"Only You" from Kenny G's 2021 album New Standards features the smooth jazz icon on tenor saxophone in a lush ballad setting. Co-written by Kenny G, Sam Hirsh, and Walter Afanasieff, the original composition unfolds at a gentle tempo of approximately 56 BPM in the key of C. Kenny G, born Kenneth Bruce Gorelick, has been the best-selling instrumental musician of the modern era, with global album sales exceeding 75 million copies since his breakthrough in the 1980s. While he is most closely associated with the soprano saxophone, this track showcases his tenor playing, revealing a warm, breathy tone that prioritizes melodic beauty and emotional accessibility over harmonic complexity. The ballad format plays to Kenny G's greatest strength: the ability to craft long, singing melodic lines that connect with listeners on an immediate emotional level. New Standards, released in 2021, represents his continued commitment to the smooth jazz aesthetic he helped define, featuring original compositions that emphasize rich production values, lush arrangements, and expressive saxophone melodies. The album's title positions these new compositions as potential additions to the smooth jazz canon, reflecting Kenny G's confidence in his role as both performer and composer within the genre.
