Onmyradio

The musicians with the hard past

The American musician Musiq Soulchild (whose real name is Taalib Johnson) comes from a big family. Taalib is the eldest among nine children, but he was the most difficult of them – according to the words of the artist, he always made his own thing among other kids. In his early age, Musiq Soulchild decided to drop from the high school in order to go in for music. Later, he missed that decision, especially when the performer left the house of his parents to live on his own at age seventeen. For some time, he worked in different places and had to spend nights in the street. However, in that difficult period of his life, Musiq Soulchild started to get his reputation of a gifted and inventive musician. The artist took part in different concerts, demonstrated his beatboxing skills, performed in jazz clubs or simply sang in the streets of his native Philadelphia. In 2000, the musician recorded his debut disc Aijuswanaseing (I Just Want To Sing) and caught the attention of the public. Since that, he has been nominated for Grammy four times, got several other prestigious nominations and prizes and became known for his total neglect for spelling and punctuation in the titles of his tracks and long-plays. This year, Musiq Soulchild recorded his fifth studio attempt On My Radio, which became his second work on the major label Atlantic Records.

On My Radio: the collection of slow and mid tempo compositions

The album starts with the Auto-tuned track Backagain, which is followed by the gorgeous middle tempo composition Until. The song Ifuleave (Feat. Mary J. Blige) – definitely, one of the strongest numbers on the album – is performed by Musiq Soulchild along with Mary J. Blige. It is a wonderful soul-R&B ballad with the touching lyrics and memorable tune. A relatively speedy and poppy track Special pleasantly revives the disc On My Radio with its beat and has the potential to become a full-blooded hit. One more high-tempo track of the disc is the charming Moneyright. It proves that Musiq Soulchild is still good in creating original and unforgettable pop melodies in the adult contemporary direction. The beat of this song makes the disc more vivid. The sparkling duet of the artist with Damian Marley on Iwannabe (Feat. Damian Marley) is very hooking and mesmerizing. This wonderful composition has a vibe of island music, while the reggae vocals by Marley perfectly interlace the Southern soul by Musiq Soulchild. The track Sobeautiful will demonstrate the piercing and passionate high-pitched voice by the singer. The final tune Radio will give you the opportunity to listen to Musiq’s rapping, which is laid upon the catchy Southern beat.

Eclectics and the Southern temper

Speaking about the musical style of Musiq Soulchild, one can describe it best as the attractive mixture of contemporary R&B, Southern soul, hip hop, jazz, funk and even alternative. The newly released disc of the artist is fulfilled according to these rules - On My Radio is as eclectic as all its four predecessors. If the creativity by Musiq Soulchild touched no strings in your soul earlier, the last long-play by him won’t make a miracle with your musical perception. However, if you liked his previous attempts, On My Radio is sure to please your tastes. Moreover, this disc became the most consistent studio work by Musiq Soulchild since the time of his debut. Although the comfort zone of the artist lies in the field of slow and midtempo compositions about love and breaks, on the album On My Radio he also tried himself in composing relatively speedy tracks and was a success. Such a lucky expansion of the musical repertoire witnesses the personal growth of Musiq Soulchild. Nevertheless, it is also hard to doubt the fact that several best songs on the disc are performed in the moods of the earlier hits by the artist. In any case, one of the major merits of the new work by Musiq Soulchild is not his evolution as the musician and strong tunes, but the Southern atmosphere, which the artist skillfully transmitted on the album On My Radio from his studio and presents to his listeners in the coldest season of the year.