Omarion has difficulty carving space in a cool urban contemporary market with his cliché new single, “BDY ON ME.”

It has been a while since Omarion has been a truly relevant force in urban contemporary music.  No disrespect, but the talented R&B singer hasn’t packed a serious musical punch in some time.  The former B2K lead singer attempts to capture his best days on his latest single, “BDY ON ME.” The question is, is the O singer successful?

First and foremost, there’s nothing painfully wrong with “BDY ON ME.” Sex and urban contemporary music are practically synonymous, particularly from the male perspective.  Furthermore, Omarion has been singing about sex throughout the course of his career.  While this subject matter is shallow, it’s the niche that he’s been successful in for years.  The sound of the record is fresh enough, without being groundbreaking or game changing.  At under three minutes, it’s hard to quibble with the length, particularly given the straightforwardness of the record.

Ultimately, “BDY ON ME” is sound, but, it is also incredibly cliché.  Omarion sounds like an artist who is closer to running out of moves than one trying to rekindle the magic.  “BDY ON ME” isn’t produced by DJ Mustard (shockingly), but the backdrop has similar qualities.  At this point, the sound is starting to wane a bit.  Vocally, he sounds great, but it’s hard to get into “BDY ON ME” because it’s all too familiar.  In this instance, Omarion could be any other R&B male singer expressing his utmost horniness, and it wouldn’t make a difference.

Final Thoughts 

Basically, “BDY ON ME” seems more like a wasted opportunity than a grand comeback for Omarion.  He remains a talented singer by all means, but “BDY ON ME” does little to distinguish him from his contemporaries.  With R&B on the “struggle bus” as it is, R&B musicians need to try to find creative ways to remain relevant and distinct in the industry.  For Omarion, “BDY ON ME” isn’t quite enough.

Omarion • BDY ON ME – single • MMG / Atlantic • Release: April 21, 2017

Photo Credit: MMG / Atlantic