There are entertainers who sing for their people and then there are singers who speak for their generation. Stevie spoke for hearts and souls; Marvin crooned for his country; Fela sent the rhythm of Africa abroad; Curtis gave the ghetto a voice. Artists come a dime a dozen, but a spokesman for the masses who's been bestowed with a voice from the heavens, once every generation. With Songbook/Atlantic Records R&B blessing Trey Songz, the first generation to come of age in the 21st century has one they can claim as their own.
One thing that Trey does better than any young R&B artist today is to create songs that resonate with fans regardless of gender, race, age, or residency. His music soars above categorization. You'll be hard-pressed to find many who can't relate to the gorgeous "Last Time." With production by R&B sure-shot Bryan-Michael Cox, Trey documents the challenges of monogamy and the complexities of infidelity in one final episode with his female on the side. The song is beautiful. It's ugly. It's common. It's special. It's human.
It's simple. Trey is at his best because for the first time we receive him in his entirety, as he makes a major leap forward from his debut. “I used ‘I GOTTA MAKE IT’ as a staircase to achieve,” he says. In the wake of the release of his first album, Trey found himself reaching into the mainstream at the same time that the underground was feasting on his mixtape releases. And Warner Music Group Executive Vice President Kevin Liles took notice. "On the new project, Kevin came in and he really got who I am as an artist," tells Trey. "Kevin always said 'I don't see "I Gotta Go" in the clubs. I see "I Gotta Go" on stage and then I see this guy in the clubs, poppin' bottles and throwing money. It's not matching.’ So he said the image is gonna match the songs this time."
The result is a gift for all. Everyone's a winner. The world will be able to enjoy the complete experience of Trey Songz, the future of R&B. "This album, though he's a little older from the first album, is who he is," states Taylor. "He's soulful. He's street. He's hip-hop. He's sexual. He's diverse."
So Trey's reign begins. The people of today are ready for their representation (over 400,000 of them are his Myspace friends!). They've actually been ready since day one. Just like Trey speaks up for them, they've reciprocated. "Before my first album came out, the fans on my website were calling the release date, "Trey Day." So I decided this time it's gonna be “TREY DAY” for real. The first album was an introduction and this is the arrival."
