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Jan 3, 2024 · Many of this century’s epochal blockbuster albums are R&B records: from Usher’s 10-times platinum Confessions, to Beyonce’s Lemonade, to Mariah Carey’s The Emancipation of Mimi, to Rihanna’s...
- 4 min
- Rolling Stone
- ‘U Remind Me’ – Usher
- ‘7 Days’ – Craig David
- ‘Them Changes’ – Thundercat
- ‘Blue Lights’ – Jorja Smith
- ‘Dumb’ – The 411
- ‘Don’t Think I’m Not’ – Kandi
- ‘Passionfruit’ – Drake
- ‘If You Love Me’ – Brownstone
- ‘Case of The Ex (Whatcha Gonna Do)’ – Mya
- ‘Untitled (How Does It Feel)’ – D’Angelo
There are so many Usher songs that could have made this list but ‘U Remind Me’ is the one for its melancholic soap opera-style tale and for the way it accentuates Usher’s syrupy vocals. Best R&B lyric: “You won’t believe all of the things she put me through/this is why I just can’t get with you“
The garage undertones and recognisable guitar line coupled with Craig David’s smooth-talking account of wooing a lady make ‘7 Days’ a bonafine UK R&B classic. Best R&B lyric: “Monday, took her for a drink on Tuesday/we were making love by Wednesday, and on Thursday and Friday and Saturday/we chilled on Sunday“
Using a sampled beat from the Isley Brothers’ ‘Footsteps in the Dark’ with Thundercat’s bubbly bass riff and woozy vocal lines, ‘Them Changes’ is a sterling R&B groove. Best R&B lyric: “Nobody move, there’s blood on the floor/and I can’t find my heart“
‘Blue Lights’ was our first introduction to the talent that is Jorja Smith, when she posted the track on her SoundCloud back in 2016. Since then, she’s collaborated with Drake, toured with Bruno Mars, won plenty of awards and so much more. Best R&B lyric: “I wanna turn those blue lights into strobe lights/not blue flashing lights, maybe fairy light...
British girl group The 411 might not have been around for too long but ‘Dumb’, released in 2004, was the pinnacle of their time together. Best R&B lyric: “Dumb diggi-diggi-di dumb di-dumb/and ‘though I know it would be fun to get some“
Kandi Burruss might be more recognisable as one of the main cast members of ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta’ but her debut solo single remains her finest work to date. Best R&B lyric: “When you’re feeling good in somebody’s spot, getting hot, don’t stop/just don’t think I’m not ’cause I’m out getting mine“
Drake’s foray into tropical house was a success with ‘Passionfruit’, with the track giving off carefree, mellow vibes from start to finish, Best R&B lyric:“Passionate from miles away, passive with the things you say/passin’ up on my old ways, I can’t blame you, no, no“
If you’re after an emotional, harmony-filled R&B ballad, you can’t go wrong with Brownstone’s 1995 second single ‘If You Love Me’. Best R&B lyric: “But if you want my heart, then it’s time that you start/to act like you’re mine in the light and the dark“
The pairing of ‘Case Of The Ex’’s dramatic, percussive keyboard and Mya’s sweetly seething vocals give the track just the right amount of rage. Best R&B lyric: “Tell me what is it that she needs?/Did she hear about the brand new Benz, that you just bought for me?“
Originally composed as a tribute to Prince, you can definitely hear the latter’s influence in the soulful style and funky electric guitar of ‘Untitled (How Does It Feel)’. Best R&B lyric: “I wanna stop, silly little games you and me play/and I am feeling right on, if you feel the same way, baby“
- 4 min
- Channel Orange – Frank Ocean (2012) Frank Ocean is certainly one of the most influential artists in contemporary R&B. His 2012 album, Channel Orange is widely regarded as a masterpiece of modern R&B.
- Mother – Cleo Sol (2021) Across featherlight tones Cleo decorates her second solo album, Mother. A tribute to herself as a mother, her mother and in doing so, encapsulates generational truths of women.
- Ctrl – Sza (2017) SZA made her mark as a cult favourite in R&B with her debut album Ctrl, a stunning showcase of her songwriting and vocal abilities.
- Black Messiah – D’Angelo and The Vanguard (2014) After a 14-year hiatus, D’Angelo returned with Black Messiah, an album that showcased his pioneering blend of Soul, Funk and R&B.
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- "Hate Our Love" - Queen Naija And Big Sean. Queen Naija’s “Hate Our Love” featuring Big Sean is a vulnerable song for the hopeless romantics. Evoking feelings of resilience in an overly-criticized relationship, Queen and Sean wear their hearts on their sleeves in real-life and on wax— making the raw lyrics of “Hate Our Love” even more relatable to fans.
- “I’m Baby” - Ambré Feat. Jvck James. On “I’m Baby,” Ambré and Jvck James explore a new sense of sensuality and vulnerability in a steamy romance. Featured on her 2022 offering, 3000 is one of the EP’s eight songs the New Orleans musician released in June.
- “Surprise” - Chlöe. Incessant policing of the Black female form has attempted to derail Chloe Bailey for nearly two years. Still, she continues to defy the limitations of that prejudice—gloriously wielding her body-ody-ody and its desires.
- "ALL MINE" - Brent Faiyaz. Brent Faiyaz is known for his nostalgic tone that reminds us of the ’90s R&B soul from Jon B or Donell Jones. Although his vocal ability is less of a spectacle than most of today’s crooners, it was practically made for a slow jam.
- Damien Scott
- Chris Brown, 11:11. Since Chris Brown’s 2005 debut, he’s rocketed to the moon thanks to his dulcet vocals, sticky hooks, and hellacious footwork. With a career marred by controversy, Brown remains a formidable draw in his 18th year in the music industry.
- Khamari, A Brief Nirvana. Sparking one of the most buzziest — and refreshing —moments in 2023 was the release of Khamari’s debut studio album. The 11-track RCA project brims with striking promise, thanks to the multi-instrumentalist-singer’s raw and insightful lyrics, genre-fusing sonics and sinuous tenor.
- Cleo Sol, Gold. The prevalence of “toxic” lyrics has been a major talking point in discussions concerning contemporary R&B. With Gold – the second in a pair of two 2023 LPs from the British soul savant – Cleo Sol makes a concerted effort to infuse her melodies with positive affirmations and unassuming words of wisdom.
- Don Toliver, Love Sick. Toliver’s third studio album, Love Sick, finds the trap&B singer crooning his Styrofoam cup-fueled confessions of being in love while obsessed with riches and illicit substances.
Dec 18, 2021 · After considerable discussions, Rated R&B turns its spotlight on the 30 best R&B albums of 2021, selected by the editorial team: Keithan Samuels, Antwane Folk, Danielle Brissett, Anders Hare, and Jakori Beauchamp. Please note: The eligibility period for considered albums began Dec. 1, 2020, and ended Nov. 30, 2021.
Michael Jackson. 4.26 2,549 27. 11 January 1983. Contemporary R&B Dance-Pop. Synth Funk Disco. passionate nocturnal anxious rhythmic cold melodic suspenseful mysterious. Pyramids. Frank Ocean. 4.25 2,823 13. 8 June 2012. Alternative R&B Electropop. Synth Funk Progressive Pop Trap Soul.
