Soulful, intimate and deeply felt: this week’s R&B bop is the kind of track that reminds you why the genre exists.
Jaz Vernon – YKTV
Jaz Vernon serves up a stunning contemporary R&B comeback: multi-instrumentalist roots, and a vocal performance that makes two years away feel like deliberate preparation.
“YKTV” sits in the warmth between 90s soul and modern R&B, a space Vernon and producer Gamal have been building toward since they began working together in 2015. It’s just the right spot, as the track carries the gospel-inflected phrasing that came from Vernon’s early training on piano, trumpet and drums. It’s smooth, has a stunning melody and great production. Definitely one for the summer playlists, it captures that hazy, sunlit vibe beautifully.
Vernon is from Far Rockaway, Queens, and his multi-instrumental background feeds directly into his approach as a vocalist. His reference points, Brent Faiyaz and Bryson Tiller, describe a sound that sits in the vulnerable, introspective end of contemporary R&B without losing its emotional directness. “YKTV” is his return, and we definitely don’t want this guy to wait another two years before his next release. A great single.