Essence has announced its 2026 Essence Festival of Culture will return to New Orleans from July 3 through July 5 at the Caesars Superdome. In celebration of Women’s History Month, the company has also revealed the first wave of performers. R&B queens Brandy and Monica, who wrapped up their The Boy Is Mine Tour last
Month: January 1970
After topping R&B radio last week, Jill Scott’s single “Pressha” rises to No. 1 on the Billboard Adult R&B Airplay chart dated March 14. According to Billboard, “Pressha” moved from No. 2 to No. 1 in its eighth week on the chart, bumping Kehlani’s “Folded” from its two-week reign. “Pressha” is Scott’s first chart-topper on
Ty Dolla $ign has returned with his new projectGirl Music Vol. 1 via Atlantic Records. Preceded by the Leon Thomas-assisted “Miss U 2,” the six-track set hears Dolla $ign returning to his R&B-centric roots. The raspy-voiced artist said the project’s concept was born from a dinner conversation in New York City. “The DJ at the
Ama has joined forces with her label head, Brent Faiyaz, for her new single “Need It Bad,” out via ISO Supremacy / Pulse Records. The Mannyvelli and Spizledoe production captures the carnal desire to be within touch of a romantic partner. Faiyaz steers the first half of the song with longing lyrics such as, “Can
Grammy-winning singer and musician PJ Morton has signed a partnership deal with SRG-ILS Group via his label Morton Records. SRG-ILS, which is globally distributed by Virgin Music Group, is also home to artists such as Lalah Hathaway, Johnny Gill and Keke Palmer. “I am excited about this new partnership,” says Morton. “When Walter Millsap initially
Welcome to Chart Brief, Rated R&B’s weekly column tracking the latest movements across R&B charts. Each week, we’ll break down and analyze the R&B artists making waves on the Billboard, radio, and streaming charts. This edition covers the charts dated Feb. 21, 2026. Billboard Charts Adult R&B Airplay Tracks the week’s top Adult R&B hits
Emerging R&B singer JayDon has secured his first No. 1 hit. His Paradise-assisted smooth jam “Lullaby” jumps two spots at urban radio this week, dethroning Cardi B’s “ErrTime” from the summit. According to Mediabase, “Lullaby” received 5,215 monitored spins (up 601 from the prior week), with 11.4 million audience impressions. “All praise to the almighty.
Welcome to Chart Brief, Rated R&B’s weekly column tracking the latest movements across R&B charts. Each week, we’ll break down and analyze the R&B artists making waves on the Billboard, radio, and streaming charts. This edition covers the charts dated Feb. 14, 2026. Billboard Charts Adult R&B Airplay Tracks the week’s top Adult R&B hits
Ella Mai is back with her new album Do You Still Love Me? via 10 Summers/Interscope Records. Executive produced by Mustard, the 14-track offering was preceded by the singles “Little Things,” “Tell Her” and “100.” Speaking onDo You Still Love Me?Mai told Hunger Magazine, “While I was making this album, I was pregnant and postpartum,
It’s an early afternoon in Los Angeles, and Jaymin is just getting his day started. He is recovering from a late night, where he performed at an invite-only event at The Sunset Room. The South Seattle native appears a bit groggy when he joins our video call, but quickly lights up when asked about last
Kehlani‘s hit single “Folded” swept its two nominations at the 68th Grammy Awards on Sunday (Feb. 1). The nostalgic track won Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song. It’s Kehlani’s first pair of Grammys out of seven career nominations. Best R&B Performance is awarded for new vocal or instrumental R&B recordings. “Folded” prevailed over Justin
Ari Lennox is set to hit the road this spring. The Grammy-nominated singer has revealed the dates for herVacancy Tour. The 31-city North American tour kicks off April 12 at WAMU Theater in Seattle. From there, Lennox will visit San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, Atlanta, Philadelphia and more before concluding June 6 in Charlotte. Citi
“You are currently in my pocket,” Samm Henshaw tells me over Zoom, making his way through his London home as the evening kicks in. “Sorry, I just got in not long ago, so I’m shifting stuff around,” he continues. The British-Nigerian singer has had a busy day, starting with a morning performance taping for BBC’s
Ebubé isn’t ready to accept heartbreak — and really, who is? His new ballad “Mr. Postman” stings like a papercut. Over a mournful piano, joined by languid tambourine and resonant percussion, Ebubé dodges a love note written on a pink slip. He knows it’s on the way but isn’t ready to read the words that
Ari Lennox‘sVacancyis here. The Washington, D.C., native has released her third album via Interscope Records. (It’s her first release since parting ways with J. Cole’s Dreamville Records.) The 15-track set was preceded by the singles “Soft Girl Era,” the title track, “Under The Moon” and “Twin Flame.” Lennox performed the latter song live onThe Jennifer
Grammy-winning producer Camper has released his debut album,Campilation, via November Yellow/Slang. The 11-track offering was preceded by the singles “I Need It” with Syd and Tank; “Waiting On You” with Tone Stith; “War” with Ari Lennox and Jeremih; and “OOWEE” with Jill Scott and Ty Dolla $ign. The star-studded album also features collaborations with Stevie
It’s New Music Friday, which means Rated R&B is bringing you the most essential releases. From the traditional R&B that purists love to the boundary-pushing sounds of the alt-R&B scene, this week’s roundup keeps its pulse on the essence of R&B. Dive into it below. Stream all of this week’s picks and more on theRATED
Jhené Aiko, Ludacris, Ashanti and Nelly are set to headline the 2026 Jazz in the Gardens Music Festival. The festival, co-hosted by the City of Miami Gardens and the Black Promoters Collective, returns to Hard Rock Stadium March 7-8. Aiko will headline day one, while Ludacris will close out day two with a special 25th
Lifetime has announced the premiere date for Toni Braxton’s Breathe Again. The film, starring Toni Braxton, Cree Summer (A Different World) and Essence Atkins (Half & Half), airs Jan. 24 at 8 p.m. ET on Lifetime. Breathe Again, inspired by and titled after Braxton’s 1993 classic, followsToni Braxton’s He Wasn’t Man Enough, which premiered in
This post contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you purchase tickets through them — at no extra cost to you. As we step into 2026, more R&B artists are gearing up for tours and concerts. Before we dive into the upcoming shows, let’s look back at some of the highlights of 2025,