Emmanuel Elone: The guitar riff and killer bass are more than enough to make this a great song, but Syd tha Kyd’s voice makes “Special Affair/Curse” a must-listen for any R&B fan. The first part of the song is dark and sensual, the second is a gorgeous layering of various instrumentation over an slow R&B rhythm, and the last section has a great dance groove and Tyler, the Creator’s iconic deep vocals. The track shifts from one excellent musical idea to the next, maintaining interest and keeping the song dynamic. I only wish that it was longer. [8/10]
Chris Ingalls: This one-two punch from California R&B outfit the Internet (a band name sure to foul up Google searches, take it from me), taken from their 2015 Ego Death album, is a woozy slice of organic soul that distances itself enough from traditional R&B that they’re probably going to get tagged with the “alternative R&B” label forever. But clearly, this is a band unconcerned with labels. “Special Affair” contains some simple, trippy bass, a deliciously lazy vocal delivery, and a warm, overall unhurried pace. Gears are shifted ever so slightly for “Curse,” with the feel becoming slightly more upbeat and psychedelic, before things change one more time in the last minute or so, with Tyler the Creator tying a bow on the whole thing. Something for everyone? Practically. [7/10]
Pryor Stroud: “Special Affair” assimilates the transparent-skin intensity of FKA Twigs and the vérité-R&B production of Jeremih to arrive at a sound that floats through your ears like secondhand smoke carrying secrets in its midst. The stalking, full-bodied bass line anchors the track, and seems to propel itself with the eagerness of a lover who can’t wait to see her partner behind closed doors. Indeed, the bass does all the legwork — seducing, prodding, teasing, and eventually impelling its target to hurry up and make her way toward the bar’s exit. “So you should come here,” Sydney Bennet sings, “Sit your ass on this throne,” but there’s not much sitting done here: Bennet’s being polite, offering up her kitchen chair as a place for her lover to rest her feet, but a second later, they’re lip-to-lip, eye-to-eye, tumbling toward the bedroom with absolutely no intention of sleeping. [7/10]
Steve Horowitz: The slow, syrupy flow here sure is sweet here. The people in the video must be drinking brandy and cognac instead of whiskey. The sensual nature of the singing reveals how sex can be slow and pleasurable even when the feelings are intense. The last minute or so is goddamn strange — is this the “Curse”, but the jarring shifts make things interesting. [7/10]
Chad Miller: Starts off adhering to minimalism a little too much for its own good. The melody could have been better assisted with a stronger presence of instruments. Curse on the other hand sounds really nice, but I’d still really like to hear some dynamic contrast now and then. [6/10]
SCORE: 7.00