In searching for the boldest and freshest R&B, look no further than Donavon, whose debut project, Badmind is turning heads for all the right reasons. There isn’t yet much out there about the young vocalist, but his music is telling of an artist equally inspired by R&B’s late 90’s Golden Era and modernity’s obsession with experimentalism and genre transcendentalism. Plus, Raveena’s endorsement should say all that’s needed to know: the kid is talented and unique.

 

The project’s opener and Donavon’s emerging breakout track, Bad is understatedly a hit, worthy of a positioning amongst the year’s most celebrated tales of raunchy romance. Delineated by an undeniable bassline and Donavon’s mastery at tight roping the production with quick-cadenced vocals, Bad is the kind of track that will direct his career moving forward. 

 

But the rest of Badmind is also worth your time. Short, experimental quips and funky dance tracks show a deeper understanding of R&B, neo-soul, and funk’s post-genre coalescence, shining Donavon in a light as an up-and-comer not to be overlooked. Control & These Days are also primed for a wide-reaching grasp on a mainstream ever more accepting of R&B vocalsists and their modern takes. Capable of the hip-hop adjacent, the funk hit, and the R&B ballad, Donavon with Badmind is here to stay.