El DeBarge, '80s popstar, releases first album in 16 years

50 & El DeBarge collab on new track

​If you're under 30, you can feel free to just move right along  while the rest of us nostalgically mind-fondle tracks like "Who's Johnny"* and "Rhythm Of The Night" and digest the idea of a new El Debarge's release. It's his first since 1994 and it hit shelves today, but whether Second Chance will actually prove to be one for the '80s-famous falsetto with the porny moustache remains to be seen.

DeBarge spent the majority of the last decade dealing with drug issues but appears to be cleaned up and in the mood for some smoov R&B croonin' again. 

Hey girl.

​ "Making this album, I felt like I was seeing a flower or feeling the sun shine for the first time," El DeBarge mused in a statement. "I feel like a brand new artist, like I just came out to Hollywood from Grand Rapids and I'm looking for a record contract--and I'm just as hungry as I was when I started out."

Listening to the new track "Lay With You" featuring Faith Evans accompanied with a shiny new video shows promise for DeBarge's future, and you can still see a glimmer of the past in his voice, which is nice. But there's really no new ground covered here with this R&B flavor, and clumsy beefy rapstar collabos won't change that. Fans of his gum-smacking '80s pop, however, will appreciate hearing his voice again.  I know I did.

Hear a few of his new tracks over at Giant Step.


*This song was my bike riding soundtrack in 1986 and also the theme to Short Circuit. (On another note, he looks eerily like John Leguizamo.  Just sayin'.)



A rewind for the heads: