Giveon's 'Beloved' highlights the universal commonality of love and romance struggles

NEW YORK — Giveon has been on a quest for musical and personal growth since releasing his studio debut three years ago. But the more things have changed, they've also stayed the same.

''The girls didn't stop,'' he said with a sly smile. ''I don't even know if I grew in that area.''

That's not necessarily bad news for the ''Heartbreak Anniversary'' singer, because when it comes to emoting about the complexities of love and romance, the business of Giveon is always booming.

''I don't wanna get to a point where I start talking about the same thing, but there's so much still left to say," he said.

The seven-time Grammy nominee says plenty on his anticipated sophomore album, ''Beloved,'' out Friday. He won't argue that it's another heartbreak manifesto, but he insists this project is more nuanced and introspective.

''I like to write songs about what people are thinking, but they don't want to say out loud,'' said the Drake and Justin Bieber collaborator. ''Some of these experiences aren't that unique. I'll Google something random, like, ‘Yo, my elbow itches on Thursday — what is that?' Somebody'll be like, ‘My elbow's itching on Thursday, too!' So, I'm like we all going through the same thing.''

Following 2020's ''Give or Take,'' the 13-track featureless album was crafted during a three-year period, with Giveon writing on every song. With the bulk of production handled by Sevn Thomas, Peter Lee Johnson and Matthew Burnett, the rich sounds of live musicians were recorded and songs began as jam sessions. It was a change for the ''Like I Want You'' artist who generally starts his creative process by first writing over instrumental loops.

Giveon's identifiable baritone voice, wrapped around relationship musings, has consistently cut through the vibe-centered and party-focused R&B that's dominated the past decade. Some fans and critics complain that vulnerability is absent among today's artists, as phrases like ''if it don't feel like 90s R&B, I don't want it'' have become popular hashtags. Giveon evokes that golden era nostalgia, but you won't find him begging and pleading to lost loves in the music video rain like many popular artists of that time.

''If she's upset, I get on my knees and lock my fingers and be like, ‘Come on, please?' She's gonna look at me crazy,'' joked the 30-year-old. ''I don't even like being outside in the rain no way – I don't want to get sick.''

Ahead of ''BELOVED,'' Giveon released ''Twenties," peaking at No. 6 on Billboard's hot R&B songs, and ''Rather Be.'' Standout tracks include the soulful ballad ''Numb,'' and ''I Can Tell'' in which he desires to rescue a love interest from an unhappy relationship. ''Bleeding'' — where one could argue there's some pleading — is also a highlight, as he sings, ''I'm stepping over pieces, broken heart's on the floor / Cut my skin trying to make you whole again / So, I'm bleeding for your love.''

''That's almost more than pleading. I'm damaged trying to help you get put back together ... it's almost deeper and more vulnerable in ways because we could be taking the risk of being hurt as well,'' he said of the song while defending his musical generation. ''It's easier to do that for something you've lost, but what if you feel like you really haven't lost anyone yet? Worth getting pneumonia over?''

Currently, there are plans for a tour, and he revealed he's open to creating a joint EP with Teddy Swims, a desire made known by the pop-soul singer in a previous interview with The Associated Press. Earlier this year, they joined forces on ''Are You Even Real'' which reached No. 1 on multiple Billboard charts, including adult R&B airplay.

Giveon, who's also interested in creating short films, is adamant about one central creative principle: timelessness. He's always considering how his art will be reevaluated in the future.

''I don't speak in a trendy way — I just speak my authentic language. If you go look at a text read from 10 years ago, 15 years ago, I'm probably speaking the exact same way. So, I think authenticity is what makes sure it's not dated,'' he said. ''I don't even like to cuss in my music ... that takes away from it, too. There's no cuss words on here, actually. My granny will love it.''

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Follow Associated Press entertainment journalist Gary Gerard Hamilton at @GaryGHamilton on all his social media platforms.