Attention r&b fans – this one’s for you! About a month ago, I attended a Soulection show and had the pleasure of getting to see the artist who I will be highlighting today play live. The opener that night was an artist by the name of Reggie Becton and he left little to no doubt that he has everything he needs to be a star in this industry. Becton, an R&B newcomer and PG County Native, moved to L.A. back in 2016 with nothing but an air mattress, $1,000, and “hella” emotional baggage, but the decision proved to be the right choice as Becton has since made some serious moves. With many vocal supporters and peers within the r&b space championing his music, Becton has continuously demonstrated why he deserves such high praise throughout 2021 by releasing three stellar singles (“RM. 143”, “So High”, and “Issues”) which have had me and many others jumping out of our seats to make sure the world knows how special this guy truly is.
After 3 years of blood, sweat, and tears trying to perfect this project, on Friday, October 12th, Reggie Becton finally released his second album to date entitled, “California”. Showcasing Becton in his rawest, most emotional form, “California”, strikes me as a very intentional project that we will be listening to for years to come. Although his previous work was a combination of storytelling from the experiences of some of his friends and family, “California” is strictly from Becton’s own perspective, offering up a layered reality for outsiders to be able to relate to the songs and scenarios. Kicking off with Reggie’s mindset as he traveled westward from Maryland, and weaving its way through songs about the lessons and struggles the City of Angels presented him, the album ultimately allowed Reggie to embrace his personal growth and open himself up to love, once again.
After listening through this project probably twenty times over the last week, I can confidently say that it’s near impossible to find anything to dislike about the album. My personal favorites off of the 12-song project would have to be “Obvious” or “RM. 143” as they strike me as tunes that push sonic boundaries for Becton. Both are timeless slow-jams that are soulful r&b at its finest, but they also have their own intricacies about them that make them stand out from the bunch. Overall, this project was hands down one of the most complete and thoughtful albums that I’ve heard in recent memory from an up-and-comer and in my mind has established Becton as one of the premiere R&B artists in the underground scene at the moment. I firmly believe that this guy has got what it takes and I’ll stand by that, so make sure you take some time on this lovely Tuesday afternoon to check out this masterful body of work.
