R&B/Hip-Hop

When the name Q Parker is mentioned, the first thing that usually springs to mind for most is the Grammy-winning group 112. Between the mid-‘90s and the mid-’00s, the R&B quartet’s mesmerizing harmonies were a radio staple, thanks to classics such as “Only You,” “Cupid,” “It’s Over Now,” “Peaches & Cream” and “U Already Know.”

After the members opted to pursue solo projects, Parker released his first solo studio album in 2012, The MANual. Now 13 years later, Parker is back — and he’s still got love and romance on his mind. Released today (Nov. 14), sophomore solo set Evolution of Romance, Volume One (on Parker’s Paramount Collective Ventures label via ONErpm) is a melodious, insightful, sensual and frank 34-minute discourse on a topic that never loses its allure.

“I want this project to be a conversation between men and women about affection, courtship, support, love; all the things that true romance encompasses,” Parker — the self-proclaimed “Romance Dealer” — declared ahead of the album’s release.

Romance aside, the album is just as much about the evolution of Parker as a solo artist and songwriter. In the latter arena, his penmanship credits beyond 112 include Faith Evans, New Edition, Keyshia Cole and The Notorious B.I.G. Among Parker’s collaborators on Evolution of Romance are Felly the Voice (Chris Brown, Usher), Blac Elvis (Ciara, Kelly Rowland) and Rico Love (Beyoncé, Usher). The album has spun off three singles: “Keep on Lovin’,” “BEG” (his first top 10 solo hit on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart) and “Triple F’s (F Me. Feed Me. Be a Fan of Me)” Additional standouts include the one-two punch of “Put It On” and “Take It Off,” plus “World War.”

“I’m staying committed to R&B because I know it’s a place that listeners long for and ask for — and I’m here to deliver,” says Parker. “I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.”

Below, he talks more about the new set, and about the challenges of going it on his own.

Why the long break between your first and second solo albums?

I was just trying to figure out my place. What I like to do is review what’s out in the market and find where I can occupy a space that I can own. I identified that romance was missing; that we [R&B singers] haven’t been paying the right kind of attention to the ladies for a while. From there, it was: “How can I sing and tell stories about romance?” I wanted the album to feel nostalgic but also have a contemporary feel; to be authentic by telling real stories from my life and that of others I’d had conversations with. I wanted to contribute to the legacy of Black male R&B artists who have upheld the genre.

But romance isn’t quick. You have to let it marinate so it can be delivered in a subtle, gentle way — which I can’t do all in one volume. So there will be a volume two and three … and potentially a fourth.

Press materials describe the album as “grown-man R&B.” How did that factor into the sensual scenario spelled out in your latest single “Triple F’s”?

I wanted the records to hit home so everybody can find their place in the lyrics, melodies, instrumentation and delivery of my vocal performance. “Triple F’s” is about males having the microphone to share what we need from the women in our lives. And I think I eloquently summed it up. Obviously, the first F is literal. It means we need the passion, the intimacy of that physical touch. The second F, feed me, is about needing the soul to be fed. And the final F is for fan. Support me; cheer me on. When we get those three things from our women… man, the sky is not [even] the limit.

What’s been the most difficult challenge in going solo?

Being given the opportunity to just be Q Parker. That’s not taking anything away from what I’ve done in the first half of my career with my [112] brothers, because that’s legendary and will forever be etched in the record books. However, Q Parker does have something to say too. It’s difficult when the public is so accustomed to only what they want. Sometimes they’ll say, “I want 112 or nothing.” I don’t think that’s fair. I’m not saying, “Forget 112.” But please allow Q Parker to really show who I am, and what talents I possess.

How concerned are you about AI’s growing presence in music?

I believe in the advancement of technology. I also strongly believe that when all else fails, you lean on your talent. Now there are some great things you can get from AI. But again, there are ways it can be used negatively. As long as I have breath in my body, I’m not necessarily worried about AI. God gifted me with a talent to write and perform music, so I can still put points on the board.

With volume one taking off, just how heavy will wearing the Romance Dealer mantle become?

It’s not heavy at all because it’s who I am. I grew up watching soap operas, which is where I got a lot of my [early] writing material. I watched my dad wining and dining my mom. And as the youngest of four, I also saw my sisters with their boyfriends. So me being the Romance Dealer is just who I am. I’m an R&B song with legs. [Laughs.]