The hit is a highlight from "Life Goes On," the follow-up to the platinum-selling "Where I Wanna Be." Although as consistent and satisfying as its predecessor, "Life Goes On" didn't repeat the sales of Jones' masterstroke. It's a look and attitude juxtaposed against the naked emotion of the lyrics, the wistful melody sung in a light, almost feminine croon recalling the best of Michael Jackson. In the video for his next big hit, 2002's "You Know That I Love You," Jones is all stony posture and too-cool-for-the-room head bobbing. In promo shots or onstage, Jones was usually outfitted in leather and baggy denim, with or without shades. He was rarely seen without a fedora, often set at a rakish angle atop a bandana tied around his head. If the style wasn't always easily detected in the music, Jones embodied it in his persona. A remix featuring a rap by Lisa "Left-Eye" Lopes of TLC pushed the hip-hop factor. Street and sweet, the 'hood jam rides an aggressive groove as heard on "U Know What's Up," the breakout single from Jones' sophomore album, which sat atop Billboard's R&B chart for eight weeks. A gem of a record, it established him as a master of the " 'hood jam," a song whose slick sound and feel evoke angst and aspirations of urban life with no concessions to pop. Whether sung by like-minded artists or himself, Jones' lyrics almost always focused on lust and romance.Īfter about a three-year delay, Jones' sophomore album, 1999's "Where I Wanna Be," appeared. It also helped that Jones showed a gift for songwriting, having penned hits for others, including Usher and the '90s girl groups Brownstone and 702. In a tenor caught between a knucklehead whine and a seductive grown-man croon, echoing a strong influence of "Off the Wall"-era Michael Jackson, Jones sang with an appealing mix of mannish-boy innocence and lived-in weariness.
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