Kandi Crush Battle: Maxwell vs. Joe
Kandi Crush Battle: Maxwell vs. Joe: Which R&B King Gets Your Vote?
Baby, you might want to dim the lights for this Kandi Crush Battle because we have TWO of R&B’s smoothest gentlemen going head-to-head! Maxwell versus Joe? Now who decided to make us choose between these two?
Joe comes into the battle with “Don’t Wanna Be a Player,” one of those records that immediately takes you back to the late ’90s. Joe has always been able to make romance sound effortless, and this song helped establish him as one of the era’s go-to voices for R&B.
Then Maxwell slides in with “Sumthin’ Sumthin’.” From the moment Maxwell arrived with Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite, we knew there was something different about him. His music brought together soul, funk, romance, and that neo-soul sound that was beginning to change R&B.
Joe comes right back with “Love Scene,” and this is where the temperature starts going up! Joe built a career on knowing exactly how to deliver a slow jam, and “Love Scene” is a perfect example.
But then Maxwell gives us “Pretty Wings.” Whew! If you have ever loved somebody and had to accept that loving them might also mean letting them go, you already understand why “Pretty Wings” hits the way it does. It’s beautiful, heartbreaking, and one of Maxwell’s most recognizable songs.
Joe isn’t finished because “All the Things (Your Man Won’t Do)” is coming next. That record has survived generations of R&B, and the minute that music starts, somebody somewhere is singing along. Joe was making promises in that song that had people looking at their relationships a little differently!
And somehow Maxwell has to follow THAT with “This Woman’s Work.” Maxwell’s rendition of the Kate Bush song has become closely associated with his catalog, and his falsetto and emotional delivery turned it into a favorite among R&B listeners.
This battle really comes down to what you want from your R&B. Joe has that classic, straightforward slow-jam sound. Maxwell gives you romance too, but he mixes it with neo-soul, artistry, and a style completely his own.
I already know some of you are going to say this matchup isn’t fair—and I understand! But you still have to choose. Is Joe getting your vote, or are you giving this Kandi Crush Battle to Maxwell?
