamar. Not that the verse isn't well written, but it seems as if everyone feels they need a Kendrick Lamar verse as a default, without thinking whether or not it's apropos to the style of the song (see how terribly he hits the note in the middle of the verse). Don't get me wrong, the verse is awesome and Kendrick is currently one of my favorite artists, but the song might have been better served with a rapper who's known for making these styles of songs, like Drake or even A$AP Rocky. Big ups to Kendrick though, the verse continues to grow on me. The beat, produced by the legendary Salaam Remi (who has produced many songs for Nas & Amy Winehouse among others), complements the sonic sensuality, with a harmony of a rising violin sampled from O'Donel Levy's "We've Only Just Begun" from the 1972 album, Breeding of Mind, which itself is a cover of a song by The Carpenters. The thud of the 808s and the rhythmic clap, layered over the piano which gives the song a certain elevator music lightness, all make the production very sexy in a classic, Marvin Gaye or Otis Redding sense. All the elements combine for a track that feels timeless and also contemporary, and could be played in either a lustful social setting, or an intimate evening.

Trying to find a good picture of Miguel that's not in black & white is harder than finding one of someone that hasn't been photographed by Terry Richardson. Miguel hasn't, but time is the great equalizer.

Well, I think I've gushed enough about Miguel and his music to the point that most readers probably think I'm dating him, but its not even like that. I respect dude immensely, from his music to his fashion and his whole world view. It's beautiful music for the people, and it's nice to see another young artist making waves with music that is truly succinct and all their own. If you haven''t noticed, those are the types of artists I like writing about here at Track Genius. Hopefully we see more inventive and amazing music from Miguel and anyone who he collaborates with in the future. If I see a Terry Richardson photo shoot, I'll know he made it.

As always, please share, enjoy, and spread the love. Peace.

~ BONUS LEVEL ~

Miguel was on Saturday Night Live recently, and did Adorn and How Many Drinks live with his band, but with an awesome punk rock twist. It's fucking electric. Check out How Many Drinks below, and click on the Adorn link for that performance. Wop!