R&B newcomer Eli Derby is back with a sweet new song titled “Recognize,” which he co-wrote with Najee Travis and Paul Phamous.
Produced by Malay (Frank Ocean, John Legend), “Recognize” is a tenderhearted tune that describes the feeling of falling in love for the first time.
Derby sings in the first verse: “I just know / Never been here before / Never had this feeling that stays when I’m walking away / And I don’t really wanna go / I just know / I hope you do too / They say things might change and feelings might fade / But not between me and you.”
“Recognize” arrives just in time for cuffing season with Derby’s serenading vocals paired with heart-touching lyrics.
“I wrote ‘Recognize’ trying to describe a feeling that I couldn’t explain at the time — the feeling that I now know is love. I didn’t know how powerful it could be when it exists between two people,” Derby tells Rated R&B.
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Last month, Derby released the OG Parker-produced “Wicked,” where he expressed his readiness to be in a relationship with someone but they don’t seem to be on the same page.
Both songs are expected to appear on Derby’s forthcoming EP, which will release on LVRN/Interscope Records. It will follow his debut EP, Left On Read, which dropped in May.
“[It’s] a reflection of a lot of the relationships I’ve gone through — mostly romantic but also friends-wise,” Derby told Rated R&B of Left On Read. “I wanted to pour my feelings into the music and there’s a song on here for all stages of the typical teenage love sh*t — young love, manipulation, heartbreak, moving too fast… I wanted to be able to create music that relates to what we’re going through today and hopefully create conversation from it.”
Left On Read included an appearance from 6LACK on “Lately.”
Stream “Recognize” by Eli Derby below.
