So welcome to Throwback Thursday, where my Edwin McCain reviews don't feel so out of place! Today, we're going to throw back all the way to 2015, where Jeremih was still relevant. Yes, he had that one minor song with Wale late 2019. My point still stands.
I've always been leery of Jeremih's music. He comes off as a C-list R&B singer at best. Not as personality-driven as Jason Derulo or Chris Brown, though that may not be a bad thing. That doesn't make the majority of his music any less unlistenable, though. Just because he can't hang with the big boys doesn't mean he can't try to make music like them, right?! That's how we get such "gems" as the irredeemably stupid "Birthday Sex" and the dull "Down on Me".
But I was interested in looking at this album, because towards the end of Jeremih's relevance, I admit to finding more of a reason for him to stick around. Shame it happened too late and the American public's attention span is that of a gerbil, but I figured he should he should get his dues through a retrospective of this album.
I'll be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect going into this. I've always loved the soulful and sweet "oui", which remains his best single to this day. But that was one single, and I had my reservations going into this album that it would not be representative of the rest of the project. To my delight, for the most part, it was! But not in the way you'd think.
Jeremih's Late Nights sees him trying on different styles of R&B and branching out with his subject matter, actually sounding like he gives a damn what he's singing about. This album also features a ton of guest appearances, something not foreshadowed by the song "oui", but mostly welcome all the same. I could do without J. Cole's verse on "Planez", as I could do without J. Cole in general. Migos and Jeremih team up "Giv No Fuks" which is a baffling, overlong mess. And Future... well, is Future. But most of the guest appearances work. I like Jhené Aiko dueting with Jeremih on "Worthy", Twista's superfast flow is always welcome on any song, even a slow sex jam, and Big Sean's personality does a lot to save "Royalty" from being a total waste.
But this album doesn't ride or die on its guest stars. Jeremih also gets a few solid cuts in on his own, with the aforementioned "oui" being fantastic, and "Paradise" being a great, subdued closer to this album. Overall, it was a pleasant experience, something I wouldn't have expected from Jeremih at the start of last decade. But here we are, looking back, and I guess Jeremih was okay. Still waiting for his return to real relevance, though.
7/10
Best Tracks: "oui", "Remember Me", "Woosah" (ft. Juicy J & Twista), "Worthy" (ft. Jhené Aiko), "Paradise"
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