Dear 90’s R&B,

I miss you more than words can say.

I miss the R&B that spoke to my soul and made me feel something, the lyrics that spoke to what I was going through at any given moment and time, and the sweet sounds of singers pouring out their hearts over each and every tune. You were the kind of music that no matter where I was or what I was doing, as soon as the song came on, I would be taken back to a certain point of time in my life.

You were songs that made me want to cry, be in love, be happy or hurt and connect. That raw music that spoke only the truth of real situations. Somewhere between autotune and the cross of rappers trying to be singers, the sound of R&B has lost its magic. ‘90s R&B was always raw and unapologetic, made you feel something and sang the words aloud that you may not have been able to speak.

‘90s R&B made love real and relatable, and beautiful. These days, R&B, or what is supposed to be R&B, is nothing more than groupie tales and a good beat. Most of these singer’s lack soul and compassion in their voices. I want to be able to turn a song on again and think to myself, “YES, this is what I needed to hear.” I want to be able to have the song come on, close my eyes and just be in the moment, hearing a singer’s voice and feeling their sound send chills through my body. That is the type of music that is lacking.

R&B music is supposed to be a feeling and a timeless sound, and sadly, it’s been lost in translation. Needless to say, I MISS YOU, my ears miss you, my soul misses you and the culture misses you.

Sincerely,

‘90s R&B Fan #NoBodyFamous

anmcintosh

Writing since November 2017 · 1 story contributed