NEW YORK (Virgin Records) - R&B music will soon get a well-deserved boost, as Virgin recording artist
Dwele puts the finishing touches on his highly anticipated sophomore album, "SOME KINDA..." Rarely does a new artist inspire such early critical praise and fan appreciation -- both on the U.S. and international fronts -- with a debut album as
Dwele did with his groundbreaking "Subject" (2003). Entertainment Weekly wrote that the album "spreads sultry, jazz-inflected R&B over subtle but muscular hip-hop grooves." Fueled by the hit single "Find A Way," "Subject" sold over 250,000 copies, based mainly on the strong, word-of-mouth buzz generated from Dwele's dynamic live shows and cool demeanor. The new album, "SOME KINDA...," will arrive in U.S. record shops on October 4 (the international release is October 3).
"I'm really excited to finish the new album and, more importantly, get back in front of the people," says Dwele. "It will be great to finally share new material that I've been working on for several months. I think people will really see my growth as a songwriter and musician." In addition to working on the new record, the artist has continued touring, including recent sold-out shows in London and Paris.
First single "I Think I Love U," produced by Mike City (Usher, Carl Thomas, Nappy Roots), serves as a soulful preview of "SOME KINDA..." The midtempo burner explores a quickly developing relationship and picks up where the artist left off with Subject. "SOME KINDA..." takes his creativity to the next level, while still giving fans his unique brand of soul music -- a heady mix of traditional and modern R&B, with strong influences from hip-hop and jazz.
Born and based in Detroit, Andwele 'Dwele' Gardner started playing the piano at age six. Although he tragically lost his father at 10, his passion for music at an early age lead to Dwele (pronounced DWELL- ay; means 'God has brought me' in Swahili) becoming a self-taught multi-instrumentalist. Growing up as a fan of hip-hop lead to collaborations with Slum Village (who appear on "SOME KINDA...") and Bahamadia, among others.
Dwele himself produced nine tracks on the new record; other album producers include Mike City, Jay Dilla (Slum Village) and G-1 (R. Kelly, Raphael Saadiq). Today's music scene is starved for more real emotion and musicianship. Dwele delivers this, and much more, on his new album "SOME KINDA..." All you have to do is listen.
