Unlike Thomas’ character - who complains but remains inert - Jones’ character is all set to do “something crazy” about his hurt, diabolical though it may be (“How would you like it if I would show up on your wedding day?”). “Your life, I’m about to ruin,” he declares, “and I don’t feel bad.” His despair rivals that of singer Carl Thomas in “I Wish”, as both characters are emotionally burned by lovers who choose other men. Once again, he is the “other” man, but here his main squeeze commits to her main relationship, with plans for marriage, leaving Jones’ character on the outs. Over punchy, lagging drums, Jones plays the spitefully wounded lover with gusto, ready to soothe his broken heart through coercion, if necessary. “Blackmail”, on the other hand, is about betrayal and the specter of an ongoing lie. Why should such a caring person be the victim of neglect, even the benign variety? The difference between this scenario and the usual cheat-and-run scheme works in Jones’ favor. It’s not overly done, but there’s a feeling here that Jones’ character doesn’t feel bad at all about what he’s doing. Jones is pleased with himself here, almost gleeful, but his character knows enough to implore his lover, “When I finish, you can sneak me out the backdoor.” Her man works too much, hangs out with his friends too much, never gives the lady in his life the attention she deserves.
The song is edgy, but not overly so, thanks to his employment of euphemism. In “Backdoor”, Jones plays sex games with someone else’s woman. “Backdoor” and “Blackmail” deal with the seedier side of life. The song balances on the edge of its drama, teetering forward along a path of finger snaps. The music behind the lyrics is on a continual swell, rising to a crescendo, but never settling. His own sordid past has returned with a vengeance (“Imagine if she crushed dudes like you crush chicks”), and karma isn’t concerned with niceties. But what’s so delicious about this is how this scorned man is getting his comeuppance. “Your” girl is pregnant while “you” are traveling. Here, Jones puts the listener (“you”) in the position of a man realizing his girlfriend is cheating. Similarly, there’s “Imagine That”, a grinding tale constructed around a second-person hypothetical. When he seeks to inject his personality and bits of his personal narrative, he excels. It’s refreshing to hear him stripping away his pimp walking and peacock strutting, letting his guard down enough to nod to another person’s pain and then pinpoint where he can fill the void. Built around the common theme of supportive love and experiencing a relationship unlike the meager ones of the past, “Love Like This” might be troubled by trite language, but it is saved by Jones’ sincerity. The first instance is “Love Like This”, a snake charming track infused with light doses of sentimentality.
Let’s talk about where Donell Jones does his best work on Lyrics. This isn’t the time to be acting like an underdog. Now, I’m not one to talk about somebody’s mama - I’m just saying that self-congratulatory fare isn’t Jones’ strength, nor does it distinguish him from his peers. So, not only are we mindful of Donell Jones’ return since his 2006 release, Journey of a Gemini (“R&B ain’t been the same since I left it”), we are on constant alert to his underrated status, and we have to listen to words of encouragement from his mom. She acknowledges the difficulties of the industry, as only a mother can (“Baby, I know it’s been hard for you in this business/ But you can’t give up”), and then she requests that he sing the “Chicago-style R&B that I brought you up on.” The song begins with commentary - almost a plea, really - from Jones’ mother, reminding him of his roots and how much people are counting on him and supporting him. The next track, “Your Place”, is a slinky come-hither, punctuated by Donell Jones’ thrill of the chase and love of the sensual hunt.
He’s quick to tell us how underrated he is while, on album opener “The World is Yours”, he claims, “I know I’m the best, and the fans appreciate it.” Does he think he’s great, in general? You bet he does, and he lets us know it by devoting a few of the adlibs on his 2010 LP, Lyrics, to this very subject. Here’s the problem: I’m not convinced Donell Jones knows how truly great he is at this aspect of his songwriting. Who in today’s R&B and soul market is delving into the psychology of betrayal and deception like Donell Jones? Vocally, a comparison to Chico DeBarge wouldn’t be far-fetched. He embodies the roughneck sultriness of Jodeci and Jagged Edge but balances it with the more delicate touch of Musiq Soulchild. Kelly’s tales of soap opera intrigue seem more pedestrian and oversimplified than usual (and I kind of dig R. The Chicago, Illinois singer excels at it, reveling in it in a way that makes R. Few in R&B handle the details of duplicity quite like Donell Jones.