Miguel makes his case in Orlando as one of R&B's most complete stars

THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND
Miguel, The Plaza Live, Mar. 29

While the pop music machine can spin seeming magic from figures of marginal talent, R&B often suffers from an opposite phenomenon. Even at its baseline, R&B is a genre overflowing with naturally gifted voices. But often, voices are all they are. Without solid songs or music, even capable voices can flap about without point like a released balloon and just become nothingness.
Miguel – who’s legit enough to be announced as one of the headliners for this year’s Afropunk festival in Brooklyn – is one of the today’s most incandescent exceptions, a true standout.
As a songwriter and producer as well, he understands music in 360 degrees. And on top of all that, he’s got the gift of taste and instinct. Sure, he’s got an exceptional voice. The difference, though, is that he has both the vision and the roadmap to really send it home. It’s the formula for a complete star.
Everything about Miguel’s stage show affirms it. With flashy, major-league stage production including panoramic video screen, two-level stage and a galaxy of lights, it’s an arena show crammed into a midsize room. And, most importantly for experienced concert goers, he comes with a full live band, a tactile touch that makes the spectacle breathe real.
Still, the sun of this world is never in doubt. Even amid all this pageantry, the effortless silk of his voice reigns.
Instead of overwrought vocal acrobatics, Miguel’s soul-dripped porn-pop keeps the dial at a persuasive chill that works the G-spot between horny and cool. But sprinkled in along with all the come-ons is the kind of social consciousness that befits a son whose heritage is double-stacked minority (African- and Mexican-American). Add the tinder of a capacity crowd and you’ve got sweet, sweet heat.
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