Deep Cuts - Tamia, "Rain on Me"

Welcome to Deep Cuts! This is a new series where I spotlight a great song from a well-known artist that, in my opinion, has never quite gotten its due. To define what makes something a titular "deep cut," I am using two main criteria:

1) General popularity: the song may not be in the top three most-streamed songs from its album on Spotify at the time of publishing.

2) Critical acclaim/popular esteem: the song may not be in the top three highest-rated songs from its on album on RateYourMusic at the time of publishing.

There will also be several special cases that would also disqualify a song from being a "deep cut" that I will use at my discretion, such as being an album's lead single, having a more prominent remix version, or being known for appearing in a specific piece of media or meme. I will also not be including well-known songs that technically fit the criteria by virtue of being on an extremely popular album; for example, Adele's "Rumour Has It" would theoretically qualify as it is 5th in both streams and RYM rating on 21, but nobody could reasonably argue that it's a "deep cut." (They sang it on Glee for Pete's sake!)

Now, with all that out of the way, I'd like to bring forward the song that inspired the column in the first place:

Tamia - "Rain On Me"

I am a sucker for several things: 90's R&B jams, stunning vocals, and rain effects in a moody ballad. "Rain On Me," off Canadian singer Tamia's self-titled 1998 debut record, has all three wrapped up in a lush little bow. Lyrically, it's a fairly standard lovelorn lament; the opening line of "I've been drowning in my tears" jumps straight into the rich melodrama that dominates the track. What sets it apart, though, is Tamia's thoroughly convincing and riveting vocal delivery. She hits big notes with aplomb, but also retreats inside herself for more tender moments too. I especially love the way she sings "You're the only one who really knows" in the second verse with a slight urgency at the start, before pulling back. Those subtle moments make the pay-off of the climactic bridge work so well.

Musically, there's a lot going on in "Rain On Me," but it never feels cluttered. Much like the instrumentation on the album's smash hit "So Into You," here everything sounds luxurious and meticulous. Keyboards and acoustic piano blend together delicately, backed by a gentle but active drum pattern. Producer and co-writer Mario Winans mixes everything in such a way that layers of vocals and instruments run parallel to each other, creating an overall warmth without sacrificing space.

By the time "Rain On Me" is finished and the song fades out, the thunderstorm from the beginning is still raging. What took place in between is four minutes of borderline angelic vocals over a deeply smooth R&B ballad, and a song that should have been another major hit for Tamia.