Avant

Since his introduction in the early aughts, Avant has excelled at creating mood-setting R&B. Born Myron Lavell Avant in Cleveland in 1978, the singer/songwriter developed his sound by listening to soul artists who came before him and molded the genre, like Marvin Gaye and Smokey Robinson. With a foundation of influence in place, Avant began writing songs as a teen before releasing his 2000 debut album, My Thoughts, which featured the vulnerable breakup single “Separated” and “My First Love,” a revamped yet true rerecording of René & Angela’s 1983 duet of the same name, with R&B vocalist KeKe Wyatt. Avant would work consistently in the vein of romantic balladry across his singles: The lustful “Makin’ Good Love” from 2002’s Ecstasy was followed by the provocative “Read Your Mind” from 2003’s Private Room. For his 2006 album, Director, Avant took the cinematic route, highlighting his versatility with the dramatic single “4 Minutes,” a song about having a brief window of time to convince a lover to give an imperfect partnership another shot. He continues to find new ways to breathe life into his craft: In 2020, Avant released the earnest, sentimental Can We Fall in Love, a fully realized example of his secure grasp on ever-evolving soul music.