Joe

Before Usher, Ne-Yo and Chris Brown, there was Joe. Coming up on the R&B scene in the early 90s, I wasn’t officially introduced to his talents till I heard his collaboration with Mariah Carey and 98 Degrees on 1998’s ‘Thank God I Found You.’ I was in my early teens and thought this would by far one of the most beautiful songs I heard in a long time, and at that age, I thought most R&B and pop ballads were that way. However, discovering ‘I Wanna Know’ the follow year solidified my interest in Joe’s music. Sure, he was singing about grown up things, especially considering how young I was at the time. However, I took his lyrics and applied it to what I was feeling in my own teen dramas at the moment -- as many young girls do.
Despite dropping eight albums and even more singles, it wasn’t until Joe played a special afternoon show in New York City that I got to finally see him play live. Tucked away in the Living Room, located in the Lower East Side, I, along with a select 25 people watched him play the hits as well as new tracks from his ninth record, ‘Doubleback: Evolution of R&B.’ While I was a fan years before this moment, I was clearly not his number one fan as a number of middle aged women took on that role. I, however, was quite intrigued by the suaveness he had and just how his voice rippled through the air. And there’s one thing I noticed, he really knows how to woo the women.
From singing about how will satisfy her physical needs to how he’ll take her, Joe has managed to personify the perfect man -- even if it only lasts for the duration of his set.