For almost as long as R&B has been around, artists have featured telephones in their songs. From ‘Mr Telephone Man’, by New Edition, back in the 80s, to Drake’s ‘Hotline Bling’, more recently in 2015. Now it’s the turn of Atlanta singer-songwriter Dontae Peeps. In his new single, ‘Ordinary Love’, he tells the story of a relationship conducted over the phone, and every part of the passion, love, and drama, is played out over the airwaves.
Dontae Peeps was born to sing R&B. His smooth, mellifluous voice is seductive, soulful, and so so sultry. This voice has led him to working with some of the greats of the recording industry, including Usher, Birdman, Raheem Devaughn, and Jaheim, among others, who know just who to call when they need an irresistible vocal performance in the mix.
Dontae’s heart is with the classic R&B style however; it’s not for no reason that his upcoming album is titled, ‘1990’. Taking his inspiration from the golden era of R&B radio singles with their velvety sounds, he’s managed to infuse classic styling into ‘Ordinary Love’, which is otherwise a thoroughly modern track. Drum machine, synths, and a sweet sweet melody, all give the song a gorgeous retro vibe.
Clear Motion Productions, creators of the music video for ‘Ordinary Love’, certainly understood the assignment. With scenes awash with primary colours, and shots of Dontae seen in the sideview mirror of his sleek black Mercedes (among other scenes), are classy without going overboard, and reflect the long tradition of R&B clips.
Sure there’s plenty of modern technology – their cell phones aren’t the size of bricks for starters – but Dontae himself could easily have stepped out of a video made decades ago, with his sunglasses, crisp red tracksuit, and vintage leather jacket. He reassures his girl that she’s the only one for him; he might spend a lot of time in the studio but when he gets the chance he’s using his phone to tell her how he feels. At times it seems that she is jealous of the time he spends on his phone but when he calls her, everything is alright once again. When Dontae finally gets home from the recording studio, the connection he’s got with his partner is clear. It’s no ordinary love between them.
Watch the music video for ‘Ordinary Love’ below, and find out more about Dontae Peeps and his music online on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
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