Keith Sweat, Janet Jackson, Lido. What do they have in common? Three words: NEW JACK SWING. Developed in the black New York club scene, this genre was en vogue from the late 80s to early 90s, and is completely underused in modern music. Artists like Bruno Mars have incorporated New Jack Swing recently, but it’s high time that more producers and artists pay tribute to this iconic moment in black music history.
Yes, there are nods to New Jack Swing in EDM hits like Sleepy Tom and Diplo‘s “Don’t Walk Away” (sampling Jade‘s song of the same name), or the many remixes of Michael Jackson’s “Remember The Time” you can find on SoundCloud, but I’ve yet to see a producer really tackle the genre with an original—until now. “Not Enough” sounds like it could’ve been on the radio back in ’91, sandwiched between “I Want Her” and “I’m Dreamin”.
Ian Eastwood and The Young Lions keep things sweet and simple in the video, upping that New Jack nostalgia with 80s-style neons and a continued focus on the dance crew (a very 90s touch). Lido’s bopping around too, and I want to see him dance more because oh my God he is so cute BRING BACK THE LIDOLIDO DANCING PLEASE. The editing in this is great too; it really envelops you in that late 80s/early 90s era feel of R&B music videos.
They’re all encouraging viewers to take part in the “Not Enough” challenge, so if that means I have to watch this video a dozen more times to learn the dance, then I am more than happy to oblige.
Saint Audio 