During singer/songwriter Dwele’s hiatus after releasing his last album, Wants World Women in 2010, you could find him indulging in his latest hobbies, biking and connecting with fans digitally via Instagram and YouTube.
“I’m probably one of those bikers that if you drive, you’re probably mad because I cut you off. I’m definitely that guy,” says Dwele. “Instagram is definitely an avenue for you to get artistic and kind of connect with people that way. I definitely find it fun to post pictures and see how people feel about it. I also have a YouTube Channel (YouTube.com/Dwele24). That’s like the original Instagram – the video InstaGram. That’s definitely another way I like to connect with people that’s following the movement.”
The free-spirited nature of Dwele as a person with bike riding is exemplified in his music shown with his latest release Greater Than One. His fifth studio album has received stellar reviews; many critics even compare the album to his earlier works in the form of debut Subject and sophomore album Some Kinda.
“The feedback has definitely been positive. I see a lot of people comparing the album to the first two albums; Subject and Some Kinda which is a good feeling to me,” says Dwele. “Nothing will ever beat the first album you know? Nothing ever beats the first. A first album. A first kiss. Nothing ever completely tops that.”
The singer who has received a Grammy nomination for his collaboration with Kanye West for “Flashing Lights,” has come a long way from rapping in Detroit clubs, and recording his independent project Rize. His new album shows the growth. He has definitely progressed; however, he stays true to the essence of who he is as an artist with vocal harmonies, relatable concepts and great vocals.
With this album, which through the title essentially speaks to an open-ended or subjective interpretation of relationships, Dwele builds a project around the various stages of relationships exploring topics of monogamy, love, but still leaves some room for partying and love triangles to ensue. What this album offers more so than the others in his discography is a new concept or story with every track. In Dwele’s other body of work Dwele tried to tell a complete story with the project. What also makes this album different is the production palette. Dwele pays unintentional homage to the 80’s shouting out 80’s babies and evoking an overall 80’s inspired palette.
Of the 80’s vibe on the album Dwele says, “It definitely wasn’t an intentional thing. I noticed it about four songs in and I sat back and listened and it hit me that it had an 80’s vibe to it. I kind of kept going to with it after I heard those tracks and I wanted to reach back and throw in some soulful aspects as well. I think it’s a good marriage this time around and I definitely still tried to keep the same elements that my music has like with live instruments and also the vocal harmonies. I feel like there’s a good marriage between the two.”
From reviews of the project, a consensus has been reached that “What You Gotta Do,” featuring Raheem Devaughn is a favorite. On the song, the pairing is essentially speaking to the ways to keep a happy relationship. The two have experience working together in the past on tracks like “Possible,” that Devaughn wrote for Dwele and later recorded himself. The two have also collaborated with tracks like “Dim The Lights,” from Dwele’s last album.
“Me and Raheem worked together a lot back in the day in like 2003. He actually wrote the song ‘Possible.’ Initially it was supposed to be for my project, but my record label was moving slow on getting the clearance,” explains Dwele. “Prior to this album, we worked together on my last album. We worked on a song called “Dim The Lights.” The women loved it, so I definitely had to have him on this project one more time with ‘What You Gotta Do’.”
Another thing that makes this album a standout in Dwele’s discography is the fact that he is practicing the cliché “don’t forget where you came from.” For tracks like, “Swank,” featuring Monica Blaire and “Must Be,” featuring Black Milk, J. Tait, and L’Renee, Dwele puts the focus on fellow Detroit based artists. Coming from Detroit, there’s a huge amount of amazing R&B artists who never really get past the city walls with the exception of Dwele, and Kem so these collaborations are exposing these artists to a huge amount of listeners.
“It feels good to know that I got my music past the city walls which is hard to do. But, in the same, it’s kind of like pressure because I feel like it’s almost my job to put Detroit on the map,” says Dwele. “I know there are so many great singers in the city. My background singer J.Tait is featured. L’Renee who is also a ridiculous singer from Detroit – she actually sings background for Kem. I have her on the end of ‘Must Be.’ She kind of got her own time to shine. Monica Blaire who is another vocalist that I worked with on my last album we worked together on the song ‘Swank.’ I really tried to get the spotlight on Detroit artists on my album this time around.”
Using his last album, Wants World Women as a guide due to the “world” section as well as the track “Hangover,” which speaks about the lack of voting and the consequences it causes, Dwele has some choice words for the upcoming election.
“I definitely think that it’s necessary to vote even more this time than the last election. I think a lot of people that otherwise would not have voted Democratic, voted Democratic in the last election because they were so ready for a change,” says Dwele. “This time, they might go back to voting the way they voted before. If you are looking to vote Democratic, it’s very important because we aren’t going to have that extra push like last time. I definitely think voting is important.”
Make sure to take Dwele’s advice and register to vote this upcoming election. Also, Dwele is on a national tour promoting his latest effort, and you should definitely check him out on the road. Visit here to find official tour dates and purchase the album here.
