R&B singer Karyn White’s “I’d Rather Be Alone” is today’s throwback pick, a slow-burning record that still suits a quiet evening. It was the third single off Make Him Do Right, following Hungah and Can I Stay With You.
At 5:30, the song takes its time. But that length gives the story room to build. Its theme stays plain throughout: she would rather keep her own company than stay in a relationship wearing her down. That mood carries the whole record, and it never rushes the point.
Karyn White shares the writing credit with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Stanley Howard and Gary Johnson also appear on the writing sheet. Jam and Lewis produced the album too, and they had worked with her before on Ritual of Love.
Still, “I’d Rather Be Alone” peaked at number 50 on the Hot 100. Can I Stay With You, the single before it, was her last top ten hit. Yet she was the first woman whose first three solo releases all topped the R&B chart.
Does Karyn White – “I’d Rather Be Alone” still hold up for you? Drop your thoughts below.
