One thing for sure is if I never thought I was strong before, I know now I am. She couldn’t stop saying, “Wow you are amazing! I don’t know how you moved all those bags pregnant and with Shannon.” I didn’t even look up at her, I responded, “I just had to figure it out. Then I was reminded how when I arrived home, my mother spoke for hours in disbelief on how I was able to do all of that alone. Wiped my tears and then went to a boxing class. At the rental location… I cried in the car. Flashes of when I was exhausted beyond belief, barely eating, struggling to cater to Shannon…and at the airport having to maneuver SIX 50-70 lbs bags on a cart, while consistently demanding Shannon hold on to mommy as we made our way across the street. I replayed how I had to pack up all of my belongings alone, and moments In which I cried on the stairs. I pictured holding hands, and belly rubs, me planning a cute meal of sorts (he isn’t the celebration type) and laughs at Shannon’s joyful, playful ways.- Yet here I am, at my parent’s house, in a bed that gives me lower back pain, consistently shifting my mind as I courageously take on emotions and feelings that do not serve me. For it was a year, I had met him, he woo’d me, we moved in together, we started a family (holds belly), and I would for the first time celebrate Mother’s Day with a companion by my side. Yet this Mother’s Day, this year… I was really looking forward to it. You see long are the days in which, holidays and their meanings have impacted me. I sat up, closed my eyes and took deep breaths…slow your breathing Ash - In that meditation, I begin to acknowledge and accept a few things. I scrolled social media and then I realized I hadn’t taken moments to breathe. For hours I was terribly uncomfortable no matter what I did. He seemed surprised to hear that the crowd was willing and able to sing the first verse for him.Around 1 AM I woke up tossing and turning. He got ready to sing “Dontchange,” an older song, but it turned out he didn’t have to. “All the real lovers in the house, let me hear you make some noise,” he said. Like many stars who have seen their fortunes rise and fall and rise again, Musiq Soulchild seems to appreciate his fan base more than ever. In “Ms.Philadelphia,” angling for “a little hometown love,” he describes a seemingly dull conversation as if it were an irresistible come-on: “She says after law school she wants a career before kids/We spoke forever on topics like religion and politics.” His lyrics often sound like run-on sentences, and that casual, conversational approach helps pull his songs down to earth. But over the years his vocal runs have become more precise and slightly more judicious. Wild ad-libbing has always been a Musiq Soulchild signature, though it isn’t always a strength: His digressive singing style, coupled with ambitious, jazz-inflected chord changes, sometimes makes it hard for listeners to find the melody. He sang with a noticeable rasp, and at one point he said, “Oh my God, I’m losing my voice.” (He said it pretty cheerfully, considering his occupation.) Then he tore into “Love,” from his first album, driving his point home with wild, squeaky ad-libs that might have been intended (and, regardless, were probably interpreted) as a tribute to Prince. At this concert the seats in the back of the room were prime real estate. He aims for the demographic known as “grown and sexy” (now that’s a euphemism), and on Saturday night the Nokia Theater was full of swaying couples and sitting couples. He has survived by redoubling his commitment to the adult-oriented (no, that’s not a euphemism) R&B that made him a star. (None of his previous albums spawned two songs that charted so high.) The first two singles “B.U.D.D.Y.,” a cheerful hip-hop throwback, and “Teachme,” a sublime slow jam both went to No. But “Luvanmusiq” (Atlantic), released this year, was a pleasant surprise: a return to form that has helped him outlive the neo-soul craze. When his next two albums, “Juslisen” and “Soulstar,” didn’t make the same impact, it seemed possible that he would fade away. And with the release of his first album, “Aijuswanaseing,” Musiq Soulchild became one of its biggest stars. Neo-soul singers ain’t supposed to cuss.” When he first emerged, seven years ago, it seemed he might never be rid of that much-derided term “neo-soul.” It was supposed to describe a group of 1970s-influenced singers who made music that appealed to alt-rap fans, NPR listeners and others who had written off contemporary R&B. “We got a full house up in this uh piece,” Musiq Soulchild said, chuckling, on Saturday night at the Nokia Theater.
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