Canadian artist Avenoir delivered a masterful soliloquy that serves as an ode to the R&B of the early 2000s in the lead single from his latest album, ‘Lady’. A track that works as a deep look into the emotional storm that is Avenoir’s feelings for the ‘Lady’ of the tune. The song feels like a healthy breath of fresh air away from the simple and shallow subject matter of much R&B in the current age, but harkens back to the time when the genre was made of men proclaiming their love for another person.

This song was a great listen, evoking much nostalgia for a time I’ve never experienced. Yet, it effectively incorporated elements from the early 2000s, such as the guitar and wind chimes that featured in many R&B tracks of the past. The sound is ethereal in the way that elements from times long since past blend with modern music productions, such as the subtle synth keys that only appear around the chorus, layered beneath this smooth melodic guitar riff. 

‘Lady’ is an insightful dive into Avenoir’s views of love and his infatuation with a specific woman. That love described in the song is characterized by ‘recklessness’ as Avenoir described, but also contrasted by his description of this person as ‘his piece of mind’, the relationship is portrayed as turbulent but not toxic. As Avenoir is seemingly caught up in the whirlwind of his own emotions, that he feels towards the ‘Lady’. 

The Canadian-born artist truly impressed with this masterful lead into his album Mirage, but I am not quite surprised, as his debut EP Noire received a Juno Award nomination for Contemporary R&B. As it stands, Avenoir is a promising act in the R&B space, and I am curious as to where he takes his career in the future.