Dynamic Vocalists Summer Dennis and Gene Noble Talk ‘So Unnecessary’ their Sultry 'Situationships' Anthem
Relationships can be complicated. With all the highs and lows, things can get messy pretty fast and many questions can arise about where each person stands in the relationship.
Capturing this vibe is rising R&B star Summer Dennis with her latest offering “So Unnecessary.” Featuring noted singer/songwriter Gene Noble, the song is described as an “honest exploration of a modern situationship” as one person is holding on and the other is ready to let it go. Without question, the song is a vibe. With production by Ron Gilmore, “So Unnecessary” definitely needs to be in your rotation.
BET.com spoke with Summer and Gene about creating the song, their organic chemistry, and their excitement about how the song is being received.
“It's been pretty wild since the song is circulating. People have been saying ‘That's hot.’ It’s such a simple little ditty and it was one of the most fun ones to make. I think it's cool that people like it because it was such a fun song to write.”
While the sultry song is gaining traction, it almost was left on the cutting room floor. Summer explained how the song came to light.
“I was on a recording blitz through Nashville and working with Ron Gilmer who was in a Dreamville squad in 2023. We wrote it with Ron and Sam Ashworth who are dope musicians and writers. But the song sat for a long time because we were trying to figure out what kind of artist I wanted to be. With “So Unnecessary” I was like, ‘Can we, can we get Gene on a song?’ When I opened up for him at The Birchmere in Virginia, I was like, ‘Hey, can we do a song? Gene was like, ‘Yeah’."
“My team got in touch with him and he was the easiest feature to work with. When I opened for Gene, I was excited because I just have so much respect for him vocally. He was just so cool and professional. He wrote his part and it showed up faster than everybody I've worked with,” she added.
“My story is similar. Summer and I met when she opened for me at The Birchmere, and I was just like, ‘Yo, this girl's energy is crazy.’ I was blown away by her energy before she even got on stage. It's just how she interacts with people,” Noble said. “And then, if you ever seen her social media, like, her presence is really big. So I was already like we gotta do something.”
“When I heard “So Unnecessary” she was talking smack about the fellas. I just felt like I needed to have the right response from our perspective,” he continued. “So that's how I came at it. I was hoping that she would like it and then she did.”
Recently, the dynamic duo shot a stunning visual for the song in Atlanta. Because Gene was on tour with Usher, production was tailored to catch him when he was in town.
“Gene was on tour with Usher but we have to get him into the video. So we were like, kind of chasing him on Usher's tour. And the best thing to do is to come to ATL when he was home,” Summer shared. “I get so nervous about videos. He was somewhere shooting for the day, then we came together, and everything came out great.”
“But it was the week of, it was the week of our Atlanta shows for the Usher tour. So I had been doing shows every night, and then that was our day off. So I came there and the set was crazy. The vibe was crazy. And I love the concept, the way they came up with the energy of us interacting,” Gene recalled. “I saw the video for the first time recently and I was just telling Summer that it looks incredible. I'm super happy about it.”
Noble then shared how his relationship with Usher goes back more than a decade.
“I started singing for Usher in 2012 so I did his last World Tour with him, and I toured with him and The Roots. We also did the Grammys together when he did the Prince tribute so I've been working with him for a long time. On a personal level, he's just such a dope person that I've always looked up to. I used to sing his songs in talent shows so they are in my bloodstream. To see that his career is even elevating to new heights after all these years is crazy.”
“As soon as they dropped dates for the tour everything was sold out. We did six nights at the Barclays, in LA, and Atlanta,” he continued. “They are talking about stadiums for the next tour. He's one of my favorite performers, favorite singers, and honestly, favorite people in the industry. So it's dope.”
Along with “So Unnecessary” and the recent success of “Pink Lotus”, Summer is planning on releasing an album this year to build on her momentum.
“I don't have a title yet. I almost feel like I needed to create the hype for this song first because of “Pink Lotus.” Now that I have a new team, we are trying to ride the wave and create a desire for that album,” Summer said.
Noble also shared that he has new music and various products that he’s working on.
“Along with “So Unnecessary”, I got some new music coming out. I’m finishing a new project and I just worked on a new movie that's coming out with Keke Palmer and SZA. I've been, I've been doing a bunch of really cool stuff,” he said. “It’s going to be a really big 2025, and I'm super excited about it. Last year, I spent most of the year away with Usher so this year I get to do a little bit more focusing on me. Even though we’ll be going to Europe.”
When “So Unnecessary” drops, Summer hopes that fans will love another side of her artistry that she wants to unveil.
“I wanted to do something as an artist that was very hard to grasp, and I credit Gene for having the emotional maturity to understand this and participate,” Summer explained. “As women, we're not just these like vessels that we want a “Prince Charming” to rescue us. With ‘So Unnecessary’, I wanted to have a ratchet song because I listened to GloRillia, Megan Thee Stallion, and a bunch of other reggae artists that have that vibe. I wanted the R&B girlies to have this song to sing along to.”