Heavily inspired by Amy Winehouse and Stevie Wonder, indie Philly soul singer Brayton Bowman may have come across his breakout hit with his new single “Skin Deep”. On the song, Brayton delivers smooth, slinky vocals across an 80s funk-meets-discopop arrangement. “Deep” was co-written and produced by UK’s reigning male vocalist MNEK, who translates his style quite nicely to blend in with Brayton’s husky voice. The song discusses a need for a deeper connection between a seemingly casual relationship as Bowman croons “skin deep, we’ve only touched the surface”. The song’s funkiness paired with its standard (but updated) R&B format is very reminiscent of Rodney Jerkins’ earlier – almost like a funky mix of Toni Braxton’s “He Wasn’t Man Enough” and Michael Jackson’s “You Rock My World” but with much better vocals. Many critics have compared both “Skin Deep” and MNEK’s overall production signatures to Brandy’s ‘Full Moon’ era, but the two are in great company in either comparison. Listen and download Brayton Bowman’s “Skin Deep” below.

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