R&B singer Case put on a masterful performance this month at Resorts World Casino before taking the time to talk to Music Times about his new album Heaven's Door, today's R&B music and how he thinks singer Trey Songz reflects him in his music.
On March 7, Case hit the stage and sang without missing a beat for a packed house at Resorts World Casino in Queens. Fans sang along to all of Case's hit songs from the late 1990s. The R&B singer revealed that seeing his music become timeless is what keeps him motivated in the music industry, despite having previously fallen out of love with his craft.
"It's a blessing. This is why I make music. Because when I was coming into the music business, my whole point was to make music that in 20 years people would still want to listen to. And it's been what, 19 years? And they still singing, so it's a blessing," he said before explaining how politics in the music business almost stopped him from continuing his career.
"The politics of the music business made me fall out of love with the music," he explained. "Because I got in it for the music, I didn't get into it for the business, but it's more business than it is music."
Now, more in love with his music than ever, the Brooklyn native is prepping the release of his sixth stduio album Heaven Door, due out March 31.
As far as which song in his catalogue is his favorite, he admits it is hard to choose.
"My new album, that's my baby. This is the first album I've made, because I had fallen out of love with music for a while, and this was the first thing that I did when I fell back in love with it. I'm really happy with it. I think everybody's going to be really happy with it. Y'all going to love it," he said.
He explained that his newest songs were treated like his children -- each with equal respect.
"I love all of it. It's like what's your favorite kid? I don't have a favorite yet, we'll see. We'll see what y'alls favorite is."
It is clear that the R&B genre has evolved from traditional love songs that could win over any woman's heart to anthems from heartbroken men calling out gold-digging women. Case says there's a time and place for some recent booty-shaking strip club anthems and radio hits, but artists need to start getting back to the "love."
"I think that what's missing is the love, and I think that we need to bring the love back because there's a place and a time for the strip club and the 'I'm trying to f**k these two chicks.' There's a time for that," he said. "But we need the love back in the music because I think that we, as R&B artists, our job is to forward what Marvin Gaye did, James Brown, Ray Charles, our job is to forward that. And if you're not forwarding that, then you're not doing nothing."
When asked if there was one artist today who he sees himself in, he says "Na Na" singer Trey Songz reflects him musically.
"Trey Songz definitely," he revealed. "You know why? Because Trey is really deep musically. And he and I have sat and talked about this. At first, he was talking about sex a lot, but now he's getting deeper into himself, and he's doing the same thing I'm doing. And I appreciate that, I love it."
Whether it be singing love songs and having a 19-year-old Beyoncé cameo in his "Happily Ever After" music video, creating timeless music and competing with a young generation with a newer sound, Case said that he is ready to roll with the punches and believes in progressing in the new music industry.
"Well, I'm always going to progress and grow and I'm never going to do the same thing over and over again because even in life, you have to progress. That's what life is about, so I'm always going to progress, definitely," he said.
Check out Case's latest single "Shook Up" on iTunes.
