Return Of The Tender Lover

Babyface’s affectionate, hand-in-hand R&B has been sorely missed (his last solo album dropped in 2007). Live instruments and simple emotions are guided by a contemporary groove. Musical crush notes like “I Want You” and “Something Bout You” are propelled by his flawless voice. “Love and Devotion” and “Our Love” are perfect for a wedding party\'s walk down the aisle. “We’ve Got Love” wraps its arms around the world in a plea for personal connection. This is grown-folks\' love music—and it arrives not a moment too soon.

In the late 1980s and early '90s, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, along with songwriting partners Daryl Simmons and L.A. Reid, developed a form of pop soul that's as geometrically precise as it is weightless. His new album draws from that era, less a throwback than a micro-adjustment of an enduring formula.

Check out our album review of Artist's Return of the Tender Lover on Rolling Stone.com.

Babyface's Def Jam debut, Return of the Tender Lover is also his first solo album of original material in a decade.

The old-school R&B star is back with a new set of ultra-smooth, expensive-sounding love jams