Give or Take

by Giveon

Overview

Giveon made such a strong early impression as a rising star in 2019 and 2020 that Justin Bieber, irked that none of his Grammy nominations had been in an R&B category, sought the unequivocally R&B baritone and Daniel Caesar to make "Peaches." It was as if Bieber said, "What about this? It's like literally at least two-thirds R&B." The move worked, earning Bieber and his well-chosen partners a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Performance. Giveon himself had already picked up a Best R&B Album nomination for Take Time, but that eight-song offering was really an EP, making Give or Take the singer's first true album. (2021's When It's All Said and Done...Take Time, a compilation, wasn't given the debut LP designation either.) Give or Take had a couple significant singles precede its June 2022 arrival: "For Tonight," a yearning adult contemporary ballad in Sam Smith's wheelhouse, and the doubly vulnerable "Lie Again," an "I Don't Wanna Know" for the 2020s. The two songs weren't fake-outs, as the bulk of the LP sees Giveon working through assorted heavy-hearted matters in a fashion that shows growth and openness as a songwriter. Whether the subject is repentance, insecurity, lonesomeness, or frankness about wanting a one-dimensional relationship, Giveon pours his heart into it. He manages to remain a sympathetic forlorn character even when he's meeting a fan after a concert, singing "Get a kiss or two 'cause you listen to me/This ain't real, but this'll do." He's best and most affecting when in a state of conflicted apprehension, conveying a song's worth of feeling in the first two lines of "Another Heartbreak": "Tears don't fall when you're right here/Perfect for me, that's my fear." Giveon's rich and graceful voice remains so distinct that he could get away with singing nonsense. Despite the involvement of roughly two dozen production partners, the set is cohesive, almost to a fault, and most stimulating when it's slightly vaporous yet bristly, with a foundation in low-end thrum. ~ Andy Kellman

Product Details

Release Date:	06/24/2022
Label:	Epic / Sony Music
UPC:	0194399176528

Tracks

1. Let Me Go
2. Scarred
3. Dec 11th
4. This Will Do
5. Get to You
6. Tryn a Be
7. Make You Mine
8. July 16th
9. For Tonight
10. Lost Me
11. Lie Again
12. Another Heartbreak
13. At Least We Tried
14. Remind Me
15. Unholy Matrimony

Album Credits

Performance Credits

GIVEON   Primary Artist
Peter Lee Johnson   Violin

Technical Credits

Sevn Thomas   Composer,Lyricist,Producer,Management,Executive Producer
Schyler O'Neal   Lyricist,Producer,Composer
John Kercy   Mixing Engineer
Brooks Ivory Leonard   Composer,Lyricist,Producer
GreyForever   Composer,Lyricist,Producer
Akeel Henry   Producer,Composer,Lyricist
Tim Suby   Composer,Lyricist,Producer
Dominik Patrzek   Composer,Lyricist
Amaya Segura   Creative Director
Brian Cruz   Engineer
Deats   Producer
OZ   Producer
Maryellen Devaux   A&R
Cardo Got Wings   Producer
Shannon Mingal   Marketing
Rowan   Producer
GIVEON   Producer,Executive Producer
Giveon Evans   Composer,Lyricist
Francesca Grassi   A&R
Robert N. Johnson   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
YogiTheProducer   Producer
Marcus Semaj   Composer,Lyricist
Brodie Means   Assistant Engineer
Don Mills   Composer,Lyricist,Producer
Rodrigo Barahona   Engineer
Syd Tagle   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Grant Spanier   Photography
Cameron Joseph   Composer,Lyricist,Producer
Simon Gebrelul   Composer,Lyricist,Management,Executive Producer
Douglas Ford   Composer,Lyricist
Zamar Velez   Packaging
Sam Zuckerman   Engineer
Nils Noehden   Composer,Lyricist
Ian Rene   Assistant Engineer
Nils   Producer
Braxton   Producer
Leon Thomas   Composer,Lyricist,Producer
Carlos Martin   Composer,Lyricist
Tony Dixon   Composer,Lyricist
Braxton Cook   Composer,Lyricist
Ronald LaTour   Composer,Lyricist
Charlie Handsome   Producer
Boi-1da   Producer
Ezekiel Lewis   A&R
Enrique Sanchez   Composer,Lyricist,Producer
The Eye   Composer,Lyricist,Producer
Britten Newbill   Composer,Lyricist,Producer
Colin Leonard   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Brian Ziff   Packaging
Matthew Burnett   Composer,Lyricist,Producer
Kenta Yonesaka   Engineer
Matthew Samuels   Composer,Lyricist
Jordan Evans   Composer,Lyricist,Producer
Tyler Bryant   Composer,Lyricist
Jahaan Sweet   Composer,Lyricist,Producer
Jonathan Garcia   Assistant Engineer
John "J-Banga" Kercy   Mixing
Ozan Yildirim   Composer,Lyricist
Caleb Bryant   Composer,Lyricist,Producer
Carter Lang   Composer,Lyricist,Producer
Peter Lee Johnson   Composer,Lyricist,Producer
Johann Deterville   Composer,Lyricist
Andrew Schwartz   Engineer
Allen Ritter   Composer,Lyricist,Producer
Anderson Hernandez   Composer,Lyricist
Vinylz   Producer
Roget Chahayed   Composer,Lyricist,Producer
Josh Sellers   Assistant Engineer
Ryan Vojtesak   Composer,Lyricist
Trey Campbell   Composer,Lyricist