(February 10, 2017) He has roots in Tjuana, an alliance with los Kumbia Kings and was raised on a steady diet of Latino, R&B and hip-hop. It’s been awhile since Frankie J has been in front of a mic, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been in the mix and behind the scenes, most recently lending his skills to a remix of “Si Una Vez,” originally recorded by late Tejano star, Selena. Ever since Frankie’s J’s 2003 solo debut, What’s a Man to Do?, he’s pivoted between Spanglish, Latino and urban grooves, but it’s easy to determine who influenced the flavor of his latest single, “Not So Dangerous.”
A slick-smooth mid-tempo that recalls an 80s-era MJ, “Not So Dangerous” (a serendipitous title, no?) is a flirtatious invitation to a night on the town, one that showcases Frankie’s buttery vocals while incorporating a falsetto run here, a velvet-encased couplet there and a percolating rhythm anchoring it all together: “Oh baby baby, please don’t be shy there’s nothing to worry/cuz all I wanna do in a hurry, is make you mine all mine, yeah-heh-ah….”
After years of hiatus, returning with a track like “Not So Dangerous” could mean one of two things: a signal that Frankie J is tip-toeing into a more R&B direction, or that he’s attempting a low-key takeover of the void left by pop-singer-turned-urban-impresario-slash-actor-turned-family man Justin Timberlake. Either way, “Dangerous” is an intro and the rest of the story is up to Frankie’s artistry to tell.
By Melody Charles
Frankie J – “Not So Dangerous”
