"Sultry R&B balladeer Brian McKnight feels rejuvenated. He certainly has
good reasons why. His latest single, "Used to Be My Girl" is riding high on the
charts, while his new disc, Ten, marks a new chapter in his established career.
After leaving Motown Records, McKnight is now on Warner Brothers, a label that
he says really understands him artistically.
He talked about his fresh new
outlook on his career and explained what "being sexy" means to him. McKnight
also discussed his surprising collaboration with the country music group Rascal
Flatts, on the new disc’s socio-political song, "Red, White & Blue," and
about his experience scoring two upcoming Tyler Perry movies.
BET J: After a
decade of releasing ballad-driven albums, what makes Ten stand out?
Brian
McKnight: The biggest difference is that there’s bigger optimism on this album
that I didn’t have in quite a while. Being on Warner Brothers, I have a new
outlook; I'm emancipated. Other than that, there’s not really a big difference
in the way that I write, play or produce a song. But the overall gist is that
I’m at a different place in my life and career, and I'm finally at a record
label that really understands who I am.
BET J: A lot of R&B artists have
been talking about being "grown & sexy" and "bringing sexy back." What do
those new catchphrases mean to you?
McKnight: Those phrases mean nothing to
me.
BET J: How do you define "sexy?"
McKnight: I don't define it. It's
defined by those who behold it. All I can do is be me. If someone finds that as
being sexy then that's a good thing. I really don't think that much about being
sexy. I've been the same me for quite some time, and I haven't really deviated
from it. When people see my shows, they have the same expectations they've had
from the very beginning of my career.
Obviously, the singer is evasive when
it comes to explaining what sexy is. Keep reading to find out his thoughts on
music.
BET J: What's the most difficult love song you've ever written and
why?
McKnight: It's hard for me to answer that question, because writing
comes easy to me. Emotionally, there may be some more difficult than others, but
I can't put my finger on any of them. Some songs, earlier in my career, were
harder to write, because I hadn’t really gone through anything; they were
written by pure imagination. These latter ones are easier, because I’ve been
through a lot.
BET J: So emotionally, what's one of the more trying songs
you penned?
McKnight: Again, the only place I get my emotions out is through
my songs. So none of my songs have been that trying. It's harder for me to talk
about my emotions than to write about them.
BET J: What's the best love song
that you wished that you’d written?
McKnight: There's a song that came out
last year by Daniel Bedingfield called "I Don’t Want to Run Away" – that's a
great song. There are probably a million others but I can't think of any off the
top of my head.
BET J: Talk about the song, "Red, White & Blue" from
your new disc, Ten. You collaborated with Rascal Flats on that song. How did
that come about?
McKnight: Basically, Gary Levox, Joe Don Rooney and Jay
Demarcus and I have been friends for years. And we’ve always talked about doing
something together. I'd written that song on the Fourth of July for the U.S.
military troops. I played it for Rascal Flatts and they wanted to be on the
song. The rest is history. The song was just a great vehicle for us to work
together.
BET J: Are you big country music fan?
McKnight: I'm a fan of
all kinds of music. I also don't really look at Rascal Flatts as being a country
-western group; they’re a rock band. They just happen to have a little twang to
their playing.
BET J: You recently scored two upcoming Tyler Perry movies?
Talk briefly about that.
McKnight: Yes. The first one is Daddy’s Little
Girls; it's the first movie that I've scored. I had a great time, because I was
fulfilling one of my dreams. It's been one of the greatest moments in my career.
Tyler is not in the movie; he just directed and wrote it. It stars Gabrielle
Union and Idris Elba. I love this movie; it's very heart-warming. It's about a
single father trying to raise his three daughters. Funny at times, but it'll
still make you cry. The other one is called The Jazz Man, I think. I'm not sure
if he’s nailed down the title.
BET J: So what else is popping off?
McKnight: Well, I think the new CD and the movie scores are going to keep me
busy for quite a while. I'm working on a nighttime talk show as well, but I
can't talk about any of the details right now. I'll keep my fingers crossed on
that one."