First thing’s first, Sammie is bae. He has been since I was in middle school when he came to my school and serenaded me and me only (nevermind the hundreds of other kids in the auditorium)…
Now that we’ve got that out the way, let’s talk about how I’m feeling about his latest album on this here Friday afternoon. I downloaded Coming of Age when it released at around midnight last night and couldn’t wait to give it a listen so here I am three plays later ready to share my thoughts with you. How should we do this? Let’s go track by track, cool?
1. “Coa” is the title track and in the song, Sammie serenades an ex in an attempt to make her believe he’s coming of age and changed from what he used to be. I’m a sucker for slow songs so this one appeals to me for various reasons. But is he really coming of age? We shall see, Sammie. We shall see…
2.”Expiration Date” will have any woman who has been wronged in the past telling boys bye with confidence. Essentially it’s our updated version of R. Kelly’s “When a Woman’s Fed Up” that makes it known that at some point a woman is going to stop tolerating shenanigans. If this is your current reality, this song is for you.
3. “Good Life” features Sammie’s fellow Floridian Rick Ross and promotes a lifestyle I’m not familiar with. I like how he shows that turning up may be fun, but you wake up feeling lonely and may not be able to trust who you’re around when you’re living this way. Good tempo, but again I can’t relate and I prefer songs I can feel in my soul. I’m sure there are plenty others who will vibe with this song. Not me doe (in my Chance the Rapper voice).
4. “Tsunami” is a sexy song and reminds you that Sammie isn’t a child anymore. He’s 30 out here in these streets so if you wanna imagine yourself riding his wave, take a listen. But remember he’s still mine even though I’m married, lol. I can’t explain the appeal of the melody but a few of Sammie’s recent songs will have you like “Ayeee” with your mouth wide open when he sings at a semi-fast pace. Play this song starting at 1:20 to understand what I’m talking about, it’ll have you like:
5. The album’s fifth track is titled “Bad Gal” and it has an island feel. It’s a cute dance record but there’s not much else to share. I can’t dance but it makes me want to. Although it’s not a favorite of mine, it’s great to see how well Sammie is able to switch it up.
6. “I Left… Because I Love You” is my favorite song on the album. It gives the type of honest insight I appreciate in R&B. In the song, he says “You love my potential, girl I can’t live up to that,” and I literally hollered out loud! Say what now? Why can’t more men be this honest and stop wasting folks’ time? Another line I loved is “No I ain’t yo’ king, I ain’t yo’ diamond in the rough…” Yessss! I could literally type out all the lyrics to this song because it jams. Period.
7. “Shoes” reminds me of Tank’s “Maybe I Deserve” and Joe’s “What If a Woman” because of the vibe it gives. It’s basically letting a woman know that he couldn’t “last a mile in her shoes” if she did the things he did to her to him (if that makes sense). It’s a solid track.
8. “Show and Tell” was another one of those songs that my lame, homebody self just couldn’t relate to. I’m so over the songs talking about the club and giving dance instructions, but then again I realize how many people rock with them so whatevs. I’m just never gonna try to get chose in a club or show a ninja what I’m working with. I will say that both Sammie and Eric Bellinger’s vocals sound great though.
9. “Good Girls” is pretty much Sammie telling y’all that he wants someone like me, but “good girls don’t wait too long” hence me being married. He says he’s grown up and wants a good girl, but it’s hard to really believe because he was just asking chicks to shake a little something in the club. I wanna tell him to make up his mind, but I know how hard that must be in his reality.
10. “Be Alone” is the perfect follow-up to “Good Girls” and tells of how Sammie wants to settle down but the abundance of hoochies make it hard. He’s been with a lot of women and has been living fast; “When you got money, you ain’t even gotta try too hard” is the standout lyric. This makes it difficult to build meaningful relationships hence him being lonely. Very relatable for a lot of people in the entertainment industry, I’m sure…
11. “Too Long” is another one of those sexy, grown man songs. It’s not overly raunchy and it’s a smooth track that gives the authentic R&B vibes we’ve been missing. He even throws it back to a little R. Kelly “you remind me of my jeep” for a minute there. I’m here for it.
12. Can I just say that I’m happy “Daddy” wasn’t about women calling Sammie daddy and is instead a catchy tune speaking to his father? If you’ve followed his music/career, you know Sammie values his family and works hard to support them. Shoot, he sang to his mom at the concert at my middle school. This song makes you think about the sacrifices and mistakes you make on your quest to be successful. It also has that fast rap-singing he does oh-so-well. Definitely, won’t be skipping this track.
13. The last song on the album is “Confessional” and a pretty gospel-y sounding song. He came with the church vocals and I’m not mad at them at all. He seems apologetic and sweet as he begs for a brand new start with a woman he failed in the past. If this song is really dedicated to someone, I hope she hears it and Sammie gets that settle down type love we all deserve as adults. Forgive him, girl!
Overall, I love R&B music and will continue to support Sammie’s endeavors. This album confirms why I stopped waiting for him to meet me and fall madly in love. He lives a fast life in which he works hard, has access to tons of women yet he wants a genuine love. I appreciate Sammie Lee Bush’s honesty on this record and I’m sure you will too. If you have about 50 minutes to enjoy some good music, Coming of Age is just that.