R&B artists spoiled fans in 2024 with plentiful album releases. R&B icon Usher returned with Coming Home, his first album in eight years, released days ahead of his record-breaking Super Bowl LVII halftime show. The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Mary J. Blige expressed Gratitude with her 15th studio album. Beyoncé let the music do the talking with her highly praised eighth album, Cowboy Carter.
R&B mainstays Ledisi and Lalah Hathaway released albums that ranked high on Rated R&B’s 25 Best R&B Albums of 2024 list — No. 2 and No. 4, respectively. Meanwhile, Chris Brown breathed new life into his 11th album, 11:11, with a deluxe version that included his still-rising hit “Residuals.” And there was the new class of stars like Muni Long — whose Revenge was crowned Best R&B Album of 2024 by Rated R&B — Leon Thomas, Normani, and FLO, who all delivered praiseworthy projects.
With 2024 now behind us, there are plenty of R&B albums and projects slated to release in 2025 that we’re excited to hear. Below are the R&B albums we’re anticipating in 2025. (Note: Release dates may change at any time. We will update this article as more information and albums are revealed.)
The Weeknd, Hurry Up Tomorrow (January 24)
The Weeknd’s sixth album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, is expected to be bittersweet. The closing installment of his trilogy, which began with 2020’s After Hours, followed by 2022’s Dawn FM, will also reportedly mark his final album as The Weeknd. The singer, born Abel Tesfaye, first indicated his plans in 2023. “It’s getting to a place and a time where I’m getting ready to close the Weeknd chapter,” he told W Magazine. “I’ll still make music, maybe as Abel, maybe as The Weeknd. But I still want to kill The Weeknd. And I will. Eventually. I’m definitely trying to shed that skin and be reborn.”
Hurry Up Tomorrow, which will release Jan. 24 via XO Records/Republic Records, will include the lead single, “Dancing In The Flame,” as well as the subsequently shared “Timeless” featuring Playboi Carti and “São Paulo” featuring Anitta. Per press materials, Hurry Up Tomorrow “represents the creative apex of the project, serving as the third and final chapter crafted with existential and self-referential themes as seen with the latest visionary teasers that have set fans ablaze with anticipation for this concluding installment.”
Mereba, The Breeze Grew a Fire (February 14)
Mereba is set to release The Breeze Grew a Fire, her first album in six years, on Valentine’s Day via Secretly Canadian. The album consists of 13 tracks, including the lead single, “Counterfeit,” which she co-wrote and co-produced with Sam Hoffman. Speaking on The Breeze Grew a Fire, Mereba explained, “For this [album], it went back to me being on my own for the creation of a lot of the songs, and it was really important for me at this time of life because I was a little disconnected from the world, and from who I was. So I was trying to find my way back to myself first. What do I like? What do I want to hear? What do I want to say to people now?” The Breeze Grew a Fire is the follow-up to the genre-bending artist’s 2019 album, The Jungle Is The Only Way Out. The latter project featured appearances from alt-R&B artist 6LACK and rapper JID.
Musiq Soulchild x Hit-Boy, Victims & Villains 2 (February 14)
Musiq Soulchild and Hit-Boy have teamed up for Victims & Villains 2, the sequel to their 2023 joint album. The singer and producer’s upcoming project is set to arrive on Valentine’s Day via Soulstar Music Company. The lead single, “October 31st” featuring Dave East, was released last year on the date it’s titled after. Regarding the track, Soulchild exclusively told Rated R&B, “It’s about how scary it can be to date nowadays, for both men and women. The tricks and treats ain’t what they used to be. Y’all stay safe out there!” Not only will Soulchild release his new album on Feb. 14, but he will also kick off the R&B Invitation Tour with fellow crooners Joe and Eric Benét.
THEY., LOVE.JONES (February 14)
R&B duo THEY. (Drew Love and Dante Jones) will celebrate Valentine’s Day with the release of their fourth album, LOVE.JONES. The 10-track project, which will arrive via drink sum wtr, includes the lead single “Diamonds and Pearls.” “We started teasing a snippet of the hook last year, and it got a great response from our fans; we hadn’t even written the verse yet. Excited to be finally releasing the full version,” THEY. said about “Diamonds and Pearls.” Their forthcoming album will also include their latest single, “Straight Up.” LOVE.JONES follows the duo’s 2023 album, Nü Moon, which featured collaborations with Kacey Musgraves, Fana Hues, Yung Bleu, and more. Per the official tracklist, THEY.’s LOVE.JONES will not contain any features — like their 2017 debut album, Nü Religion: HYENA.
Nao, Jupiter (February 21)
Nao’s fourth album, Jupiter, is said to “explore themes of growth, abundance, and profound self-discovery, weaving together a tapestry of introspection and expansive creativity.” The featureless 11-track LP, which will release Feb. 21 via Sony Music UK/RCA Records. It is preceded by the singles “Wildflowers,” “Elevate” and “All Of Me.” Of the Stint-produced “Elevate,” the British singer explained, “‘Elevate’ captures the intoxicating feeling of love. It describes a relationship so powerful it feels addictive, yet freeing, like floating without fear of falling. I wanted it to sound euphoric, which is why we have this soaring, Prince-like guitar solo, beautifully played by my guitarist, Andy Vickery.” Jupiter is the follow-up to Nao’s 2021 album, And Then Life Was Beautiful, which featured Lucky Daye, Lianne La Havas, serpentwithfeet, and Adekunle Gold.
Aloe Blacc, Stand Together (February 28)
Genre-bending singer Aloe Blacc is set to release his new album, Stand Together, on Feb. 28 via Grand Scheme Productions in partnership with Vydia, a gamma. company. Blacc’s upcoming album will consist of 12 tracks, including the lead single “Don’t Go Alone.” “This album is a celebration of what we can achieve when we come together to support one another. Whether it’s in our relationships or as a society, we’re stronger and better when we stand together,” Blacc explained. Stand Together blends elements of R&B, soul and pop while exploring lyrical themes of openness, empowerment and social change. It features production by Stargate, Oak Felder, DJ Khalil, and Hunter Hayes, among others.
serpentwithfeet, GRIP SEQUEL (February 28)
Progressive R&B singer serpentwithfeet is keeping his GRIP era going with GRIP SEQUEL, the follow-up to his 2024 album. The project, out Feb. 28 via Secretly Canadian, will feature nine new compositions, including the lead single, “Writing in the Wind,” and alternative versions of three tracks from GRIP. The reimagined tunes include a new version of “Lucky Me” plus remixes of “Spades” with Ogi and Destin Conrad and a “Damn Gloves” remix by Baile Funk featuring Ty Dolla $ign, TH41 & Azzy. GRIP SEQUEL will also contain all the tracks from GRIP on disc two.
Chase Shakur, WONDERLOVE (Early 2025)
Emerging alt-R&B sensation Chase Shakur has been dropping music since 2018 but it wasn’t until his 2022 single “Too Far Close” that put him on the map. The song appeared on his debut EP, It’ll Be Fine, which included other popular tracks like “i don’t wanna fall in love, it’s too late now” and “honda civic ‘98.” The success of his independently released EP landed him a deal with Def Jam Recordings, where he followed up in 2023 with his second EP, it’s not you, it’s me, and an extended version, it’s not you, it’s me… it’s love. Now, the Atlanta native is preparing to release his debut album, WONDERLOVE, in early 2025. In an Instagram post, Shakur confirmed the album contains 16 tracks. Among the album’s tracks are the singles “Limerence,” “2ofUs” and “Focus On Me.” It’s unclear if the album has any features since the tracklist has not been shared.
Bootsy Collins, Album of the Year #1 Funkateer (April 11)
Funk legend Bootsy Collins was originally slated to release his 23rd studio LP, Album of Year #1 Funkateer, ahead of his 73rd birthday last October. However, he delayed it until April 11, 2025, after inking a deal between his Bootzilla Records label and Roc Nation Distribution. Regarding his confident album title, Collins told Rated R&B, “When I said I was the Player of the Year back in 1978 [on my album Bootsy? Player of the Year], the community got with me and was all behind it. So I did that same kind of movement with this [album]. The people don’t know it yet, but it is the album of the year, regardless of what anybody’s saying.” Album of the Year #1 Funkateer will include the previously shared title track, “The Influencers,” “Pure Perfection” and “The JB’s Tribute Pastor P.”
Coco Jones, Title TBA (TBA)
Grammy-winning singer Coco Jones will finally unleash her long-awaited debut album this year via High Standardz/Def Jam Recordings. The currently untitled project will include the Grammy-nominated lead single “Here We Go (Uh Oh),” as well as “Sweep It Up” and “Most Beautiful Design” featuring London on da Track and Future. “Here We Go (Uh Oh),” also nominated at the 2025 NAACP Image Awards, has spent five weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart at the time of this writing. It now is Jones’ longest-running No. 1 on any Billboard chart, surpassing her 2023 breakout hit “ICU,” which spent four weeks atop the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart.
In a 2024 interview with Rated R&B, Jones shared how she intended to approach her debut album following the release of her debut EP, What I Didn’t Tell You. “The EP made me want to explore different sounds [and] different genres, seeing how I could mix them,” Jones told Rated R&B. “I felt like a scientist whose one experiment did really well, and it’s like, ‘Oh damn, okay.’ Now I’m getting all mad creative, just trying a bunch of different things because I’m like, ‘That was good. Let’s see what else I can do.’ [I’m] just motivated.”
Summer Walker, Finally Over It (TBA)
In October 2024, Summer Walker released “Heart Of A Woman,” the era-launching single for her highly anticipated third album, Finally Over It. The ‘90s R&B-inspired track, produced by Tavares Jordan, was officially introduced with an accompanying lyric video starring Love Island season six winners and couple Serena Page and Kordell Beckham. Walker later premiered the official music video, which can be watched above. Finally Over It, set to release this year via LVRN/Interscope Records, will complete the trilogy that started with Walker’s 2019 debut album, Over It, followed by 2021’s Still Over It. The latter album earned Walker her first No. 1 on the Billboard 200, selling 166,000 equivalent units in the first week. As fans anticipate Walker’s next album, the Grammy-nominated singer recently launched a six-episode radio series, Over It Radio, in partnership with Apple Music. So far, special guests have included Sexyy Red, Caresha, and Ciara.
Jacquees x DeJ Loaf, F**k A Friendzone 2 (TBA)
R&B singer Jacquees and melodic rapper DeJ Loaf have reunited for F**k A Friendzone 2, a sequel to their 2017 mixtape. The upcoming project will include the Nash B-produced lead single “Just Another Love Song” released last December. Their inaugural joint mixtape included their platinum-selling hit “At The Club,” which reached No. 4 on Billboard’s Hot R&B Songs chart. A release date has not been announced for F**k A Friendzone 2, though it will drop via Yellow World and FYB Records.
Jon B., Waiting On You (TBA)
R&B veteran Jon B.’s Waiting On You EP was originally scheduled to release in 2024. While a new release date has not been confirmed yet, we are anticipating that it will arrive sometime in 2025 — hopefully. The project will include the Tank-assisted title track and latest single, “Natural Drug,” which Jon B. wrote and produced. Regarding the track, he explained, “There is no aphrodisiac like the natural drug a woman is. Through her love, inspiration naturally flows to me. She is why I dig so deep in my creativity, searching for the gems that reflect her brilliance.”
According to press materials, Waiting On You is “a continuation of his artistic expression and musicianship that has captivated the hearts of R&B enthusiasts since his debut album, Bonafide.” The project, the follow-up to 2012’s Comfortable Swagg, will feature additional collaborations with Donell Jones, Alex Isley, and Rick Ross.
Amerie, Title TBA (TBA)
Last fall, Amerie confirmed that she is working on a new album. The singer has been in the studio with producer Troy Taylor, occasionally going live on Instagram to tease recorded material while in the studio. The first song they previewed, back in November, was “Undeniable,” which they wrote together. “This record is called ‘Undeniable’ and it’s just the very beginning,” said Amerie during an Instagram Live broadcast. She added, “That didn’t even take a long time actually.” Since then, the two collaborators have previewed several other tracks, including “Radio,” “Mine,” “Good Bad,” “Unsaid” and “The Way You Love.” Amerie’s forthcoming album will mark her first since 2009’s In Love & War. Since then, she’s released three EPs, including 2016’s Drive and 2018’s 4AM Mulholland and After 4AM. The latter two projects were released simultaneously.
Ari Lennox, Title TBA (TBA)
In October 2024, Ari Lennox returned with “Smoke,” the lead single from her forthcoming third album that will release on Dreamville/Interscope Records. While the track has only garnered 730,000 Spotify streams since its release (at the time of this writing), it has steadily risen on radio. The Bongo ByTheWay-produced track is No. 19 on the Billboard Adult R&B Airplay chart dated Jan. 11. Shortly after the song’s release, Lennox took to Instagram to vent about her frustrations with her label and publicly asked to be released from her contract. “Not one person at those labels ever knew how to market or protect me,” she wrote in a since-deleted Instagram post. “Y’all don’t know the half. Constant let down and neglect.” Hopefully, Lennox has sorted things out with her labels by now, as we are excited to hear the music she made for the follow-up to 2022’s age/sex/location.
Ella Mai, Title TBA (TBA)
Ella Mai has not announced any plans to release an album yet. However, she did surprise her fans on her 30th birthday (Nov. 3, 2024) with a three-track EP titled 3. All three songs from the mini project occupied the top three spots on Billboard’s R&B Digital Song Sales: “Little Things” (No. 1), “One Of These” (No. 2) and “Hearts On Deck” (No. 3). Per press materials, 3 “introduces a fresh chapter for Mai,” which could mean a fuller project is underway. Mai’s last album, Heart On My Sleeve, was released in 2022. The following year, she reissued the album with a deluxe edition that featured three additional tracks.
Eric Benét, Title TBA (TBA)
Last year marked the end of Eric Benét’s eight-year musical hiatus. The R&B veteran returned with his Duets EP, his first project since his 2016 self-titled album. Speaking on his decision to put out an EP instead of an album, Benét explained to Rated R&B, “This seems the perfect opportunity because I haven’t had a project out in eight years. If I’m going to come out after such a long time, don’t come out the same way, come out different.” The EP included duets with five women in R&B: Chanté Moore, Ledisi, Tamar Braxton, LaTocha Scott, and Corinne Bailey Rae. In the same interview with Rated R&B, Benét also revealed his plans to release a full-length album version of his duets project with 10 new songs. “We wrote so many songs that we’re going to come out with an album,” he said.
When asked what he wanted listeners to take away, Benét shared, “I just want people to explore because I’m exploring different genres. I encourage people to get the whole project when it comes out because there may be some things that will resonate with you way more than the one or two singles.” He continued, “It may surprise you, so once the project is released — the EP and the album — peruse through the whole thing because there’s going to be some joints on there.” The album is expected to arrive sometime in early 2025. Most recently, Benét was spotted in the studio with singer Melanie Fiona and producer Camper. “Man Listen … wait til y’all hear how @melaniefiona was KILLIN’ in that booth last night!! Thank you for blessing us,” Benét wrote in a social media post.
Melanie Fiona, Title TBA (TBA)
Melanie Fiona has a new EP on the way. The Grammy-winning singer made her musical return in 2024 with her single “Say Yes” and its B-side “I Choose You.” Both tracks will appear on her forthcoming project, currently untitled, set to arrive this year. In an October interview with Rated R&B, Fiona exclusively shared some details of her EP, which will have about six tracks. “It’s a fun project,” Fiona described. “I don’t think it would feel heavy to people, no matter what the context is. Everything was created with a lot of joy.”
She added, “I’m still tailoring down what the six songs are going to be. I have a good idea about what they are. I think all the songs and stories that are happening, everybody will enjoy it. They’re not going to feel like one song takes them too far out of the vibe. I want this project to be for everybody. I want it to feel affirmative. I want it to feel like a homegirl hug.” Fiona’s upcoming EP will mark her first body of work since her 2012 sophomore album, The MF Life.
Miguel, Viscera (TBA)
It’s hard to believe it’s been seven years since Miguel last released an album. While his 2010 sleeper hit “Sure Thing” has seen a resurgence in recent years, notably in 2023 when it surged to No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 thanks to a viral boost from TikTok, the progressive R&B singer has been working on his follow-up to 2017’s War & Leisure. In 2023, Miguel dropped two singles — “Give It To Me” and “Number 9” featuring Lil Yachty — from his impending fifth album, Viscera.
After a year-long hiatus, he returned in late 2024 with his self-penned emotional ballad, “Always Time.” “This may be the most difficult song I’ve ever had to write — for all of the life lessons and experiences that live between each line,” Miguel shared. “I’m grateful for the closure it has given me and know it’s the most honest way to begin this chapter of my artistry and relationship with my audience.” A release date has not been confirmed for Viscera, which will be released via ByStorm Entertainment and RCA Records.
TA Thomas, Title TBA (TBA)
In summer 2024, rising singer TA Thomas announced his new deal with High Standardz, the label behind Coco Jones, and Def Jam Recordings. The Mississippi native released two singles, “Risky” and “Angry,” which signaled the launch of a new era since dropping his debut solo EP, Caught Between 2 Worlds, in 2023. There aren’t many details about TA’s upcoming project. However, he did confirm to Rated R&B that he plans to release an EP ahead of his debut album. “I feel like with these next two projects, I really want to paint an image of who TA is, where he’s from, the stuff that I grew up on, so I’m working with a bunch of musicians back from down south. In this project, there will be a lot of live instrumentation.”
This article will continue to be updated as more information becomes available.