There’s no doubt that Trey Songz is a part of a newer class of R&B legends, as even though his career and fame is far from paralleled to an Usher or Chris Brown - and he furthermore doesn’t get the songwriting respect as a Dream or NeYo - he still has a catalogue of great music and is as versatile as anyone. From the the first album Trey came out with quality records, and from there he climbed the charts with subsequent releases only to arrive at his apex in June of 2009, when he inexplicably put out his magnum opus as a free mixtape (not that he’s the first one to do this) in the name of Anticipation - to date one of the best R&B projects of all time bar none.
From there Trey started cookin more under new monikers such as Trigga aka Trigga Tremaine, where similar to his Virginia counterpart C Breezy he started spittin flames on instrumentals with relative ease [that #LemmeHolDatBeat Vol 1 is a fire project as well]. Yet as far as studio albums are concerned, most would agree that his first three albums are all relative classics (Ready being my personal favorite), yet somewhere around album 4 his direction in music seemed to shift - and he began to mainly cater to a pop audience with radio records incongruent to what he does best.
Yet after a few questionable releases he’s back with his seventh studio album titled Tremaine, his birthname that perhaps symbolizes a more sophisticated side of the talented artist, which hopefully coincides with his return to contemporary R&B and music with a soul.
Tremaine is critiqued track by track below:
The Prelude
“I been stressed out (yeah), I ain't feeling my best (no), all they want is my sex, I got the best style (I got the best), I do some things you won't believe, so many weaves, I done sweat out, think I might've found love one time, think I might've found love few times” Tremaine is lowkey becoming the King of the R&B intro, as this one is reminiscent of the Pantry Droppa intro off the Ready album, the perfect introduction for Trey Songz signature sound. Straight 🔥🔥🔥
Come Over
“Come over, even though we fell apart, don't you even start, girl you still got my heart, come over, you know where I am, if you can't I understand, won't you come over? won't you come over?” Produced by Troy Taylor this one also brings out the best of Tremaine, this one’s a nice vibe and a great album cut overall.
#1 Fan
“Cause tonight I am, having sex with my number one fan” Produced by DTownMusic & Rico Love this one has a nice concept but the melody isn’t that fire at all, overall filler and debatable skip
Nobody Else But You
“Know a lot of men would do you better, know that I done put you through whatever, I know that you care for me, I know you'll be there for me, if ever something happen you still down” The first single is definitely a heater and is a reminder that Trigga Tremaine Trey Songz is still one of the most dynamic singers in today’s era of R&B.
Playboy
“Don't know why I'm still, still kissing girls that I don't love, still stumbling out of these clubs, still, I'm just so hard to trust, don't know why I'm still a playboy…” the second single is more classic Tremaine and fits his image well. Overall would have been better as a strong album cut but it works as a single nonetheless.
The Sheets… Still
“Digging in my skin once again, ooh, and she still keeps, she can't stop, scratching me up…” This two part record is one of the highlights off Tremaine, as it also evokes one of Trey Songz best records off the aforementioned Anticipation, a work of art that should not be forgotten.
Song Goes Off
“So good to see you here, we both know it's been too long, show me just how you feel, before the song goes off” Nice production by Christopher C4 Umana but overall this is album filler even though it’s not a necessary skip, just debatable album filler nothing more
She Lovin It
“This girl is bad, bad, bad…” and the record isn’t that good either, debatable filler debatable skip
Animal
“Girl, you know I'm on my way, my way to you, I'ma bring my anaconda, gonna get to, get to your forbidden fruit, turn the bed into a jungle, I'm Tarzan, you be my Jane up in this room, girl, you know I'm finna hunt ya, yeah, you the one I'm preyin' on” <<< this is the version and type of production behind Tremaine that we don’t need, but Trey does give the record some quality with the melody that he actually sings, but ultimately it’s not enough to save it… play at your own risk
1x1
“Cause there ain't nothing better than you, got me watching every move, like you're the only one in the room” album filler, SKIP!
Priceless
“Girl, your love is priceless, one thing I can't afford to lose, and even though I ball, I would trade it all, to keep you in my arms, baby, cause girl, your love is priceless…” Not mad at this one… nothing crazy but a decent album cut no more no less
What Are We Here For
“What are we doing alone? Time standing still just waiting for this moment” SKIP!
Games We Play ft MIKExANGEL
“She, she, she, she just set the tempo, she, she, she, she never keep it simple, it's like we're never in the middle, I'm tryna figure out this riddle” Decent album cut aided by fellow Virginia native MIKExANGEL who helped Trey struggle through Anticipation III.
Picture Perfect
“I, I, I apologize for the times that he hurt you, realize it, you know he don't deserve you, if you were mine, girl, I'd show you what you're worth, look in my eyes, I'm so on it, he acting like he don't want it” SKIP!
Break From Love
“I don't want to break, I don't want to break from us, after all we've been through so much, I don't want to break, I don't want to break from love” SKIP!
Never good to end your album on 2 skips, and honestly this album should have been 10 records and it would have played for a much more enjoyable listen. For the most part this was a turn back in the right direction, as the highlights of the album resemble smooth listening and soulful R&B, the only ingredients anybody would ask for from Tremaine. On a separate note however certain misfires like Animal represent the very worst style of Trey Songz, and his recent appearance at the BET awards was more indicative of that more than anything else. At this point all we could do is hope that Tremaine one day grows tired of chasing the pop genre that doesn’t suit him, and instead returns fully to making music the people actually feel and remember.