Released as a single in 2021, “Jeanine!” by Kwame Adu and Aviad told a message of love, regret, and hope. With Adu on lyrics and Aviad on production, the pair expertly crafted the story through their respective ways. Using a string meaningful words and nostalgic instrumentals.
The Song’s Production
The track’s instrumental hums a familiar static to the T.V. that we fall asleep to with drifting eyes. Natural drums methodically gallop behind it, while a guitar paves a path for some sort of linear progression. This creates an underbelly of nostalgia for the rest of the song, as the listener feels like they can relate to it, even without fully knowing why.
The original song that Kwame Adu raps on is “Does Your Mother Know” by Earls Inc.. In this 1970’s piece of Soul, Earls Inc. tells a story of love and longing. These sentiments remain in Adu’s cover, except his is tinged with a layer of regret and remorse, increasing the song’s complexity.
“Jeanine!”’s Lyrics
After a chill intro where the atmosphere is able to set, Adu opens with his chorus. The first half goes as:
I got your name in my song now, huh
I could never do you wrong now, yeah
We just know where we belong, yeah
Jeanine!
Jeanine is the focus of this song, as assumed through its title. Right off the bat, the listener knows that she is important to Adu, as he says he titled this song after her. These emotions are so strong that he’s willing to keep himself accountable to his fans by titling the track after her, promising to never do wrong.
Although Adu’s delivery is cheerful, the beat is pleasant, and the lyrics seem lovey-dovey, there is a tinge of remorse in his words. Adu says that he could never do Jeanine any wrong now, with an emphasis on now; inferring that he has done her wrong in the past. Adu’s actions are unknown to the listener, however his further lyrics touch on his traveling and schedule. These acknowledgments can lead the audience to infer that his relationship with Jeanine had deteriorated due to distancing.
Photo by Jisun Han on Unsplash
Yet Adu recognizes his wrongs as he thinks back on his time with Jeanine:
Thinking about you…
Goin’ in the valley, parkin’ past the alley
Then we hit the park, lookin’ for some art
Warmin’ up my heart, I was born cold
His mind traces the steps that he and Jeanine took together, realizing how much she meant to him. These realizations from Adu, of the small, slice-of-life moments that he and Janine enjoyed together, became the driving motivators for his renewed change of behavior. The seemingly common and unglamorous memories of Jeanine were the ones that stuck with Adu the most. Those moments grounded him in real life; the simple, slow moments that contrasted his persona as a performer.
Photo by Jisun Han on Unsplash
Thinking Back On a Closing Year
As the year starts to round the bend from this one to the next, people tend to reminisce. On their relationships, or their actions, or both, and how they’ve all played a part in that year’s picture. These reflections aren’t unhealthy; they’re encouraged. With some focused introspection, people are able to create goals for the next year. Lucky ones can even mend things while they can, before the year descends that new slope. This is something that Kwame Adu and Aviad know, and nostalgically expressed in their track “Jeanine!”.
What song lets you think back?
