NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Maxwell has been celebrated and admired for forging his own path and going against the popular music grain ever since he set the R&B world on fire with his And while fans are awaiting the release of his upcoming studio album, 鈥渂lacksummers鈥橬IGHT,鈥� Maxwell revealed he鈥檚 working on a follow-up project that will include songs from his teenage years.
鈥淚 just have to finish the (鈥渂lacksummers鈥檔ight鈥�) trilogy part, and then we鈥檙e going to move into some stuff that happened before I was even 17,鈥� said . 鈥�(It will also include) lots of songs from the 90s that never got on the albums鈥t鈥檚 a different time 鈥� I鈥檓 so grateful.鈥� (The other albums in the trilogy are BLACKsummers'night and BlackSUMMERS'night.)
But "blacksummersNIGHT鈥� is up next, and it will be his first album since 2016. (He didn't give a release date.) Though hesitant to give details about the album that will follow it, the excitement on his face while talking about giving the world songs from his musical infancy couldn鈥檛 be hidden.
鈥淭he next one (with early songs) is stuff that I used to do when I was 16, 15, when I had pretty much barely any equipment. And it鈥檚 interesting to see your first steps 鈥� well, I wouldn鈥檛 say first steps. I would say crawling.鈥�
The three-time Grammy winner revealed the news to The Associated Press while promoting his , a four-night Norwegian Pearl ocean voyage that will take place Feb. 10-14, 2024. The cruise will make stops at Great Stirrup Cay and Nassau in the Bahamas.
鈥淚t鈥檚 wild 鈥� I鈥檓 doing a cruise, bro! I guess you turn 50 and that鈥檚 when you start doing cruises,鈥� laughed the .
Not only will he have two performances, but Grammy winners Robert Glasper and Ledisi will also hit the stage during the voyage, as well as Musiq Soulchild, Leela James, Sabrina Claudio and Gallant. Maxwell said the theme of the Valentine鈥檚 week cruise will be romance, a throughline 鈥淣IGHT鈥� will also carry.
鈥淚t鈥檚 (NIGHT's) a journey into true intimacy. It鈥檚 a journey into vulnerability, and it just ties up the Trilogy in a way that represents eroticism in a very mature way. Because I see a lot of eroticism happening, but I don鈥檛 necessarily feel like those people make me feel like they鈥檙e sexy 鈥� they make me feel like they鈥檙e sex objects,鈥� explained Maxwell, who said the album was written between 2002 until now and has been partially delayed due to the unexpected death of his longtime engineer, Mike Pela. 鈥淚f you want to write lyrics that are very graphic鈥o what you want to do. I don鈥檛 do that 鈥� I believe in romance.鈥�
Passion and seduction have been synonymous with the Brooklyn native ever since the sex symbol label was thrust upon him after the release of 鈥淯rban Hang Suite.鈥� A pioneer of the 鈥�90s neo-soul movement with contemporaries like Erykah Badu, D鈥橝ngelo and Jill Scott, he crafted feel-good, two-step hits like and and soulful ballads like and
Always seemingly ignoring what was crowding the music charts, the artist has consistently focused on what his own ears gravitated toward. Known for his keen writing ability, Maxwell has crafted timeless songs by staying true to his art.
鈥淚 try to stay away from things that confuse people about what I do鈥� I do see, in watching all of the current artists, that there鈥檚 so much shock and awe鈥here鈥檚 a lot of clickbait music,鈥� said 鈥淚鈥檓 grateful that I wrote enough songs that it doesn鈥檛 really matter if I have an album tomorrow or the next day鈥he goal was get to a point where you do not need to keep being relevant for people for them to care about you, because it鈥檚 unsustainable.鈥�
While Maxwell makes it clear that his personal Ten Commandments would include not judging the art others make, he says there can be a price to pay for the type of art created.
鈥淲hat do you do when the music doesn鈥檛 last? And your kids are 15 or 30, and you鈥檝e got to go on stage and sing lyrics that really make absolutely no sense to who you are in the given moment?鈥� questioned the 50-year-old. 鈥淎s artists mature, they forget that the choices that they make creatively have to withstand time because time is gangster. And what you look like 20 years ago is not what you鈥檙e going to look like (in the present) 鈥� I don鈥檛 care how much plastic surgery you get, we鈥檙e all getting old.鈥�
Maxwell serenaded sold-out crowds last month at Los Angeles鈥檚 Hollywood Bowl and is next week with the National Symphony Orchestra. He says he鈥檚 still taken aback when he learns fellow celebrities and everyday fans have loved his music. He's thankful for the inclusivity and diversity of his audience, but he鈥檚 most proud that his music is championed by Black culture.
鈥淚 love that鈥鈥檓 in Black homes, that when I look out (in the audience), I see myself,鈥� said Maxwell. 鈥淲hen you see people who look like you out there, and I鈥檓 talking about people who went to the show on a first date and are now married and they鈥檙e showing me their kids, I mean, it鈥檚 just like, wow,鈥� adding that he鈥檚 鈥渆xtremely blessed to have had this incredible journey.鈥�
___
Follow Associated Press journalist Gary Gerard Hamilton at @GaryGHamilton on all his social media platforms.
Gary Gerard Hamilton, The Associated Press
