Kiss My Swag - bryanb
Well I thought that picture would get your attention. While this post is technically about Ciara, and a track off her soon to be released album Fantasy Ride, my interest in Pucker Up is less about the sexy and talented personality in front of the mic and the man behind the boards, Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins.
I’m gonna posit a theory here. Darkchild is the Brian Eno of R&B/Hip-Hop producers. For those who don’t know, Brian Eno has produced, contributed, written for or performed on albums for the biggest rock artists of the last 40 years. U2, Bowie, Coldplay, Talking Heads, Devo, Roxy Music - just to name a few. He’s a mainstay behind the scenes, a go-to when an artist or band needs a quality track. Like Eno, Darkchild doesn’t have a particular sound - he follows his muse in any direction it takes him. And with a bevy of big name artists under his belt like Michael and Janet Jackson, Mary J. Blige, Ray-J, Destiny’s Child/Beyonce, Twista, Whitney Houston, Britney Spears, Brandy, and Lionel Richie to name but a few, his impressive roster only confirms his popularity across many urban genres. He and Eno share an uncanny talent of bringing out the best qualities and characteristics in the artist they are working with. While other producers have been pigeon-holed into a particular sound either due to a lack of creativity or being typecasted by the executives, Eno and Darkchild have that innate ability to showcase and remain incognito in the process. They let the stars truly shine.
Pucker Up is another fine example of this process. Even with sirens, hydraulic synths, droning guitars and arpeggios of climbing bleeps and chirps - the focus is always on Ciara and her velvet harmonies. Darkchild exhibits restraint and knows when to pull back on the proper elements when the moment calls for intimacy or drama and then unload both barrels when that hook itches to explode. A lot of up and coming producers may gain notoriety for introducing a new sound or technique but they could learn a lot from a tried and true professional who knows the ropes and can still pump out a hot track even after being in the game for more than a minute.
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