Tyrese - Lately

JUL 01 1999 · 12:00

Tyrese - Lately (1999) Director: Tim Story Era: Late-90s Neo-Soul & Urban R&B (1998–1999) - Peak era of smooth, confessional R&B balladry riding the post-New Jack Swing wave, dominated by RCA Records and major-label debut artists. High curatorial value as a confirmed-director artifact from Tim Story's formative music video period, a body of work he has publicly credited as foundational to his cinematic storytelling before his Hollywood breakthrough. The video represents a pristine example of late-1990s intimate R&B visual grammar: warm palette, controlled lighting, fast but emotionally motivated intercutting, and theatrical performance framing. Its historical significance is further amplified by the song's enduring cross-generational legacy via the Anita Baker cover, making this an anchor artifact for both 1990s R&B visual studies and early Tim Story directorial scholarship. Context: Released in March 1999 as the third single from Tyrese Gibson's self-titled RCA debut album (1998), 'Lately' arrived during a golden era of confessional R&B balladry when artists like Tyrese, Ginuwine, and Usher were redefining the post-New Jack Swing landscape with smooth, emotionally direct vocal performances. The single peaked at number 12 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number 56 on the Billboard Hot 100, sustaining the debut album's commercial momentum after the breakthrough of 'Sweet Lady'. The song's enduring cultural resonance is evidenced by Anita Baker's acclaimed 2012 cover version, which reached number 1 on the Adult R&B Songs chart and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional R&B Performance in 2013. Director notes: Directed for Tyrese's third single 'Lately' from his self-titled RCA debut album, released as a single on March 23, 1999. Tim Story directed this video during his active music video period (circa 1998–2001), which he has described as foundational to his cinematic storytelling craft. The video was released in March 1999 per IMDb. Story's R&B video work during this period was characterized by intimate, emotionally grounded visual storytelling that complemented confessional ballad material, a sensibility he carried into his feature film work. His official biography cites Tyrese explicitly among his music video clients alongside N-Sync, K-Ci & JoJo, R. Kelly, and India Arie.