Ten

Brian McKnight sounds completely rejuvenated

Brian McKnight grew up in a family where music came naturally. He was a member of the church choir along with his immediate family; his grandfather was the director. With a gospel upbringing, McKnight explored other genres of music. Still in his early teens, he exercised his writing ambitions by penning instrumentals (soft jazz, easy listening). He formed a band and began performing his originals at local venues. His calling to the national scene manifested itself when his older brother Claude and the group he was a member of, Take 6, signed a recording contract with a major label. This year McKnight already celebrates his 10th album, appropriately titled Ten, and 15th year career. But this album takes on special significance. After the relative lack of success of his lackluster 2005 album Gemini, it looked like Brian McKnight's career might be on the decline.Besides there was one more dramatic event that occurred in his life. When a longtime relationship with his girlfriend had lost its magic they decided to go their separate ways. But it should be noted just at that precise moment Brian had a divine inspiration and now he sounds completely rejuvenated.

Ten reveals McKnight’s inner world through the lyrics

Ten is a huge shot in the arm to McKnight's career. He clearly sounds like a man reborn, particularly on the album's first song and lead single, Used To Be My Girl. The song is mostly notable for two things: firstly, one, instead of the songs being aimed at a female, for the first time he's written a song where he's addressing a man; and secondly, McKnight, who usually plays the sensitive role in his songs, gets a chance to show his cocky side, particularly in taunting his ex-girlfriend's new man. The song is virtually perfect in all aspects: the lyrics, vocals and originality are all on point here. The album's second-best tune is the third track, Find Myself In You, which was originally found on the soundtrack to the movie Madea's Family Reunion earlier this year. On the song, a lusty McKnight coos about how much he's yearning to get with his woman after a long day. McKnight continues his more aggressive lyrical approach on other tracks, including the sexy What's My Name, where he lets a lover know who the bedroom boss is; and Unhappy Without You, where he warns a lover than unless than can rekindle their "blissful chemistry," then he'll have to cut her loose. On the whole the album Ten includes 15 tracks. Among them the song that stands out the most. It is Red, White & Blue. A very patriotic song told from the perspective of a soldier at war writing a letter home to his wife and kids back in the United States. The song, which features Rascal Flatts (yes, the country music band) sends a nice message to American troops abroad, letting them know that they haven't been forgotten.

McKnight is a pop craftsman above all

In addition to being a singer, McKnight is a songwriter, multi-talented musician, arranger, and producer. The success he has achieved as producer and songwriter on his own projects has facilitated his popularity as a producer and songwriter for other artists. McKnight is a pop craftsman above all, and there's enough of that on his tenth LP to stave off the sleepiness that he sometimes drifts into. Though listening McKnight’s new creation one can hear his aftermath to the divorce in his lyrical concerns, and in the general vibe of the album, which is both deeply romantic and slightly melancholic. Nonetheless, there's no shortage of sex appeal in the bouncing tracks, or in McKnight's always-expressive singing. Ten arguably ranks among his best three or four albums. Ten is McKnight's first album for Warner Bros. Records. It remains to be seen whether the relationship between him and this recording lable will be fine and whether Brian will be so successful futher. But now the album Ten is a return to form for one of contemporary R&B's best male artists.