GI (GOD'S IMAGE)
"On one verse, we talked about being with a girl and the temptation to have sex. In another verse, my mother lost her job and me being a man, I have to step up and take care of the family. So the song is talking about different situations that might lead to temptation."
A cross between Mint Condition and Musiq Soulchild, G.I. offers up the intoxicating ballad, "Something's Missing." Marlon says, "That song came a long time ago. I came up with this concept of this guy who met this girl and they hit it off but something was always missing. God kept putting something on his heart. He was ready to marry her but God said no. Even if something feels right if God says no, you've got to go with God."
With a vibe similar to Usher's "Yeah" comes the up-tempo track "Go Crazy." Marlon says, "I had this beat but I didn't want to just put anything on it. I wanted something hot then Curtis put a melody on top of it. I already had the hook. I made the song about what God makes you do and how he makes me feel. His love makes me go crazy."
The guys go crazy for their Savior on the silky soulfulness of "You're the One" which could have easily been written for fellow Virginian and R&B sensation Chris Brown.
"The track puts you in mind of a love ballad that R&B artist Ne-yo would sing," says Branden. "Instead of fantasizing about a girl, on this song we're saying that God is the one we're thinking of night and day."
"I Promise" is another dramatic urban inspirational ballad. "We were walking out the door on the way to the airport when the idea for the song came to us," says Branden. "So we quickly recorded it. The song is a promise to God that we promised to follow what He says and to love and honor Him."
The song "Everything" is done as an old skool R&B slow jam. "I wanted to write an intimate song to God," says Branden of the track that features a nod to "Reasons", a classic R&B song by Earth Wind & Fire. "I love old school songs by the Stylistics and groups like that, so I was really feeling the song." Marlon adds that "The verse that I sing was how I felt when I was first introduced to God. I was explaining how God makes me feel and that He's my everything."
The set closes with the 1970 Diana Ross chestnut "Reach Out and Touch Somebody's Hand." Derrick Wade chose that song too. "I think the song has an element of the Word [Biblical scripture] in it," says Branden. "If we treated our brother like ourselves and looked out for each other, that's doing what the Bible tells us to do. So, we thought that was a mainstream song that we could really connect with that would not compromise our values and our mission."
And what is that mission? "The purpose of this CD is to show people how to handle every day life situations and what mind set to have," says Marlon. "These songs help explain how to deal with everyday issues."
