R&B heartthrob Lloyd knows that becoming successful means thinking three steps ahead and acknowledging where the real power lies. His new album, Lessons in Love, shows off his growth as a singer and pays a tribute to the ladies.

“You know how to play chess?” asks R&B singer Lloyd, plopping down on a leather ottoman inside the lobby of midtown Manhattan’s Royalton Hotel and examining the wooden chessboard sitting atop the table in front of him. The lobby’s beige padded-leather walls and espresso-colored leather sofas are juxtaposed against a cast-glass vestibule, creating the feel of an industrial library that is both modern and cozy. The 22-year-old singer scans the room, smiles approvingly and, once again, turns his attention to the board.

“Nah,” I shrug. “The little bit I know I got from watching The Wire.”

“That’s my favorite show,” Lloyd says of the HBO series, lowering his voice in reverence. “You know what’s funny about this game? Everyone thinks the king is almighty powerful, but to me he ain’t nothing but the dude that just sits in his office and watches everybody else do the hard work. My favorite piece is the queen. She can move any way she wants, however many spaces she wants. And she represents all the powerful women who run the world.”

Ordinarily, this last rah-rah bit about women would be a throwaway comment, canned charm from a young but well-rehearsed performer. But in Lloyd’s case, it seems sincere. He’s already seen what a queen can do. All he had to do was watch his mama.