Eric Benét’s new album, The Co-Star, catalyzed an artistic reawakening that shifted his approach to future projects. “I don’t think I want to make an Eric Benét album in a vacuum anymore,” the Grammy-nominated singer tells Rated R&B over a video call.
It’s a spring afternoon, and Benét, parked in his car, is reflecting on his main takeaway from making his first full-length album in nearly a decade. “I always want to invite other energies into the process now,” he shares. The “Spend My Life With You” singer is particularly interested in working more with a newer generation of producers and artists, as much as he is with seasoned vets.
Benét strikes this balance effortlessly on The Co-Star, released June 6 via his independent label JBR Creative Group. The album expands on his 2024 Duets EP and features stellar collaborations with an ensemble of women in R&B and soul: India.Arie, Chanté Moore, Keri Hilson, Tamar Braxton, Ari Lennox and Alex Isley, to name a few. “From the onset of doing this record, it was very much a conscious decision to mix the old with the new,” Benét says.
For writing and production, he worked closely with the likes of Antonio Dixon (Alicia Keys, Beyoncé, Toni Braxton), Camper (Brandy, Coco Jones, Mary J. Blige), Cardiak (J. Cole, Jazmine Sullivan, H.E.R.), Wu10 (Ari Lennox, Raphael Saadiq, Summer Walker), Felly The Voice (Usher, Chris Brown, K. Michelle) and more.
The Co-Star truly underscores the art and beauty of collaboration. Across 13 ethereal tracks, Benét embarks on a passion-filled journey marked by heartfelt exchanges with each vocalist. Songs like “Gaslight” with Ari Lennox and the Alex Isley-assisted “Remember Love” dive into love’s shaky terrain.
The former track, produced by Camper, is a candid conversation between a couple who air out their grievances with one another. It’s not heated, but a portrayal of communicating during challenging times while setting clear boundaries. Meanwhile, the latter is a somber ballad that grapples with the aftermath of a breakup.
The tender moments outweigh the strain. Whether it’s a night out with your partner (“Can’t Wait” with Keri Hilson) or sharing an intimate moment (“Something We Can Make Love To” with Tamar Braxton), The Co-Star offers plenty for lovers and yearners alike. “More of the Same” with Goapele, which runs over six minutes, captures the pure ecstasy of lovemaking.
The Co-Star isn’t all romance, though. The Judith Hill-featured “Southern Pride,” written initially with Chaka Khan in mind, offers a history lesson about the Great Migration, while “Change” with Jordin Sparks and Autumn Paige is an empowering anthem about self-acceptance. “Just be the you you are and don’t (change, change),” they sing on the latter track.
As indicated above, The Co-Star is a continuation of Benét’s Duets EP. Three tracks from the EP appear on the album, including the No. 1 hit “Something We Can Make Love To,” which topped Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart. The Chanté Moore-assisted “So Distracted” is a top 5 hit on the same chart.
Below, R&B maestro Eric Benét discusses The Co-Star, achieving his first No. 1 hit in nearly 15 years and teases what’s ahead — including a new solo album.
You teamed up with Keri Hilson for the album’s lead single, “Can’t Wait.” Considering she was on a musical hiatus for well over a decade, what did it mean for you to land this collaboration?
Keri is one of those incredible female artists in the industry who’s recognized for her writing ability as much as her incredible voice and performance skills. Keri was one of those people where I was like, “Man, I would love to just get in the studio with her.” I remember meeting her way back in the day when her whole star was rising, and she was just so gracious and humble. I remember making that mental note like, “One day, I’m going to get in a studio with her.” I’m so happy all these years later, she is just as profoundly humble, gracious, fun and accommodating.
“Can’t Wait” is perfect for the dancefloor. What was it about this song that made Keri a good fit?
First, I need to give props to Felly The Voice and Camper for writing the song. Camper did the track, and Felly did the melody and lyrics. I did a little writing on that, too, and Keri did a little writing. With that particular song, Keri and I had gone into the studio like six months prior, and were just messing with an idea that was cool. The first attempt was one of those joints where it was like, “It’s cool, but I don’t know. Me and Keri on a joint, that shit got to go harder than that.” So I was like, “Keri, are you down to try something else?” She was like, “Yeah.” “Can’t Wait” is just so perfect.
What led you to choose The Co-Star as the title?
I will tell you exactly how I came up with that title because, first of all, I did not come up with the title (laughs). I was in the studio with Keri Hilson, working on “Can’t Wait.” I had success off the [Duets] EP, and she asked me, “What’s the name of the whole album?” I was like, “I don’t know. I’m still trying to think of that.” And off the dome, she said, “What about The Co-Star?” When she said it, I was like, “That’s it!” So Keri did it.
Speaking of the success from your Duets EP, “Something We Can Make Love To” with Tamar Braxton hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart, and “So Distracted” with Chanté Moore is a top 10 hit. What does this mean to you and your label, JBR Creative Group?
The answer is bigger than words. First of all, I took a chance at not releasing music for so many years. I made a conscious decision that when my wife and I had our two daughters, I was like, “I want to be home as much as I possibly can.” When they’re in these formative years, that’s when their whole personality [develops] and so much of the wonder of the world they’re just discovering. So for me to take that chance for the right reasons, and then when I’m ready, come out with a single with an incredible friend and artist, Tamar Braxton. For it to go No. 1, I’m incredibly grateful to God, my fans, Tamar and to this wonderful opportunity I have to have my own label because that success is a launching pad for the new artists we’re signing at JBR. I’m incredibly blessed and graciously thankful.
The album has a mix of newer generation R&B singers like Ari Lennox and Alex Isley with some seasoned acts like Chanté Moore and India.Arie. How intentional was it for you to unite singers from different generations on the same album?
From the onset of doing this record, it was very much a conscious decision to mix the old with the new. I have a tried and true method of making music. It generally starts with me picking up a guitar or sitting at a piano and figuring out the skeleton of the song. Then, build with instruments, electronic loops and samples around that basic structure. But I realized there are other methods of writing that are equally artistic, like finding a loop and building a song around it. That’s the way a lot of this generation does it, and they make great music that way.
When it comes to picking a vocalist, it’s the same skill as a producer. When you have that skeleton of a song and you’re trying to think, “OK, I know there’s going to be keyboards right here, but is it a Wurlitzer? Is it a Rhodes? Is it a grand piano? Do I do a string section here, or is it going to be horns?” The song starts to tell me what instrument to play. It’s the same with the vocalist. Like the Goapele song [“More of the Same”], for example. It’s atmospheric and almost like you get lost in this lucid dream of music. That’s how Goapele feels to me when she’s doing her thing. So I’m not here to try to do anything but open up and let you see the images formulate within me through my music. Everybody’s instrument evokes a certain emotion, vibe or feeling, and so that’s part of the process of producing.
Ari Lennox appears on the opening track, “Gaslight.” What was your experience creating that record with her?
Unfortunately, I didn’t necessarily get to work with her on that record. I’m going to tell you the truth about that record. One of my first meetings with Camper, he came to my studio and was just playing some shit. I knew he was dope, but it was once he started playing me all kinds of stuff he was working on, I was just like, “Young brother, you are brilliant!” He was like, “Yo, listen to this thing I did with Ari Lennox.” All it was was her verse. I was like, “This is crazy, dude. What’s happening with that?” He was like, “You want it?” But then we had to go the extra step to make sure she was cool if Eric Benét gets on this record. We asked this super talented songwriting brother to pretty much write my verse; His name is Daniel Church. He wrote my verse, and I put my own little thing on it. So to answer your question, by association, I’ve worked with Ari Lennox, but I have not been in the studio rolling up the sleeves with her. I want to.
“Change” is an empowering anthem you did with Jordin Sparks and your JBR artist, Autumn Paige. How did that record come together?
That was one of the first records we did. Jordin Sparks is another one of those people that I have run into time and time again, and the energy of her personality is so bright, beautiful and pure. It makes you want to be around them. As an artist, I want to put that energy with mine and create music. [“Change”] was brought to us by incredible producer Antonio Dixon. He took it to the extra mile, and put Greg Phillinganes on keyboard, who is like a keyboard god in music. For those of you who don’t know, he played all over Michael Jackson’s Thriller album and all over so many Stevie Wonder classic albums.
Then [there’s] a bass player, Pino Palladino, who is on all your favorite D’Angelo records. Back in the day, Pino played on some of my shit from A Day in the Life. So there’s all this dope musical vibe on it. Jordin did her beautiful thing on this record. At the last minute, I thought it would be a nice ingredient to the recipe of this vibe to have our artist, Autumn Paige, who has so much personality. She blessed us. That really came together well.
Is there a song on the album that presented a positive challenge for you when writing?
Very good question. One of the strange things about me is that I like to challenge myself by writing songs that are very much outside of my genre, if you will, and see what happens. There are two songs in particular where I thought, “I wonder what my take on that would be.” I grew up listening to a lot of Brazilian jazz, like Sérgio Mendes. I have so many fond memories of listening to Brasil ‘66, Brasil ‘77 [and] Brasil ‘88, all these albums, with my siblings. I thought, “I wonder what it would be like if I just tried to write a song in that vein.” I came up with “Too Soon,” and we actually found this lovely Brazilian trio, SalDoce. We went to Brazil, got in the studio with them, and I’m very happy with how that song turned out.
What did you take away from making The Co-Star?
One of the main things I took away from this process is that I don’t think I want to make an Eric Benét album in a vacuum anymore. I always want to invite other energies into the process now. I think by inviting these younger producers with a different perspective on production techniques and different writers, it elevates me even more. It elevates the project. It allows for my music to be introduced to people who otherwise might’ve just been like, “Nah, I ain’t really trying to hear an Eric Benét record.”
I think this is a way for me to go moving forward whenever I go into the studio — have my moments where I’m doing my thing, but I think it’s crucial for my growth musically to always bring in those 20-something brilliant producers. Invariably, what happens is they end up learning a lot from me, but I’m learning just as much from them. It’s a mutually beneficial growth experience. That’s one of the main things I’m walking away from this project with.
Are there any plans for a solo Eric Benét album in the near future?
Yes, we’ve already started the new Eric Benét solo album, which is crazy because we got at least another single off The Co-Star album. And here’s the gag: I think I’m going to go in and do a Christmas record too. So it’s a lot of creative energy. I’m exploding with creative energy just from working with all these young producers, wanting to get back in with them and then try some new things myself. So now is the time. When the inspiration hits, you just got to go.
Stream Eric Benét’s new album The Co-Star below.
