Time USA - December 11, 2017

MIGUEL HAS ALWAYS BEEN A LOVER,
not a fighter. On his 2012 breakout,
Kaleidoscope Dream, he earned
comparisons to Prince, while 2015’s
Wildheart showcased his talents for
introspective, edgy R&B. But on his
fourth studio album,
War & Leisure, out Dec. 1,
he finds new depths of
sensuality, making use of
distorted rock influences
and a sharp social
consciousness.
Los Angeles–raised
with black and Latino
roots, Miguel—born
Miguel Jontel Pimentel—
was always skilled at
blending sonic and
cultural influences, but
here he pushes further. “Wolf ” explores
animalistic desire over a driving
downbeat; “I love the taste of your
flesh,” he groans. J. Cole collaboration
“Come Through and Chill” is a glorified
late-night text that oozes swagger,

then name-checks Colin Kaepernick.

He shines when exploring his mix of

falsetto, reverb-heavy guitar riffs and

hazy funk-pop with Latin swing, like

on Spanish-language “Caramelo Duro,”

which is layered with come-ons.

He’s also more political

than he’s been before.

Album closer “Now” is a

dark lullaby that morphs

into a gunshot-splattered

battle cry, making a plea

to the “CEO of the free

world”: “Should we teach

our children hatred?

Chase the innocent and

shoot them down? ...

Is that the sound of

freedom?” As much as

War & Leisure is about

desire, it’s also a reflection of this woke

moment, a statement about seeking

refuge from the world in the comforts of

love. In times like these, even the king of

bedroom records can transcend pursuits

of the flesh. —RAISA BRUNER

Miguel won

Best R&B Song

at the 2013

Grammys

for his erotic

slow burner

“Adorn”

MUSIC

Miguel seeks pleasure but gets political

66 TIME December 11, 2017

MUSIC

U2 shows off

hard-won

Experience

EACH RECENT U2 ALBUM

has endured some kind of

complicated gestation before

its eventual release.Songs

of Experience, the band’s

14th LP, is no exception: the

companion to 2014’s Apple-

branded blunderSongs of

Innocence was delayed a year

while the band reworked

the material to reflect the

changing political landscape.

Maybe that’s why this album

occasionally taps into an

urgency its older sibling

lacked. The political songs

here are strident but sturdy,

and Bono’s love songs are

textured by an appreciation

of his own mortality. On the

rumbling “Lights of Home,”

he cuts straight to the point:

“I shouldn’t be here ’cause

I should be dead.”

It’s still a mixed bag. The

singles are disjointed and

generic, and “American Soul,”

featuring Kendrick Lamar,

sees Bono moaning for a

“refu-Jesus.” But the chiming

“The Little Things That

Give You Away” achieves the

majesty that, at their best,

seems effortless for this band.

We’re deep enough into their

discography to know the drill:

you cherish those moments,

and you grin and bear the

rest. —JAMIESON COX

△

PA S S I NG T H E BAT ON

The album artwork, shot by

longtime U2 photographer

Anton Corbijn, shows

Bono’s son Eli and the

Edge’s daughter Sian

holding hands.

△

PROTESTING PRISONS

This fall, Miguel visited

California’s Adelanto

Detention Center and

headlined a nearby free

concert in support of

detained immigrants.

MIGUEL: TIMOTHY SACCENTI