(June 14, 2023) Unique and familiar, slick yet sweet, with alternate dashes of ‘come-hither’ and cool: after first whetting the appetites of R&B fans with 2021’s yearning up-tempo, “Round & Round,” the Atlanta-based lyricist and crooner, Saint Smith, is ready to command center stage with an ambitious debut and his earworm of a single, “Take Care of Me.” Its message is simple: treat me like I matter to you, or get to stepping. Summer love is about keeping it hot, no?
Built over a skittish, Timberland-esque track and vocals that bounce over the rhythms with coy confidence, “Take Care” straightforwardly lists how to keep Saint in the mix and the romance on the right track, a ‘handle with care’ over a beat if you will, and a fly one at that: “Have some respect when you call up my phone, not one to play with, get right or get gone/ Never been the type to accept less than the best, if that’s a problem you can get dropped off like the rest.” Whether there’s a partner who’s gotten too comfortable or you want a way to set things straight from the jump, Saint Smith makes the message an easy bop or a quick kiss-off. Your pleasure, your choice…..and a part of his worthy musical mission statement, Yours, Saintly. Standards, boundaries and expectations are never bad places to start, and Mr. Smith makes them listenable to boot.
By Melody Charles
Saint Smith – “Take Care of Me”