djzyonsevenHe had me from that first 9.5-second note…🎶
The first time I heard Ascension (Don’t Ever Wonder), I played it three or four times in a row.
Probably more than that!
I kept hitting the back button on my CD player. ◀️
And yes, I mean on an actual CD.
After a couple of repeats, I listened to the rest of the album.
Man, his first album blew me away. 💿🎶
I then put the entire album on repeat.
Something about that groove grabbed me immediately.
It was smooth, funky, romantic, and sophisticated without trying too hard.
Maxwell sounded like somebody who had been making records for years, not a new artist introducing himself to the world.
Ascension appeared on his debut album, Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite, released on April 2, 1996.
The song became the album’s second single and eventually reached number eight on Billboard’s R&B chart and number 36 on the Hot 100.
It was the record that helped turn Maxwell from a promising newcomer into one of the main architects of what we would soon call Neo Soul.
Along with artists like D’Angelo, Lauryn Hill, Jill Scott, Eric Benet, and Erykah Badu, he helped bring live instrumentation, classic soul, and grown folk romance back into an R&B landscape that was heavily influenced by hip hop.
And baby, Maxwell was smooth.
Still is. 😌
I have always placed him in the same musical neighborhood as Sade.
They do not sound exactly alike, but they share that same timeless quality.
Both can disappear for several years, come back whenever they feel like it, and their audience will be waiting.
I’m always WAITING!
They make complete albums too.
Not two singles surrounded by filler.
I am talking about albums you can play from beginning to end without constantly reaching for the skip button.
Ascension was written by Musze and keyboardist Itaal Shur.
I was puzzled at first, because I always knew that he wrote and co-wrote almost all of his music.
So of course, I did some digging.
Some of the original credits list Maxwell as Musze, his songwriting and production name.
When I first saw Musze listed as a writer, I thought it was somebody else.
It reminds me of Prince using names like Jamie Starr and Alexander Nevermind when he wrote or produced music.
Maxwell was not necessarily trying to hide his identity in the same way, but Musze became part of his creative persona.
That little piece of information makes the credits even more interesting. 🎹👀
The music video, directed by Liz Friedlander, kept everything stylish and uncluttered.
Maxwell dances, performs with his band, and lets his natural charisma do the heavy lifting.
No complicated storyline was needed.
The hair, the clothes, the movement and that voice were enough. 🕺🏾✨
Back when I was still making different tapes for different moods, Ascension and Sumthin’ Sumthin’ always landed on my upbeat R&B mixes.
Whenever Wherever Whatever, and Til The Cops Knockin’; two more favorites from the same album, belonged on my slow jam tapes.
Maxwell gave me both sides on one CD.
Almost thirty years later, Ascension still feels fresh.
That is what timeless music does.
It does not chase the moment.
It creates one and waits for the rest of us to catch up. ❤️🎧
DJZ7
PS:
And yes, he’s confirmed that a new album is coming in 2026.
It’s been discussed in interviews that this album will complete his trilogy following his previous releases.
While exact details like the album title or tracklist are still under wraps, we know we’ll be getting fresh Maxwell vibes soon!
#Maxwell #AscensionDontEverWonder #MaxwellsUrbanHangSuite #NeoSoul #90sRNB #ClassicRNB #TheSoundtrackOfWhoIBecame #DJZyonSeven #SoulMusic #RBMusic
