If you’ve been starving for some real R&B — the kind that makes you want to slow dance in the kitchen at 2 AM — Alvin Garrett just came through with the remedy.
The Birmingham-bred songwriter and vocalist dropped his fifth studio album, Talk To Her Like This, and it’s available everywhere you stream. This 10-track project is a masterclass in what happens when a grown man puts his whole heart on wax. Garrett executive produced the entire thing, and you can hear the intention in every note.
For those who don’t know, this man has been behind the curtain writing hits for R&B royalty for 25 years — we’re talking Joe, Kelly Rowland, Fantasia, and Ruben Studdard. But on this album, he’s stepping from behind the pen and telling his own story — one rooted in emotional intelligence, vulnerability, and what he calls “romantic maturity.” Basically, this is R&B for people who’ve actually been through something.
His lead single “Roll Slide Roll” is already climbing the Billboard R&B charts, and honestly, it hits different. It’s got that old-school Southern soul energy — think heritage skating rink vibes and community cookout energy — wrapped in a modern package. If you grew up going to the rink on Friday nights, this one’s going to take you right back.
Garrett’s been on a serious run. His 2023 hit “Til I Get Back To You” peaked at No. 15 on Billboard’s R&B charts. And beyond the music? In 2024, President Joe Biden awarded him the Presidential Medal of Honor for his work with The Write Life, a songwriting therapy program helping at-risk and justice-involved youth through the nonprofit Dannon Project. That’s impact beyond the studio.
“To me, R&B music has always been a surrogate voice for our deeply human experiences,” Garrett shared. “I just hope that Talk To Her Like This becomes the project that people gravitate to when they need a little help telling somebody how much they love them.”
He’s currently touring his live experience, “Songs in the Key of AG” — a tribute bridging the legendary Al Green’s catalog with his own originals. If you get a chance to catch it, don’t sleep. This is the kind of artistry that reminds you why R&B will never die.
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