Singles Spotlight: Manasseh – “Junie”

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I’m so damn excited to talk about another artist making great music: Manasseh. The press release for the Chicago-based soul singer’s newest album R&B[eyond] which came out August 25th, tells us more about him, noting, “As a singer, vocal coach, and arranger, Manasseh Croft has worked with Marquis Hill, Heavy Crownz, Rich Jones, Johari Noelle, AMI, Isaiah Collier, Patchwork Inc., Galaxy Francis, Rhea the Second, and more. While Manasseh has spent years working with other artists as a vocal coach, arranger, and vocalist, he’s also proven he has a voice of his own.”

Manasseh has released one EP, Variations V1: I’ll Be EP (2023), as well as three full-length albums, Chasing Moonlight (2021), Monochromatic Dream (2022), and fav.wav.acapella (2024). You should look up and listen to all of them.

Looking back at Manasseh’s EP via the press release, “When sharing his last EP (Variations V1: I’ll Be, 2023), Sound Opinions’ Jim DeRogatis said, ‘I hear echoes of gospel, house music, and psychedelic soul. That tradition from Curtis Mayfield through D’Angelo.’ After listening to the title track, Greg Kot added, ‘It reminded me a lot of old gospel recordings from the 50s and 60s. There’s some of that ambiance […] it’s very powerful to take on that tradition.'” Perhaps not surprising to anyone, as SWT’s lead reviewer, an avid Replacements fan, and fan of many genres including those listed…I’m also respect the shit out of Kot and DeRogatis. An admirer and fan of both well before SWT existed, and a fan of their program Sound Opinions as well.

Let’s explore Manasseh’s new album, starting by looking into his past: “Croft said R&B[eyond] is a tribute to the permission his mom gave him to explore secular music, having grown up in a strict Baptist household. He said, ‘Even so, my mother always recognized just how deeply I loved music—and that truth lives at the core of this body of work.'” Furthermore, “R&B[eyond] also reflects the city’s years of musical history. Growing up on the South Side of Chicago and split between a religious upbringing and secular music, Manasseh told The Chicago Tribune that his music is a “stew in a crockpot. You put your ingredients in there one by one, and you just let it simmer until everything’s tender and married together.” Add to the conversation that the name Manasseh itself is a name that has deep roots in both the Hebrew Bible and the Book of Genesis, and the first sentence in this paragraph gains additional depth. 

The release continues, “As the title suggests, Manasseh’s upcoming second album blends R&B, soul, psychedelia, hip-hop, and more. He also keeps the record grounded in the sounds of Chicago, embracing his roots with the help of several local collaborators, as the album is in part an homage to his younger self.” Within the album, the listener will hear collaborations with rapper-professor femdot., R&B and rap artist-producer Galaxy Francis, trumpeter Marquis Hill, rapper-farmer-community curator Heavy Crownz, musician and producer Marcus Darling, and producer Renzell (Chance the Rapper, Noname, Mick Jenkins).

Croft continues, “At its heart, this album is for ‘Baby Ness.’ The artwork features a photo from my grammar school days — a moment where I felt completely confident, fully seen, and honestly, my most handsome in that picture day fit. That energy, that innocence, that self-assurance all fuel the spirit of this project. My hope is that listeners can truly feel my journey, moving through each emotion with ease as the sounds carry them.”

From a WBEZ Chicago feature about the album, Croft stated, “This album is very much a culmination of where I’ve been and the things that I’ve wanted to do. For the first time in a very long time, I’m so satisfied with what has been created. I think the biggest thing is I didn’t have to do it by myself.” And “I just pray everyone that gets the chance to hear it feels lighter when it ends than when it started,” he said. “This is for the inner child in you. This album is for you, all of you, every stage of you.”

Now that we have learned a bit about Manasseh and talked about his discography and newest album, let’s take a peek at the singles artwork for the song, “Junie”:

What else can I say? Manasseh is a new artist to me. But I’m grateful I recently saw a press release about him. I was hooked within the first few words. Knew right then and there that I had to advocate for his new music. And do at least one Singles Spotlight worth of coverage on SWT. When I listened to some of the songs on the album, I was ecstatic. Beautiful music with so much soul and fabulous energy. Add in psychedelic soul? Hooked. Yes please. I’m a sucker for good soulful music, regardless of genre, but soul in any of its genres or subgenres will always have a soft and sweet spot in my heart and brain. And if you’re here too, we’re on a cruise ship, the only boat big enough for all of us.  Why did I pick “Junie” to share with the SWT audience as part of an introduction to Manasseh? Its melody has the right balance of funk and smoothness, and the lyrics are both salty and sweet, at times reflecting everyday life for most. I like what long-time collaborator Galaxy Francis brought to this song as well as he drops bars in quick succession adding to and not disrupting the smooth almost healing vibes that Manasseh had established within the song.

But don’t take my word for it. Check it out for yourself below!

Rikkie Khrist directed, shot, and edited the visualizer video, and Eddie Burns produced the song. Take a look. Listen to the song “Junie” [ft. Galaxy Francis]:

(All credits and rights to Manasseh and Rikkie Khrist)

See Manasseh in his picture-day fit on the cover art for the R&B[eyond] album:

The track list for R&B[eyond]:

1. Ness n Max (ft. Max Lazarus, Marquis Hill)
2. Let’s Be Cool
3. Feel Like (ft. Marcus Darling, Jamison Brenner)
4. Todo
5. Right Now (ft. RHOME)
6. Junie (ft. Galaxy Francis)
7. Novus (ft. Heavy Crownz, milesolovely)
8. CBD (ft. femdot.)
9. Old-Times Sake
10. 2 AM
11. Reprise
12. Playin (ft. Brother)
13. Me n LeftJones (ft. LeftJones)

Alex M Theel

Co-Founder, Reviewer, Content Creator, Business side, Editor at Scummy Water Tower Productions | Web

Scummy Water Tower Productions co-founder, reviewer, business manager, and editor. Thank you for visiting this site, scummywatertower.com, and YouTube for Water Tower Sessions and SWT Interviews. And all of our socials.
Questions, feedback, or more? Contact me: alex@scummywatertower.com