From the first woozy synth and hums, Downtime is all pleasure, no pain. Luxuriating in lush harmonies and downtempo beats, the latest single from 303 turns the lights and the BPM down from current R&B bops by Chloe x Halle and Usher without becoming narcotic. Instead, Io, Chloe, and Maddie — the group’s 3-member line-up — pass the mic between each other with ease for a flawlessly executed exercise in eyes-closed, slow-burning sensuality: “Forget all the responsibilities / For now, just give yourself to me.”
I’m currently listening to Downtime while cooking — well, trying to cook, that is. Because as much as I love to hear the crackle of fried food over the stove, I can’t seem to stop myself from dancing to the song, risking burnt dumplings just to get a body roll or free-styling groove in. 303’s Downtime, it seems, has started to seep into my own, and as all three members say, “It’s worth it.”