In music, the beat is a unit of time, it’s the steady pulse you feel in the song. It’s the beat you clap your hands to or dance to. When a person can not clap their hands or move their body in sequence with the pulse, they are said to be offbeat.
Given the racially charged climate and political unrest in the country right now, if we stick with musicology terminology and acoustic science, one would have to say that the timing of TiffanyJ’s “I Love You, Black Man” was right on time, or I should say “Right on Beat.”
In an inspirational and heartfelt ballad that premiered seven days before Father’s Day, the “Supa Dope” songstress delivered a lyrical love letter to Black men everywhere.
The song is strictly dedicated to Black men. It professes love and admiration simply for their being, if nothing else.
TiffanyJ
The song starts off with a simple but powerful declaration. “I love you Black man, With you I stand, Always and forever I’m your number one fan.” A much needed affirmation at a time when many black men are feeling anger, anxiety and in some cases exhibiting symptoms of trauma due to watching the senseless murder of other black men on T.V.
The uplifting and soulful beat laced over a smooth jazzy tempo will deliver an undeniable ego boost to any black man who may be listening to the track through their Apple AirPods. The repetitious and audacious declarative clause of the chorus provides emotional support and encouragement in musical form. It’s a soothing sound that comes at a time when the news and social media has turned every black man in the country into an eyewitness to the brutal murder and racist vitriol directed toward their brothers.
Tiffany said the song was inspired by recent events and that she wrote it in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
“The song is strictly dedicated to Black men. It professes love and admiration simply for their being, if nothing else,” said TiffanyJ.
Tiffany may have intended for the song just to be her personal shout-out to Black men, but our social contract and the mood of the times dictates that it can no longer just be her personal soliloquy. Just as she used her social media community to create the lyrical video montage, the song must now be communal property. It should be an anthem for activists, a mother’s serenade to her son, a wife’s love ballad to her Black man.
Tiffany, Thank you for this and We Love You Too…
