Jamar: “Beat It Up” – powerful vocals and silky harmonies

Hailing from Washington, DC, Jamar is excited to release “Beat It Up” and “Press Play” from his upcoming EP “Room Service”. Working on the project throughout his collegiate career, “Room Service” was inspired by the people who have touched him the most throughout his years at Howard University. Jamar embraces today’s trends in R&B on his latest effort, but he uses them as tools rather than crutches. The blurred lines between R&B and rap suit his writing style as a solo artist. He tends to forgo the graceful, poetic lines that characterized R&B in past eras. Instead, his lyrics are often more straightforward and conversational.

From the very start of “Beat It Up”, his writing style stands out. The song is built for the bedroom, as he describes the excitement he gets at the yearning for the lady on his mind. He makes some playful comparisons along the way – the boxing ring is his metaphor in the visual.

The track proves to be a love anthem that establishes him as a master of melody. The chorus that he sings is catchy, and on his verse he bends syllables in a way that makes the simplest phrases stand out.

Jamar has stuck to the blueprint of real R&B: powerful vocals, silky harmonies and lyrics that either have you seeking love or falling deeper into it. But, he has his own personal twist and finds the perfect formula of incorporating old school into new school.

Jamar stands out as an artist from even just his songwriting alone with its pure emotion, depth and authenticity. He makes feel-good music that can appeal to all ages. It’s always seemed odd that such a talent as Jamar can fly under the national radar, but that’s more or less the way things have always worked here.

Where many singers would go all out, with the vocal arrangements and full-throated, ad-libbed runs, Jamar shows more restraint while still allowing the hooks and beat to hold center stage alongside his voice. This makes for a more homogeneous, less abrasive listen.

If you are a true modern day R&B fan then Jamar is the closest you will get to an authentic soulful sound in the genre’s modern guise. Not every artist puts their soul into their music, Jamar is an exception.

Throughout “Beat It Up”, his pipes are on-point, and is among the crème de la crème, with the urban contemporary artist channeling his feelings through his nuanced tenor, including a dash of ripe falsetto. His voice shines through with great sincerity as he passionately asserts, “I take you to my crib, ‘cause girl I got a plan”. The sexual innuendo is implied, but Jamar keeps it clean and classy.

Everyone plying this craft aims to succeed in music, but all of it is going to take time and effort, nothing is given. I respect hearing people who are coming up on their own. Jamar is one of them, and definitely someone to keep an eye out for in the near future.

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