The past couple of days, Gerald Levert’s “Stroke of Genius” has been stuck in my head. I’m not going to get into the specifics of why though I will say that this honeymoon experience actually isn’t bad. Anyway, having the late R&B crooner’s smash single from the Stroke of Genius album got me to thinking about other great songs his voice carried. It didn’t take me long to get to what I feel is his best song. That brings me to this week’s moment in the Flashback Friday series: Gerald Levert’s “Funny”.
How I first came across this moment? I got my first listen of “Funny” late in the Summer of 2002. I was working my Saturday morning shift at Domino’s Pizza and it played on 98.7-Kiss FM.
What it meant to me then? In the moment, the lyrics reminded me of a then-growing dating relationship with Valorie Drew. When I saw the music video on BET’s Midnight Love, it definitely reminded me of the phone conversations we had…how I’d be flipping through channels on the television or driving places I had no intention of going, depending on when she called me.
What it means to me now? Today, “Funny” has its place in the Juan Thomas Presents…Quiet Storm playlist. Obviously, I’ve moved on from the days of Valorie Drew but the music video still resonates with me…because we never got a chance to see what the continuation was.
