Although Long Beach-bred R&B singer Giveon was well on his way to a healthy recording career before connecting with Drake, there’s little doubt that the superstar’s cosign on their Dark Lane Demo Tapes collaboration “Chicago Freestyle” helped launch Giveon to a new level of stardom himself. So it’s fitting that during Giveon’s Toronto tour stop, Drake — the city’s unofficial ambassador since 2009 — made a surprise appearance, popping out from backstage to greet his hometown crowd and bless the show during a performance of their collaboration.
Funnily enough, no one seemed as surprised as Giveon when Drake appeared from the smoke on stage to wrap him up in a bear hug as he played the piano. Although Drake quickly returned backstage, Giveon was left grinning bashfully as the crowd continued to cheer for his surprise guest.
Giveon himself later posted an Instagram Story expressing his disbelief at the sneak attack, writing, “Can’t believe my brother surprised me tonight! Toronto! I love you guys. So much love every time!”
Instagram
Drake has had a habit of surprising collaborators and artists he enjoys, although it hasn’t always gone to plan. In 2019, he bestowed his blessing on YSL rapper Lil Keed in Los Angeles and at DaBaby’s Toronto tour stop, and in 2020, he popped out at Post Malone’s show in Toronto. However, fans at Tyler The Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw festival booed him after waiting at the main stage all day in hopes of catching Frank Ocean. He took the moment of humility in stride, joking that he’d put in a 10-year residency at the festival if Tyler let him. Fortunately, this time around, he didn’t have to.
Giveon was one of the many artists in 2020 to make the best of quarantine times and break out into the mainstream music world. He released two EPs, Take Time and When It’s All Said And Done, which were later repacked into one 13-song projectWhen It’s All Said And Done… Take Time. However, after 2020 concluded, Giveon kept things a bit quieter outside of landing his first No. 1 song thanks to Justin Bieber’s “Peaches” with him and Daniel Caesar. Things could be picking up for Giveon and it comes as stopped by to 2021 American Music Awards to perform “Heartbreak Anniversary.”
The performance was both a soulful and stirring rendition of the highlight track from Take Time as the Long Beach singer used the moment to showcase his vocals to the world. Giveon’s performance at the AMAs is just the latest in what’s been an uptick in activity for the Long Beach singer. Back in September, Giveon released his first post-When It’s All Said And Done… Take Time era single with “For Tonight.” The emotive track finds the singer longing for a single moment of intimacy with a special woman in his life. He later delivered an intimate rendition of the song during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
You can watch clips from Giveon’s AMAs performance above.
Giveon recently offered a first taste of his upcoming debut album with his soulful new track “For Tonight.” Now, Giveon gives all the emotion in a performance of the song on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
The intimate performance kicked off with an introspective Giveon wistfully staring out of a faux window. The crooner then delivers his touching lyrics, singing romantic verses about spending the night with his lover. In a statement about the brand-new track Giveon said his inspiration came from his vices. “This is the story of a taboo vice that I just can’t seem to stop indulging in,” he said.
It’s been just over a year since prolific R&B crooner Giveon burst onto the scene with his 2020 debut EP When It’s All Said And Done — and he’s come a long way since then. After releasing a second EP in 2020 and following up with his hit track “Heartbreak Anniversary,” Giveon was tapped by none other than Justin Bieber to lend a verse on “Peaches” from his 2021 LP Justice. “Peaches” ended up being one of the most popular tracks on the album, earning millions of streams and debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Thanks to his recent success, Giveon was even awarded the opportunity to walk the Met Gala’s red carpet, which he stunned in a teal trench coat.
Watch Giveon’s “For Tonight” performance on Fallon above.
After putting up an impressive year thanks to his 2020 EPs Take Time and When It’s All Said And Done, Giveon is back in action with his very strong single, “For Tonight.” The track is quote the emotive release as it finds the Long Beach native pleading for a brief moment of intimacy with a special love in his life. Despite his pleas, the singer’s partner seems skeptical towards opening up to Giveon as their concerns lie with what the future holds for the couple. Giveon asks them to focus on the present while allowing the future to take care of itself.
The track comes after Giveon repackaged his Take Time and When It’s All Said And Done EPs into one project titled When It’s All Said And Done… Take Time and the re-release came with “All To Me,” a lustful addition to the singer’s project. Giveon also earned his first No. 1 track thanks to his guest appearance on Justin Bieber’s “Peaches” with Daniel Caesar. Other highlights from the past year for Giveon include his appearance on NPR’s Tiny Desk, a video for “Still Your Best,” and his debut on daytime TV with a performance of “Heartbreak Anniversary” on Ellen.
You can press play on Giveon’s new single in the video above.
Giveon is undoubtedly one of the brightest and most talented faces in the latest class of R&B artists. It’s a title he claimed in 2020 thanks the release of his Take Time and When It’s All Said And Done EPs. Even though they were both highlights of last year’s R&B releases, Giveon continues to ensure that both projects receive additional shine in 2021.
The latest example of this comes with the Long Beach singer’s daytime TV debut on Ellen. It’s here that he delivered a slow-burning performance of “Heartbreak Anniversary.” Backed by a guitar and pianist, Giveon let his baritone vocals fly for the passionate performance.
The performance comes after Giveon earned his first No. 1 single thanks to his contribution to Justin Bieber’s “Peaches” track, which also saw a guest appearance from Daniel Caesar. The achievement was one of a few highlight moments that occurred this year for the Long Beach native. He also took his talents to NPR’s Tiny Desk for a dazzling set that included performances of “The Beach” and “Stuck On You.” He’s also just weeks removed from the release of When It’s All Said And Done… Take Time, which combined his 2020 EPs into one project with the addition of “All To Me.”
You can watch the “Heartbreak Anniversary” performance above.
When It’s All Said And Done… Take Time is out now via Not So Fast/Epic Records. Get it here.
Sometimes the best new R&B can be hard to find, but there are plenty of great rhythm and blues tunes to get into if you have the time to sift through the hundreds of newly released songs every week. So that R&B heads can focus on listening to what they really love in its true form, we’ll be offering a digest of the best new R&B jams that fans of the genre should hear every Friday.
Brent Faiyaz — “Show U Off”
Brent Faiyaz has taken a step back from his usual toxic R&B slow jams this week to celebrate women with his newly released cut “Show U Off.” Its the latest in a string of singles the singer has unleashed this year, so hopefully that means a follow-up to 2019’s F*ck The World is coming soon.
Giveon — “All To Me”
Giveon delivered Take Time in 2020 and When It’s All Said And Done in 2021. This week, he combined the two into one and offered an extra song to go with it titled “All To Me.” The song is so good its a wonder why it wasn’t included on either projects originally, or perhaps Giveon just never misses.
Jacquees — “Freaky As Me” Feat. Mulatto
Jacquees and Mulatto connect for the R&B singer’s sensual slow jam “Freaky As Me.” The song is set to appear on his upcoming project P.T.O.F: Vol. 1 and is the follow-up to his previously released cut “Put In Work,” from last year.
Fousheé — “Sing About Love”
Following the release of “Single Af,” rising R&B star Fousheé offers another lively cut in the form of “Sing About Love.” Fousheé is on a streak, proving she’s more than her popular TikTok song “Deep End” and absolutely here to stay.
SZA — “Good Days”
The video for SZA‘s “Good Days” is here. She teased the number at the end of her song “Hit Different” with Ty Dolla Sign and now she offers a music video for the magical song which takes place in a psychedelic rain forest filled with mushrooms as well as a library that sees SZA showing off her pole dancing skills. At the end of “Good Days” is a special treat for all the fans who are waiting for the TDE princess to release her yet-to-be-officially-named song “Shirt,” which has essentially blown up on TikTok. Now we can hear what she’s saying in 4K.
Jhene Aiko — Sailing Soul(s)
When Jhene Aiko released her debut mixtape Sailing Soul(s), fans had to download a zip file to hear it or head to DatPiff. 10 years later, the singer has it officially placed on streaming services. Listen to good vibes such as the famed “stranger,” “hoe” featuring Miguel and Future (which was repurposed for her 2020 album Chilomobo), as well as a few SoundCloud loosies like “2 Seconds.”
Feather — “Juke”
Shortly after sharing her new single “Juke,” Feather has dropped off its accompanying video directed by Noyze. A clear ode to Chicago style of music, the visual features the ultimate footwork battle in an underground basement as Feather croons “let’s juke” in between a smooth sample of DJ Rashad’s “Juke.”
Trevor Jackson — “Get To You”
As Trevor Jackson gets ready for the release of his debut album, The Love Language, he shares “Get To You.” The rising singer’s raw voice sings of missing his ex and things he’d do to get to her. “Love is the universal language of all things and I hope this album gives people more confidence to understand their own love languages and how to communicate them,” he said in a statement. “The power of this music will not only bring people together but it’ll also bring people closer to themselves.”
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
After the success his two 2020 projects brought him last year, it’s only right that Giveon is making sure his Take Time and When It’s All Said And Done EPs are celebrated in the new year. The Long Beach singer ensured this would happen in three ways. First, he shared a new video for his Take Time standout, “Heartbreak Anniversary.” The visual reflects on the highs and lows Giveon experienced with an old lover, played by Samantha Logan who many might recognize by the name of Olivia Baker from the TV drama, All-American. Giveon transitions between his lonely present and his turbulent past with his old love interest as he sings about the day their relationship came to an end.
Secondly, in addition to the video, he shared his latest single, “All To Me.” Similar to his prior releases, “Favorite Mistake” and “Still Your Best,” Giveon arrives with a bit of toxicity for listeners on the new effort. He finds himself in the presence of a woman who is not treated well by her partner. Looking to make matters better for this woman, Giveon offers to step in and be the ideal companion she’s wanted for a lifetime. Lastly, Giveon dropped a deluxe reissue of Take Time and When It’s All Said And Done, which combines the two EPs and “All To Me” into one effort titled, When It’s All Said And Done… Take Time.
You can watch the “Heartbreak Anniversary” video and listen to “All To Me” above.
When It’s All Said And Done… Take Time is out now via Epic Records. Get it here.
Justin Bieber’s tracklist for Justice, which he shared on Instagram last night, has fans buzzing with excitement. In part, it’s because the album is just a week and some change away from its March 19 release date, but many fans took note of some of the notable guests, who include R&B singers Daniel Caesar, Giveon, and Khalid, as well as Chance The Rapper. Juice WRLD protege The Kid Laroi appeared on Justin’s corkboard as well, inviting some pretty apt comparisons between the two artists despite their generation gap.
While fans had previously deciphered some of Justin’s collaborators via the synopsis on the Walmart pre-order page for the album, this is the first glimpse we’ve had at who all’s on which tracks — and seeing Daniel Caesar and Giveon’s smooth baritones grouped together on “Peaches” has prompted its share of enthusiastic reactions. Both Caesar and Giveon’s names trended on Twitter as fans expressed their anticipation to hear that particular melange of voices together for the first time.
One fan, however, was skeptical of Caesar’s placement, demanding an “apology” before they’ll grudgingly give the song a listen. Caesar was the subject of some controversy a couple of years ago after he dared fans to “cancel” him for defending influencer YesJulz from accusations of cultural appropriation. However, others seemed sanguine, pointing out his continued popularity in the years since.
I still need an apology from Daniel Caesar before I listen to his little song w Justin Bieber & Giveon pic.twitter.com/6wTndKKpbK
Y’all literally make Daniel Caesar trend every week because of how severely he was cancelled. If he TRENDS every WEEK that defeats the POINT!!! pic.twitter.com/HRaXICbQGG
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