Chicago RnB Singer Manasseh Shares His New Music Video for "I'll Be Right There", Featuring Galaxy Francis
Vocalist and songwriter Manasseh Croft is the singer behind most of the most exciting new music from Chicago.
Simply sharing music as Manasseh, he’s the creator of Dope Tunes Production where he works as a vocal coach as well as a background singer for both live performances and studio recordings, including with Johari Noelle, AMI (pianist/music director for Jamila Woods), and David Blair, to name just a few.
His new music video for "I'll Be Right There" (features Galaxy Francis) teases his upcoming EP Variations V1: I'll Be ahead of its release next week Tuesday, 2/28. Directed by Alex Hazel (she/they), the video captures much of the inspiration for his brand of "psychedelic soul," including the 90s/2000s R&B he grew up with off of MTV.
As he waited years to release his album Monochromatic Dream (March 2022), his new EP is meant to collect his music between the debut album and all the new music he has worked on since. It includes several collaborations in addition to Galaxy Francis, including Carlisha Denise, Marcus Darling (Wyatt Waddell, E Woods), and Blake Davis (Noname, Smino).
Sound Opinions' Jim DeRogatis said in a recent episode, "I hear echoes of gospel, house music, and psychedelic soul. That tradition from Curtis Mayfield through D'Angelo." After listening to the title track "I'll Be (Live, Pt. 1)," Greg Kot added, “that track was moving to me, it reminded me a lot of old gospel recordings from the 50s and 60s [...] there’s some of that [...] ambiance, it’s very powerful to take on that tradition."
DeRogatis also quoted Manasseh's interview in The Chicago Tribune when Manasseh described his own music as "stew in a crockpot. You put your ingredients in there one by one and you just let it simmer until everything’s tender and married together."
Manasseh said the song "exclaims you're not alone. The repeated phrase 'FOR YOU' is my way of reiterating the meaning of the title. Our video captures the essence of the song, and Alex created an aesthetic based on our conversations about the record. We wanted to invoke nostalgia with the way it was shot and with the styling. I wanted it to look smooth, just like my influences growing up."
In writing about his MCA performance earlier this winter, the Chicago Reader wrote, Manasseh’s “sumptuous voice and incisive lyrics, as well as his stellar craftsmanship as a vocal and instrumental arranger, have made all his recordings knockouts.”
Chicago’s PBS station WTTW featured Manasseh in their “Black Voices” segment. In addition to describing his musical upbringing, he captured what his music is all about when he said, “I want everybody to feel loved and to feel lighter than they did when they came to the show, because I definitely feel that way.”
Manasseh is releasing his upcoming EP, Variations V1: I’ll Be, on February 28th. In the meantime, watch the clip for “I’ll Be Right There” now, stream it on Spotify and connect with Manasseh on his social media.