Expectations can be tricky. We set standards and occasionally, life meets and even surpasses them, but more often than not, we are disappointed. Relationships rarely mimic romantic comedies and Applebee’s new dish you saw on a commercial rarely looks or tastes as good as you envisioned. Yet, relinquishing all expectation is unthinkable because they motivate us to keep trying. Truthfully, we want to believe that things will be as promised. And when they are not, expectations give us an excuse to hold someone accountable. In 2007, Musiq re-assumed the “Soulchild” moniker and released Luvanmusiq. After 3 solid albums of soulful composition, he had set a standard. I had an expectation; I hoped he would deliver. And I knew that Taalib Johnson (Musiq), the oldest of 9 children, was used to responsibility.

It began innocently enough. “B.U.D.D.Y”, the first single of the CD, sets a playful tone. Over an infectious beat that revisits the Native Tongue’s classic “Buddy”, Musiqinfuses Ini Kamoze’s “Hot Stepper” (originally sampled from Tanaa Gardener’s “Heartbeat”) and sings of the infamous “friends with benefits” relationship with the suave tact of artists of yesteryear who understood that the success of a proposition depends primarily on the way the question is asked. In “Ms. Philadelphia”, Musiq collaborates with co-songwriter Ne-yo to create a song that is reminiscent of the melodic storytelling that characteristically dominates his projects. By the third song, I was no longer convinced that Musiq was going to pull his weight in this relationship. I was concerned that he abandoned the soul just as he had abandoned the name in 2002. “The Questions” sounded like an amateur’s attempt to match lyrics to stock beats saved in a keyboard recording machine. Unfortunately, the next 4 songs did little to redeem my hope. “Lullaby”, “Takeyouthere”, and “Greatestlove” were comparably better, but overall, mediocrity seemed to be the theme of the day. Needless to say, my anticipation of Luvanmusiq seemed as unwarranted and unfulfilling as my excitement for the release of the prequel to Carlito’s Way.

Yet, in the spirit of a true idealist, I listened again…and again...and again. I realized that the trickiest thing about expectations is that they color our perception. Expectations function as the lens through which we filter experience, and occasionally, they are blinding. Luvanmusiq is a decided departure from the Soulstar sound that I love, but it is the beginning of a commitment to mainstream R&B. In an interview, Musiq likens Aijuswannasing to elementary school, Juslisen to middle school, Soulstar to high school, and Luvanmusiq to college. Since college is traditionally the backdrop of experimentation, it is fitting that Musiq Soulchild ventured in a new direction. In this light, Luvanmusiq is a solid R&B CD with some missteps, but an embraceable sound nonetheless. We must give artists room to grow. We have to be patient while they search. We must remain open to an artist’s endeavors, but we can still hope that they retain those qualities that originally endeared them to us.