Throwbacks: Playa - 'Cheers 2 U'

When Def Jam shipped the radio edit of Playa’s "Cheers 2 U" in March 1998, they handed the airwaves a 4-minute-and-6-second masterclass in vocal stacking. Benjamin Bush and his co-writers didn't just pen a standard ballad for the group's debut album. They built a vocal cathedral.

Recorded in New York City at the top of that year, the track captures a deep gospel lineage pitched toward the impending millennium. Listen to how the voices lock in right from the jump. Every member carries the weight equally, blending into a single, massive instrument. The harmonies here are so thick you have to physically wade through them. Underneath those vocals, the bass drops at a deliberate pace, leaving massive pockets of empty space for the group to fill with pure pleading. This is easily the most structurally sound R&B ballad of 1998. The sheer density of the vocal arrangement makes most contemporary R&B sound entirely hollow by comparison. They simply don't teach this level of blend anymore. Hit play below.