Tiffany J Releases New Single “If You Don’t Love Me”

Hypnotically tethered to the utterance of every lyric and yet wholly independent in its definition within each of the mixes we find it in, the beat is at the foundation of every emotional moment to behold in Tiffany J.’s “If You Don’t Love Me.” Even in the percussion-free acapella remix of the song, Tiffany J. seemingly goes out of her way to make the rhythm as affective as any rhyme ever could be in this all-new release. Whether enjoyed in its original incarnation, a textured “Mellow Vibe Mix” or ultra-surreal “Fresno City Remix,” “If You Don’t Love Me” is urban pop at its most spellbinding to say the least.

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The radio edit of this track, as well as the “Fresno City Remix,” are a little more contrast-oriented than the other mixes of the song are, but underneath the varnish, the bones of the composition are unbent in each of the versions we’re hearing this April. Tiffany J. has a very diverse skillset to bring to this track, and by spreading out her artistic multidimensionality across five different remixes, we not only get an idea of her capabilities, but more importantly, we get a look at her depth as an arranger and producer.

In every version of “If You Don’t Love Me” that I’ve listened to recently, the lead vocal is always the most rousing element for us to analyze. With the harmonies that Tiffany J. forges with the synthetic instrumentation found in the “Mellow Vibe Mix” and standard cut of the song, she contextualizes her verses with a color that wouldn’t have been present otherwise. She’s using every tool at her disposal in these recordings, which is more than I can say for some of her less than experimental contemporaries in and outside of the mainstream right now.

There’s a menacing energy to the “Fresno City Remix” of “If You Don’t Love Me” thanks to its acrylic bass textures, and though this isn’t true of the all-vocal acapella mix, both sport some seriously robust physicality in the grander scheme of things. It’s hard for any artist to take a minimalist model and adorn it with as elaborate a melodic faceting as Tiffany J. does in this song, but rather than translating as intellectually pretentious, her performance here feels really humble overall. Her natural talent is being wonderfully exploited in “If You Don’t Love Me,” and as of now, I can’t wait to hear what she does with it next.

Check of the Mixes on KKBOX: https://www.kkbox.com/sg/en/album/R2hSSrO2On4U30F4JKO8009H-index.html

If this is just a sneak preview of what’s to come next from Tiffany J., I think it would be safe to assume that we’ll be seeing her name in the underground headlines fairly often in the years to come. Regardless of which cut of “If You Don’t Love Me” you take to the most, there’s no denying the skill that this powerful songwriter is working with. She’s still got a lot of room for growth, but with more material like this under her belt, she’ll have a comfortable career ahead of her for certain.

Nicole Killian