Tuxedo, a funk duo which consists of R&B singer Mayer Hawthorne and producer Jake One, come together for a follow up to their 2015 album “Tuxedo.” When I first saw this album in Apple Music, I was hesitant. I was not a fan of their first release, I couldn’t even listen to the whole project without getting annoyed. I felt that these two artists were better off by themselves, Mayer Hawthorne’s smooth voice didn’t feel like it fit well with Jake One’s style at all. However, “Tuxedo II” is a well-put together album. Not only does it feature Mayer Hawthorne singing at his peak potential, but the lyrics are the perfect amount of cheesy. At its core, “Tuxedo II” is an album to put on when you want to feel good. It’s fun, it’s cute, and it does what it needs to do in under forty minutes.
What stuck out to me the most on this project was the lyrics. Every lyric on the album feels like it belongs where it is. From the beginning when Mayer Hawthorne is telling me to “fux with the tux,” to the end when he’s telling me about his girlfriend being “hotter than July.” It honestly feels like they just had fun on every single track. My favorite songs, lyrically that is, are “Shine” and “July.” The metaphors are simple to grasp, but not too dumbed down. The ingenuity on this album should be praised.
Sonically, “Tuxedo II,” is super funky. Each song transports you to a dance floor complete with a revolving disco ball. Much like Bruno Mars’, “24K Magic,” this album is a modern take on old school funk music. Synthesizers and bass are recurring motifs on “Tuxedo II,” which contributes to the psychedelic vibe of the album. Plus, every song is complete with strong background vocals that make everything pop. I feel like the sound and theme of “Tuxedo II” is clearer than its predecessor.
There are also a few pitfalls on this album is how rushed it feels. As I said, it is less than forty minutes, and while it is an impressive forty minutes, there was really no development. There is talent and chemistry between Mayer Hawthorne and Jake One, but I feel that they don’t really give themselves a chance to make a song that really shows the listener that they can make music together. Quite frankly, this album doesn’t make me think or really ponder anything it just makes me smile a little bit. After the second listen (maybe third if you really need to write an okay article about it) this album loses replay value and it falls out of rotation. Personally, I feel like what makes this album kind of annoying after a while is the style, it’s in the past for a reason… No offense.
Overall, I like “Tuxedo II” way more than I liked “Tuxedo.” However, I don’t like it enough to say that I’m going to keep listening to it. Honestly, this album has already been forgotten, but I do think everyone should listen to it because Mayer Hawthorne is an amazing singer and he deserves to be discovered.
