Gasms

Released in 2023, Gasms represents Smokey Robinson's first collection of original material in fourteen years. The album gained significant pre-release attention due to its provocative title and tracklist, which Robinson admitted was a deliberate attempt to spark curiosity and controversy. Recorded over a span of several years with engineer J.J. Blair, the album features songs written as far back as two decades prior, yet it maintains a cohesive, minimalist sonic identity. Unlike the lush, string-heavy arrangements of his 1970s solo peak, Gasms utilizes a sparser palette of synthesizers and clean electric guitars, placing Robinson's voice at the absolute forefront of the mix. This 'dry' production style highlights the enduring quality of his high-tenor and falsetto. Critically, the album was viewed as a fascinating late-career entry that balances his reputation for sophisticated romance with a newfound, slightly raunchy sense of humor, cementing his status as a living architect of the soul genre.