Watch the Sun (R&B album)
Watch the Sun is the eighth studio album by American singer PJ Morton. It was released on April 29, 2022 through Morton and EMPIRE Records.[1] It was the first released after the Coronavirus pandemic.
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Watch the Sun is regarded as the Magnum Opus of Morton's career,[2] and features many collaborations with Gospel, R&B, and hip-hop artists.
Background
[edit]In 2020, Morton released his first and only Gospel album Gospel According to PJ: From the Songbook of PJ Morton and afterwards he moved to Bogalusa, Louisiana to record this album.[3] He got a residence at the studio and him and his collaborators worked around the clock to complete this album.
Morton said that this album was really personal for him stating on Zoom:
I just had to go a little deeper and get under another layer and really give that vulnerability.
— PJ Morton
He also had many voice notes from early 2020 that he used for this album.
Composition
[edit]The album is very R&B and soul influenced with songs like 'Be Like Water" and "Lil Too Heavy" having heavy influences. He also collaborated with Stevie Wonder a major influence to the artist.[4] He also would collaborate with fellow R&B artists such as Alex Isley and Susan Carol.
Release
[edit]Morton announced Watch the Sun on his Facebook account on March 2, 2022,[5] and it was released on April 29, 2022 through Morton Records on LP, Album, CD, and Stereo.
Reception
[edit]Watch the Sun was generally well received, getting the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song for "Good Morning". He also had two from the songs "Please Don't Walk Away" and "Say So" w/ JoJo on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart at #35 and 32 respectively. He also had three songs from the album (the two previously mentioned #10 and 8, and "My Peace" w/ Tiondria Norris and Mr. TalkBox, #18) on the Adult R&B Airplay chart.
| Charts | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Chart | Peak chart position | ||
| US Top Current Album Sales (Billboard) | #56 | ||
| Awards | |||
| Year | Nominee/work | Award | Result |
| 2023 | Please Don't Walk Away | Best R&B Song | Nominated |
| 2023 | Watch the Sun | Best R&B Album | Nominated |
Track listing
[edit]All tracks are written by PJ Morton
| No. | Title | Featuring | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Love's Disease (Just Can't Get Enough)" | 2:58 | |
| 2. | "Biggest Mistake" | 3:06 | |
| 3. | "Please Don't Walk Away" | 3:52 | |
| 4. | "Watch the Sun" | Chronixx | 2:55 |
| 5. | "My Peace" | JoJo, Mr. TalkBox | 3:48 |
| 6. | "Be Like Water" | Stevie Wonder, Nas | 3:18 |
| 7. | "So Lonely" | 3:35 | |
| 8. | "Still Believe" | Jill Scott, Alex Isley | 3:41 |
| 9. | "Lil' Too Heavy" | 2:51 | |
| 10. | "On My Way" | El DeBarge | 2:22 |
| 11. | "The Better Benediction" | Zacardi Cortez, Darrel Walls, Samoht, Gene Moore, Tim Rogers | 5:24 |
| Total length: | 37 minutes | ||
Promotion
[edit]Morton announced his Watch the Sun Tour a week before the album's release. It lasted from May 25 to October 1, 2023.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ "Watch the Sun by PJ Morton". Genius. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
- ^ Abraham, Mya (2022-09-21). "PJ Morton Declares 'Watch The Sun' His Magnum Opus". VIBE.com. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
- ^ "PJ Morton's 'Watch the Sun' is a Full Circle Moment - Okayplayer". www.okayplayer.com. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
- ^ "Modern Classics: PJ Morton made Nas's Stevie Wonder dream come true". Switched On Pop. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
- ^ 5.1K views · 630 reactions | NEW ALBUM. WATCH THE SUN. APRIL 29. #watchthesun☀️ | By PJ Morton | Facebook. Retrieved 2025-01-21 – via www.facebook.com.
- ^ https://plus.google.com/110686239645171179005. "PJ Morton Announces Watch The Sun Tour: 35 Shows For Summer & Fall, Including NYC's Apollo Theater, LA's Theater at Ace Hotel, Nashville's Ryman Auditorium & Much More". Shore Fire Media. Retrieved 2025-01-21.
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