Craig David – Commitment
The name “Craig David” means something to just about everyone – whether it be his long list of chart-topping hits or the unique way he takes shots of tequila, David has undeniably reached legend status. Favourites like Fill Me In and 7 Days off his debut record Born to Do It established him as one of the UK’s R&B and two-step greats – needless to say, the 2000s were good to David. Now, 25 years and eight albums later, David returns with Commitment, a project that reflects his emotional struggle with romance while leaning heavily into the genre that he has perfected.
At its best, Commitment plays like a love letter to his early sound. The album opens with Wake Up, a high-energy standout that taps into a rich sense of nostalgia without sounding outdated or gimmicky. It sets the tone for what could have been a cohesive return to form. Instead of staying on course, however, the record quickly takes some puzzling detours.
With this, Commitment switches its style and the quality of its lyrics frequently, but not always successfully. In It With You, for example, pivots towards twangy country-pop twinged R&B, and the genre blend is an instance of experimentation that feels misaligned with the album’s core sound. Meanwhile, the title track featuring Tiwa Savage brings things closer to the record’s foundation, but the contrast between such a strong song and In It With You that precedes it causes a jarring effect.
Songs like Leave the Light On with Lousia Johnson, Mr Right and SOS do not necessarily break new ground, but they play to the singer’s strengths with groove, clarity and emotional resonance. There is a trace of romantic self-doubt that anchors many of these tunes. Your Way and Rain, although deeply different in sound, provide a sense of vulnerability to the foreground by pairing more introspective lyrics with interesting production. With this, David comes across as more authentic by allowing emotion to take the lead without trying to force an unnatural style.
Like In It With You, however, In Your Hands and Perfect Love provide the opposite effect. In Your Hands features saccharine instrumentation with an interpolation of He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands that feels more like the soundtrack to a children’s film rather than a Craig David single. Perfect Love disrupts the album’s emotional and sonic pacing with a similar production style to In It With You and In Your Hands as well. By the time the record closes with So Special, it is hard to recall the high points that once promised a strong release.
Overall, Craig David remains one of the UK’s most recognisable voices in contemporary soul and garage music. When he leans into that strength, the results still feel fresh. Commitment does not completely lack sincerity – the singer’s earlier work, as well as the stronger moments on this record, prove that he is capable of solid and evocative lyricism, but with these instances that feel out of place, however, his highest productions are clouded by the lowest.
Taryn Crowley
Image: Press
Commitment is released on 8th August 2025. For further information or to order the album, visit Craig David’s website here.
Watch the video for Wake Up here:
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