GIVĒON, When It’s All Said and Done… Take Time | Album Review 💿

Grammy-nominated R&B artist GIVĒON is utterly superb on his 2021 album, When It’s All Said and Done… Take Time. 

🎙 GIVĒON (Giveon Evans) marks one of R&B’s brightest stars.  His baritone vocals are gorgeous – buttery smooth and incredibly nuanced.  It’s not surprising his 2020 EP, 💿 Take Time, was nominated for a 🏆 Grammy.  Reissued in 2021 as 💿 When It’s All Said and Done… Take Time, the extra songs only sweeten the deal.  While the resulting album is brief, Evans thrills on some lushly produced and superbly written standouts. 

“The Beach”

“I don’t know if it was fireworks or gunshots, but the birds is in the air.” On the opener, ✅ 🎵 “The Beach,” GIVĒON references the place where he grew up, Long Beach, California, which has had some sketchy history at times.  He responds to his mom’s intro on the first verse, referencing that lack of safety, and throws lust into the mix as well: “Lust, guns, drugs, violence.”  On the second verse, he continues highlighting the rough-n-tumble ‘562,’ incorporating love into the mix (“Hop into the whip, we can go skrrt / Show you the city that made me like this”). On the chorus, he sings, “Oh, won’t let you go, go, go,” referencing his love. On the bridge, he also focuses on the state of the relationship. This standout is lushly produced by 🎛 Boi-1da, 🎛 Los Hendrix, and 🎛 Yakob.

“The Beach” is a hard act to follow, but GIVĒON is up to the task.  He continues to bless the listener with his robust, emotional baritone on 🎵 “World We Created.”  Besides his own sublime performance, the record is chill and soulful – a vibe.  Lyrically, Evans focuses on a relationship, one that he believes is truly unbreakable (“Ain’t nothing or nobody that’s ever gonna break us”).  Following 🎵 “Take Time (Interlude),” Evans drops the scandalous ✅ 🎵 “Favorite Mistake.” Here, he’s hooking up with his ‘side piece,’ going to whatever lengths he needs to secure their rendezvous (“No parking in LA / So I’ma send a Uber to your place”). He admits it’s wrong, and she knows it’s wrong too, but, the connection between them ultimately is too enticing and tempting, hence, why “This is my favorite mistake.”

“This Ain’t Love” 

As the title suggests, 🎵 “This Ain’t Love.”  Essentially, GIVĒON speaks against commitment for a variety of reasons.  He’s not a fan of the word LOVE, more importantly, the commitment. He urges her not to get attached and makes sure he’s careful in his own actions.  Even when it comes to the bedroom, he’s leery (“Know you ain’t the same (No) in that Saint Laurent (Hey) / Help you take it off (Off), can’t get too involved (‘volved)”). From the non-love of “This Ain’t Love,” Evans moves onto ✅ 🎵 “Heartbreak Anniversary,” which became a successful single in 2021.  Here, he recalls an ended relationship. He sings, “Just like the day that I met you, the day I thought forever / Said that you love me, but that’ll last for never.”  Evans does a fine job of showing all the emotions and aspects attached with love, or a lack thereof.  “Heartbreak Anniversary,” unsurprisingly, ranks among the best of the best of When It’s All Said and Done… Take Time.

“See you face to face, I’m thinking ‘bout the days we used to be / But I can’t make a scene, but I can’t make it seem / Like I want you.” Matters of the heart drive the crowning achievement, the sleek ✅ 🎵 “Like I Want You,” produced by a team comprised of 🎛 Jahaan Sweet, 🎛 Sevn Thomas, 🎛 River Tiber, and 🎛 Los Hendrix. The compound-duple slow jam is a classic example of desiring your ex. He wants to be cool about this thing but in all honesty, he’s absolutely smitten.  A prime example? That ripe, expressive, and longing falsetto on the chorus.  Of course, more explicit examples include “A table set for two / You got me waitin’ but you ain’t comin’ through” from the second verse.  Admittedly, GIVĒON has his doubts about the success of reconciliation, but wants it, per the bridge. 

“Vanish”

✅ 🎵 “Vanish” is idiomatic of a more alternative brand of contemporary R&B.  How so? Well, the record opts against the traditional verse/chorus form.  Instead, there is pre-chorus (occurs twice), chorus (occurs thrice), a bridge (a variant of the pre-chorus), and outro sections.  Also, there’s intentional use of instrumental music that stretches a potentially shorter record to three-and-a-half-minutes overall.  Form aside, GIVĒON focuses on matters of the heart.  He’s getting mixed messages from this girl who sometimes wants him and other times, as aforementioned, wants him to vanish.  Of course, he admits he’s made mistakes too, and they both need to work together to make the relationship work.

Following the brief but enjoyable interlude, 🎵 “When It’s All Said and Done,” 🎵 “Still Your Best” oozes with soul, maintaining the sheer excellence of When It’s All Said and Done… Take Time.  The melody is lovely, the production fitting (🎛 Schylar O’Neal, 🎛 Dominic Matthews, and 🎛 Sevn Thomas), with the key ingredient being that gorgeous baritone.  With the arrival of ✅ 🎵 “Last Time,” listeners are treated to a smooth duet with 🎙 Snoh Aalegra. Their two voices blend marvelously – this was one of those musical moments that was meant to be.  Regarding this specific song, GIVĒON has stated he wanted this song to “feel intimate and like a dialogue”.  The intended effect is realized, with a stunning, high flying expression of those complicated matters of the heart.

“I can’t say, ‘I love you’ no more / ‘Cause my friends gon’ judge me for sure / It took some time but I realized / You do me wrong, but it feels right.” One of the finest ballads you’ll hear in 2021 is ✅ 🎵 “Stuck on You.”  If you need the perfect reason to check out When It’s All Said and Done… Take Time, THIS IS IT. “Stuck on You” is elite, nuanced, and refined.  GIVĒON pours out his heart and soul, admitting he’s a fool – “Far from love, but I’m stuck.” Like most of the album, Evans sings about relatable, everyday matters – we feel you, bro! He caps off things with the short, plush, minor key slow jam, 🎵 “All to Me.”  Basically, her man doesn’t hold her down the way she should, but Evans, well, he’s like, “I got you.”

Final Thoughts 💭 

All in all, When It’s All Said and Done… Take Time marks one of the best albums of 2021. This expanded version of Take Time is fantastic. GIVĒON is incredibly talented – the ‘real deal’ when it comes to R&B artists.  That baritone – man, does he have gift!  Throughout the album, compilation – whatever it is – he masterfully relays the many angles of love in relatable fashion. Does he ever dare miss the mark? NEVER! 

✅ Gems 💎: “The Beach,” “Favorite Mistake” “Heartbreak Anniversary,” “Like I Want You,” “Vanish,” “Last Time” & “Stuck on You”

🎙 GIVĒON • 💿 When It’s All Said and Done… Take Time • 🏷 Epic / With Not So Fast LLC • 🗓 3.12.21

[📷: Epic / With Not So Fast LLC]