Elijah Blake is on most people’s radars thanks to his collaborations with other artists currently popular in the R&B and hip hop scene. To be sure, they have been nothing short of prolific. The 22-year-old musician, who is an expert at creating rich and emotional musical landscapes, has been featured with Keyshia Cole, Rihanna, Rick Ross, Usher, and Mary J. Blige, just to name a few. Yet despite being a practical veteran of the music industry (quite the feat considering his age,) Elijah Blake has limited known solo work — which makes “Talk to Me” all the more awesome. It shows that Blake is not only a talented songwriter but a powerful performer as well.
The song originally hooks you with a beat that is powerful in its simplicity, and keeps you there because everything about the track is passionate, sweet, and sad. There’s a lot of hip-hop that achieves this in theory, but there is sincerity in Blake’s voice that is completely believable as he sings, “I can’t even imagine your whole life / while he loves you like a 9-to-5”. Something about that butter smooth voice makes it feel like you’re the only person he is talking to. As he writes on his website, “Music is therapy. For me, doing a song is about leaving everything you have there in those three minutes. I have so much to say that I know people can relate to. We, as men, don’t always have to talk down to women or only speak about love in a prideful way. … If my music helps to start a conversation, then I’m happy.” Swoon.
The release of “Talk to Me” is a good sign for the rest of Blake’s mixtape which is available for free download on his website in anticipation for a forthcoming album and tour. If “Talk to Me” is up your alley, check out the equally as soulful “Beloved” and “Looking for Perfect.”