(June 13, 2025) I grew up listening to smooth jazz radio, and one of the songs that was always in rotation was “Too Hot” by Kool & the Gang. The opening lyric is:
“At 17 we fell in love, high school sweethearts / Love was so brand new /
We took the vows of man and wife / Forever, for life”
I immediately thought of “Too Hot” when listening to the new single by Jason Peterson DeLaire (JPD) entitled “Game of Love” because his first verse begins with: “17 they fell in love, high school sweethearts.”
Unlike the high school sweethearts in “Too Hot,” who had to “cool the mess they made,” the sweethearts in “Game of Love” weathered the storm with success. In his song, JPD tells the story of a young man who meets the girl of his dreams, eventually marries her and has children with her. Along the way, he resists the temptation to be unfaithful and stays true to his special girl. JPD reminds us that the outcome of the game of love depends on how you play it.
“Game of Love” – which draws inspiration from Michael McDonald – is a slice of soul and chill funk with a nice bounce to it. That’s not surprising for JPD, who is an accomplished singer and saxophonist/keyboardist, who’s worked with the likes of Prince, Bobby Brown, and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. On top of that, he comes from musical royalty – the Peterson Family, known as “Minnesota’s First Family of Music.”
Hear a piece of the Peterson Family’s musical legacy by checking out Jason Peterson DeLaire’s “Game of Love”.
By Darnea N. Samuels
