Best of Miami 2013's Best Songwriter:
Steven A. Clark

Hey, kids. In just two more days, print copies of New Times' 2013 Best of Miami issue will plop onto street corners, loaded with 330 winners across categories such as "Best Hot Dog," "Best Strip Club," and "Best Place to Go Stoned." But today, we here at Crossfade got a...

By Miami New Times staff

June 11, 2013

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Hey, kids.

In just two more days, print copies of New Times' 2013 Best of Miami issue will plop onto street corners, loaded with 330 winners across categories such as "Best Hot Dog," "Best Strip Club," and "Best Place to Go Stoned."

But today, we here at Crossfade got a preview. And Miami's Best Songwriter is ...

Steven A. Clark

stevenaclark.com

R&B, for cool kids at least, has been out in the cold for years, looking in from the outside as hipsters embraced every genre from roots country to cumbia to metal. Now, finally, R&B looks ready to re-enter the fold of what's cool, relevant, and fresh, as artists such as Frank Ocean and Abel Tesfaye not only receive wide-spread accolades from music critics but also sell tons of records and concert tickets. Growing in that same vein is Miami's own Steven A. Clark, who imbues his soulful songs with a distinct gravity. Somehow he doesn't lose the airy elegance and grace from note to note that's always been characteristic of the best R&B songs, from Seal's classics to Ocean's modern odes to smoothness. Clark's body of work -- a debut EP, Stripes, and the follow-up LP, Fornication Under Consent of the King -- showcases a diverse sense of style and a keen sense of musicianship that become all the more palpable when you take into account that nearly every one of the songs, which can all be downloaded at Clark's website, was not only written but also produced by this silky-voiced, provocative singer-songwriter. Listen to tracks such as "F.U.C.K. Pt. 1" and "The Haunting" and it's tough to argue the point that R&B is damn cool again. Even better, thanks to Clark, Miami has its very own contribution to the world of grooving seduction and lyrical lovemaking

Want access to our Best Of picks from your smartphone? Download our free Best Of app for the iPhone or Android phone from the App Store or Google Play. Don't forget to check out the full Best of Miami® 2013 issue June 11 online and June 13 on newsstands.

Follow Crossfade on Facebook and Twitter @Crossfade_SFL.

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