Collabs, again…
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Kylo Nocom: Daniel Caesar and Brandy provide a gorgeous cross-generational jam that mostly amounts to revisiting the same sunrise mood music Caesar explored with H.E.R. in 2017. “Best Part” is great as is; “Love Again” builds off of the same pop-perfect template with even more riveting chemistry between its vocalists. Of note is the third verse, where Caesar’s hopefulness comes through in his slick delivery (“I be clinging on to youuuuu“) as Brandy exchanges his melodies right back with equal passion. “Love Again” is the kind of delightfully therapeutic coffee-shop soul (if the immediate “I wake from my slumber” line didn’t clue you in, the light strums and harmonies surely did) that makes me wish I was a morning person.
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Thomas Inskeep: Brandy takes the H.E.R. lane, even duetting with Caesar, for this super, super-chilled R&B jam that’s the best thing her voice has touched in years.
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Joshua Minsoo Kim: It’s not as achingly beautiful as “Best Part,” but maybe that’s the point? After all, “Love Again” tells the story of two estranged lovers, their lyrics rooted in a mutual dissatisfaction with each other. Brandy and Daniel Caesar’s singing may be beatific, but it sounds like they’re talking past each other, fixated on convincing the other person of their respective wrongdoings. It’s only with the chorus — something spoken by both parties exactly once, and with the same exact words — that they seem to be on the same page. The chromatic downscale melody stands out from the rest of the song, and it highlights how they’re both ready for the effort needed to make this relationship work out.
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Michael Hong: While previous collaborations with Daniel Caesar have often had women show up on his track for a brief moment in what felt like an afterthought, the collaboration with Brandy and Daniel Caesar feels like an equal effort between the two. At least it would be if Brandy didn’t completely outshine Daniel Caesar. Contrast her breathy and seductive vocal acrobatics with Daniel Caesar, whose vocals may be gorgeous, but who, as usual, seems wholly content to meander across the track. Together, their harmonies may be ethereal, but “Love Again” would be better if Brandy found a partner willing to put in the effort.
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Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: My guy truly needs to stop duetting with singers that can actually emote.
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Alfred Soto: Whether the stars recorded in the same room matters less than their acting. Warm, lubricious, and inventive, “Love Again” uses distortion, call-and-response, and harmonies to create sensual tension. This would rule on pop radio.
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