Miguel has been quite prolific in 2018. After collaborations galore with the likes J. Cole on “Come Through and Chill,” Kygo on "Remind Me To Forget" and most recently GoldLink on “Got Friends,” he's back to rolling solo dolo on his latest. Miguel has popped up on the soundtrack to the Superfly remake and he's trying to win someone’s heart on “R.A.N.”
In case you’re wondering what exactly "R.A.N." stands for, it’s an acronym for “real ass n***a.” On the track, Miguel explains to the object of his affection that he can give her more, singing, “Hearts are meant to break in love / You way too smart for this / But your problem is you don’t know better, babe.” But, the touching lyrics are offset by the chorus which keeps all the way 100, “Have you, you ever / Ever f**ked with a real n***a? / A real a** n***a before? “ “R.A.N.” has an almost anthemic power ballad quality to it, with a rich sound bed of keys, strings and drums that create a melodic cacophony. However, the lyrics, namely, the chorus, keep things down to earth.
While the song paints a very romantic picture of getting with a “R.A.N.,” the video treatment shows us the realities of dating a thug/gangster/hustler. Directed by Lesean Harris and co-starring Superfly leading lady Lex Scott Davis, we watch as Miguel and his woman try to defend themselves against an attack by a rival gang. These scenes are intercut with clips from the film. The execution of the video is a bit expected, but it’s still pretty entertaining.
“R.A.N.” is the latest single from the Superfly soundtrack, which hit stores last Friday. The soundtrack is curated by rapper Future, who assembled a who’s who for the project, including 21 Savage, Khalid, H.E.R., Young Thug and more. While we're still on the fence about this remake of the classic Blaxploitation film starring grown-ish bae Trevor Jackson rocking a Kim Kimble-worthy hairdo that must be acknowledged, we're always here for some new Miguel.
