8/7. Tarrus Riley “Dem A Watch”/”123 I Love You”
Tarrus Riley’s Shane Brown-produced Love Situation was our album of the year for 2014—we wouldn’t be surprised if this superb record continues to produce hits for years to come. The two tracks from the album which were released as singles in 2014, “Dem a Watch” and “1-2-3 I Love You” document different sides. Where “Dem a Watch” details a relationship on the rocks, “1-2-3 I Love You” is an earnest plea to a lover to come back. Both are pitch-perfect updates of classic styles, merging rocksteady with lovers rock and, in the case of “1-2-3 I Love You” and the interlude featured in the beginning of “Dem a Watch” video, even a bit of R&B group harmony. —Jesse Serwer