Adrian Marcel Wants To Bring Vulnerability & Blues Back To R&B

Adrian Marcel is something of a purist when it comes to R&B. "What I feel that I’m bringing back to R&B is more of a blues side," he tells Fuse. "I think we’ve gotten so caught up in trying to be hard and gangster and invincible, and that’s not true. We feel the same way as women do. We hurt just as bad. I’ve had great love and it was the best, and I’ve had heartbreak and it was horrible. I’ve grown from it. Every experience is still a new experience and a learning experience. I want to bring back that blues. It’s okay to be vulnerable."

This comes across in his biggest hit, "2AM." "Me and Sage [the Gemini] connected for the song '2AM' because we’re both from the Bay [Area] and I felt that it was the best representation for a West Coast, Bay Area sound. That’s pretty much what I stand for," Marcel explains. "I rep my city to the fullest—Oakland, California. It just made total sense and I thought it was the best visual representation for my come out record."