The term ‘alternative R&B’ or ‘alt-R&B’ can be a bit of a tricky one to pin down, but it’s as close to any sort of descriptor that you could apply to rising talent Cicero. With one foot in the club and the other in more traditional R&B territory, her music’s dancefloor-friendly, but it also puts the songwriting upfront and in the centre. We saw it with last year’s Ultraviolet EP and we’re seeing it again in a big way on her new single “What Do I Do”, for which she’s teamed up with UK funky mage Roska.
Like some of last year’s EP, and not at all surprising given who produced it, UK funky’s a big influence on this one. Pushed forward by a nimble bassline and Roska’s untouchable flair for percussion, it’s a weighty little club track but again, Cicero’s vocals are left uncrowded and with plenty of space to flutter and soar.
The pair have also given the new track a visual treatment. In keeping with the theme of not overcomplicating things, director 411 frames the pair in a moodily-lit studio; Roska’s head bobbing up and down to the beat while the camera hones in on Cicero in the booth, before switching to a shot of her on her bed, running through her romantic dilemmas and wondering why she pays them so much mind.
Cicero’s clear a natural team player and she’s struck up a lot of fruitful partnerships with producers and MCs alike in the few years she’s been releasing her own music (which is to say nothing of her writing for other artists), but this is one partnership we’d be keen to hear a lot more of.
Hit play on the new video up top and then make sure you add “What Do I Do” to all your playlists.
