R&B newcomer Tre O’Neal has been seriously traipsing the music scene for just on 5 months now, in which time he has released his debut 6-track EP “Quiet Transition” during last December, and just freshly dropped his latest single “Her Confidence”. The artist from Denver Colorado, has a concise body of work that indicates him as one of this generation’s closet link to the R&B and Soul singers from the 60s, 70s and 80’s. Of course, there are plenty of contemporary artists who possess a vocal ‘old soul’. Tre O’Neal, perhaps more than most, embraces that sullen, caring coolness in his voice, usually attributed to many of our past legends.
At the same time he is a bit of a paradox. He is neither retro, nor neo-soul, and also has a streak of contemporary R&B in there. Tre O’Neal navigates all these personas in his music, while his strong and emotive baritone is ideally suited for singing songs that reveal a level of vulnerability.
“Her Confidence” is really about the emergence of Tre O’Neal into the ranks of artists to be taken seriously in the future as a person who is all about maintaining and expanding on the historical legacy of R&B and Soul music.
Having come of age in the modern hip-hop era, Tre is nonetheless totally dedicated to carrying on great traditions of classic R&B and soul music into the contemporary era and the future. He almost sounds like a pioneer on this single. The feeling and strength of his singing on “Her Confidence” affirms his place as one of the finer underground soul singers of the current newcomer era.
Unlike so many of the newcomers that have arrived on the scene of late, Tre O’Neal doesn’t get into those “vocal athletics” that is the trend of the day. He is crooning, making the words and stories stand out rather than how many notes he can sing in a measure.
Then again I might be a little biased because I have always believed that if a song has a good story to begin with, all you have to do is tell it like it is, rather than showing it off. Forging understated passion and emotion, “Her Confidence” is medicine for the soul and ears.
Tre gives us what modern R&B music has been missing for a while. A real voice that is pure and eschews overworked manipulation. Tre O’Neal’s music and his production team are also on fire with this latest release, which testifies to their ability to craft and create truly satisfying songs.
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