Almost 20 years ago, the world was introduce to the cuties pubescent boy with vocal pipes that could melt your little sister’s heart. He danced. He warbled. He flashed his smile. He had all the makings (with his curly haired-self) of a mini heart-throb en par with the likes of baby Chris Brown, teeny bopper Mario and the King of the youngun’s Usher Raymond. And his single “I Like It” shot up to 24 on The Billboard Hot 200 charts and 8 on the trade’s Hot R&B Singles. He was just so dang on cute.
Then… a few years later…
He emerged back on the scene in 2008 with the new internet sensation, Soulja Boy Tell ’em with catchy song entitled, “Kiss Me Through the Phone.” This was clearly Sammie’s biggest commercial hit, and christened him in the digital world. Before Drake made streaming seem easy, Sammie and Big Draco sold over 2.5 million in digital downloads and pioneered this artist to fan gateway that has made so many millennial singers and rappers musical revolutionaries. But still, Sammie was a teen. And the only ones wanting to kiss him through the phone were other teens.
But somewhere, some how Sammie grew up.
The singer who fell back to grow up became a man and boy does not only his music reflect this but so does his new image.
In 2016, he tipped his toe back in the water with self-release album entitled Indigo. So dope was this record (and so mature the songwriting- Sammie sharpened his songwriting skills by writing for other artists over the years), Empire took note and gave him a shot with his fourth studio album, Coming of Age. And with the stand out song “Tsunami,” he all of a sudden is not Tay Tay and ’em’s swag. All of a sudden, grown women move from feeling dirty for thinking “Hey maybe I might want to kiss him through the phone.”
So fast forward to 2019, Sammie is 32. With his new 13 track album, Everlasting, the singer puts all of those reservations aside. He is totally grown up and is every bit of sexy as his big brother, Tank. And believe or not, it is ok to listen to his music and not feel weird. It is a quality and strong album, talking real grown man sh*t. People have been asking for a real R&B album and here you go.
An album rich with confessions and lyrical snapshots of regret, it is an album worth taking a listen to. Moreover, it helps you get over the fact that you have watched this little boy grow up into a man.
Stream Everlasting by Sammie below.
