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They couldnt believe and I couldnt believe my streaming numbers, Tank says.
Im like, You know Im over 40, right?
But he also had significant support from pop radio; Tanks When We did not.
We didnt want to give up.
We wanted to keep changing the perception of where R&B can live.
That perception has altered radically since Tank released his debut album in 2001.
Beverlys funk outfit Maze achieved nine gold albums without launching a Top 40 single.
Younger singers can circumvent this cruel game by streaming, but few older artists get traction on streaming services.
(Thats true across genres older listeners are slow to adopt new technology.)
Despite this frosty climate, Tank has hammered away for nearly two decades.
He has managed just one Top 40 hit, the self-abasing confection Maybe I Deserve.
1 onBillboards Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
In addition, he has an impressive array of songwriting or production credits.
The same year that Maybe I Deserve became a hit, Tank helped write songs on Aaliyahs double-platinumAaliyahalbum.
Tanks high points have won him famous fans.
He sent me a song to hop on, Ty added.
I dont even know if I was ready for it, to be honest.
(Ty eventually appeared on theWhen We remix, released on Valentines Day, along with Trey Songz.)
Im sure there are some [songs] that Im forgetting, she continued.
But that was one of the recent ones that was a classic song that will never go away.
He lives in all of those worlds.
Despite that versatility, Valentine talks of the ceiling that people were putting on [Tanks] career.
The only people that are affected by that are people in black music, he continues.
Youre too old, too young, always too something.
In this scenario, Tank recognized that streaming could serve as his slingshot.
We are now in the process of teaching people what streaming is, he says.
Because he was championing that, his fans followed him.
And these new potential streamers are dedicated listeners used to letting an entire album play through rather than grazing.
We watched his audience grow.
Combining streaming maturation with Tanks educational efforts means that radios not the only game in town anymore.
Now people are allowed to fend for themselves.
Im feeling moody right now let me throw on some Jodeci.
In a world with more choice, plenty of listeners throw on Tank.
Pickett, who is shocked to learn that Tank is 42 (Hes like your hip older brother!
Crucially, the single has also been well received by younger listeners.
Thats in part because When We, produced by Cardiak, sounds ready to scrap with any hip-hop single.
That wasnt paid promotion or something the label went after, James says.
Younger fans were gravitating towards it on their own.
Thats when I knew there was something going on.
The single enjoyed its biggest streaming week to date last week, more than eight months after its release.
All this momentum means that Tanks peers are taking notes.
You took a shot, and its making a difference for all of us.
Tank hopes those ripples grow into a wave.
I want artists from my generation to not feel like its over, he says.
