Miguel Wildheart

When Miguel opened for Drake at MGM Grand in November, he did it in rock-star mode—leather jacket and guitar, leading a small, tight band with a big sound and lots of swagger. A lot. He continues in that direction on Wildheart, away from the slick, streetwise R&B of 2010 debut All I Want Is You toward super-charged funk-rock.

There’s nothing on this record to rival ubiquitous 2012 single “Adorn,” in which Miguel out-Marvin Gaye’d Robin Thicke and Pharrell (for a lot less money, too). But there’s a lot of progression and still a lot of soul, including “Coffee”—maybe the most Miguel-ish song ever—and “Face the Sun,” where Lenny Kravitz shows up. Miguel goes full-Prince on “Flesh,” floating falsettos and digging deep for hungry growls. Distorted drums and fuzzy guitars create a rumbling canvas for his distinct voice, which is boyish and summery one song and sinister and sexy the next. Most of Wildheart feels close to being a live album, or at least one assembled with quick inspiration and off-the-cuff freedom.

Now that Miguel has an underrated debut, a smash sophomore effort and a slightly more experimental third album under his belt, his position in the waning world of modern R&B is clear. With Frank Ocean and The Weeknd, Miguel forms a holy trinity of artists that are not concerned with genre labels, only in evolving them.