ANAHEIM, Calif. — After laying low for a few years as he found inspiration in everyday artful things, Grammy-nominated Long Beach native Giveon is back with a new album that delivers the R&B singer’s smooth, soulful sound with a delightful retro spirit.

“It’s just an honest album and I want to let everyone else listen to it and judge it on their own. Some people could listen to it and it feels like an accountability album, some people listen to it and it feels like there’s more of a healing from the last couple of albums,” said the singer during a phone interview before the July 11 release of his sophomore studio album “Beloved.”

“The album is a Giveon album, it’s evolved and it’s my point of view,” he added.

The 14-track album comes after a yearslong hiatus following the release of his debut studio album “Give or Take” in 2022. Giveon describes the new record as being immensely personal and created with more of a sense of responsibility than his previous music.

“Once you start doing shows in these bigger venues and you see the looks in people’s eyes while you’re performing you’re like ‘OK, these songs mean something to people’,” he said. “The obligation was to make sure that it’s honest and it’s quality. I’m not just throwing something out because the clock was ticking,” he added.

A lot of the inspiration for the new album came from the time he took off from recording.

“That whole time I was just in a creative journey essentially,” he said. “So It’s not even me just listening to music that makes me a better musician, it’s me going to museums that makes me a better musician, it’s me going to fashion shows in Paris that makes me a better musician because I build my overall taste and understanding for storytelling,” he added.

The Long Beach Poly High School graduate developed his love of music thanks to his mother, who played songs by Mary J. Blige, Sade and Anita Baker as she cleaned the house. He started writing his own songs as a teen while looking up to R&B artists such as San Pedro native Miguel, Frank Ocean and even old school crooners like Frank Sinatra.

Giveon released his debut EP “Take Time,” in 2020 after gaining attention for his collaboration on Drake’s “Chicago Freestyle,” song. It was followed by his second EP, “When It’s All Said and Done.” He was also featured on Justin Bieber’s single “Peaches,” and has earned seven Grammy Nominations.

The first single off the new album is “Twenties,” a soulful song that is both contemporary yet harks back to a sort of 1970s R&B feel.

“It’s a warm, almost a ballad reflection song where you’re sitting at a time that went by in your formidable years spent on what you thought was love, and sometimes it was love and sometimes it wasn’t,” he explained.

The second single is “Rather Be,” a horn-heavy tune that swings from soul to a subtle gospel feel where the usual baritone singer takes things up a notch with his voice.

“I think it’s one of the higher register songs I’ve performed in, one of my highest keys because it’s just like a submission. I’m just accepting that everyone has flaws and I just have to pick whose flaws I’m going to spend my time with,” he said.

But when it comes to flaws Giveon doesn’t think his fans will find any in the new album.

“I think this is one of my favorite rhythm and blues albums I’ve ever listened to, like album-wise. Top to bottom there’s no fluff here,” he said.

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