V Exclusive: The Resurgence Of Carl Thomas

After a self-imposed hiatus from the music business, seasoned R&B veteran Carl Thomas is gearing up to release his new project, Conquer, this fall. In an exclusive blog entry for VIBE.com, Carl speaks on the change in R&B music along with the new stuff he has been creating:

"In April 2004 Aliya S. King reviewed my second album Let’s Talk About it for Vibe Magazine Revolutions. The spotlight beaming on a painful truth, “It’s hard to be a modern day soul singer.” If you follow the path of R&B legends Marvin Gaye & Stevie Wonder you’re dubbed as “Old School.” If you integrate too closely with hip-hop you’re dubbed “Desperate to stay relevant.” The question remains “is there a common ground at all?”

It’s now 2011 and after years of studying the greats & paying attention to today’s brightest stars, I’m ready to answer that question again. I’ve made a conscious effort to write from the heart without the pressure to replicate the success of my first number one record (“I Wish”). Although it appears the historic position and relevance of R&B/Soul music has faded, I believe my new project Conquer (due Sept. 2011), offers a foundation for restoration. Title track “Conquer,” “Round Two,” & “It Ain’t Fair,” are some of the songs penned to reinforce my central theme of life, love & relationships. Combine that with gritty hip-hop beats, and you get the feel good album you’re looking for in Conquer.

While recording these songs about complex grown-up emotions, the focus was the art of seduction leading to a mature consensual intimacy, instead of adolescent superficial sex. The goal was to prove that true love expression isn’t a thing of the past and soul singers are not myths, we really do exist. So, again the spotlight is beaming on R&B and this time you can find me center stage, microphone in hand being true to what I do."