PREVIEW Majid Jordan @ Lincoln Theater, 1/23

BY MORGAN GEOFFROY// The hypnotic Canadian R&B duo Majid Jordan will be performing at the Lincoln Theatre on Tuesday, January 23rd.

Majid Jordan’s members are Majid Al Maskati, the singer, and Jordan Ullman, the group’s producer. Jordan is a Toronto Native and Majid came to Toronto from Bahrain. They met while attending the University of Toronto and posted their first EP to Soundcloud under the name Good People. The group is most famous for singing the chorus on Drake’s hit “Hold On, We’re Going Home” in 2014. Since then, they have put out an EP and two full length LP’s as members of Drake’s label OVO Sound (October’s Very Own after Drake’s birth month). Their first EP as Majid Jordan was A Place Like This from 2014 and their self-titled debut album came out in 2016.

This tour is part of the promotion for their sophomore album The Space Between, an album full of sultry beats and synth-laden vocals that dare the listener to try and sit still. The single “Phases” embodies this fully with a bouncy drum and heavy pop influences. Majid Jordan’s music is above all smooth and easy to enjoy, which means you should be hearing them on the radio soon; think of a softer, more melancholy Bruno Mars. Fellow OVO labelmates PARTYNEXTDOOR and dvsn are featured on the album. PARTYNEXTDOOR adds dimension with his rap-singing that has made him a club staple and dvsn adds his own dreamy vocals to the project.

While Majid Jordan isn’t chasing trends, it’s clear they have been influenced by the music landscape of the past few years. Tracks like “OG Heartthrob” have the strong bass made for dancing that has made trap music so appealing to the public. “Body Talk” has clear Caribbean and dance hall influences, evoking the bassline from Drake’s “One Dance”. In both cases however, the group manages to make these styles their own and clearly recognizable as a Majid Jordan song.

Pitchfork calls The Space Between Majid Jordan’s “most refined full length” yet. The production is layered but clean and the lyrics are relatable and straightforward. This album is versatile in that it is made to be blasted in the car or quietly played in the background. Deeper cuts I recommend to get excited over include “King City” and “What You Do to Me”. Concert attendees can be expecting a night of easy listening and fan favorites such as “Her” and “One I Want”, as well as plenty of signature OVO pastel colors and mood lighting.

 

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