The 2015 song “Special” was the first single released from The VIII by R&B artist Avant. Released on June 23, 2015, it introduced the album’s romantic, contemporary R&B direction before The VIII arrived later that year.
Avant, born Myron Avant in Cleveland, Ohio, had already established a career with emotionally driven R&B songs such as “Separated” and “My First Love,” the latter a duet with Keke Wyatt. The VIII was his eighth studio album and followed 2013’s Face the Music.
The album was released on September 25, 2015, through Mo-B Entertainment, Caroline Records, and Universal Music. “Special” appears as a key early track on the album, whose material focuses heavily on love, commitment, and relationship themes. Some listings describe it as the album’s lead or debut single rather than simply its first single; these labels refer to the same release, not different songs.
A common mix-up is confusing Avant the singer with the word “avant” in album or music titles. In this question, Avant is the stage name of the Cleveland-born American R&B vocalist, not a group or producer.