R&B

Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and producer Leon Thomas visited NPR’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., to perform a soulful Tiny Desk Concert. Thomas, with his guitar, four-man band, and background singers, opened with “Vibes Don’t Lie,” the smooth number from his lauded sophomore album, MUTT. Keeping the vibes going, Thomas performed a couple more songs from his

Coco Jones has released her new single “Taste.” The sultry track, which samples Britney Spears’ 2003 hit “Toxic,” was produced by Stargate, Jasper Harris, and Aaron Shadrow. Over a silky production, Jones finds herself spellbound by her partner’s bedroom skills. “Got me where I’d never be / Way you kiss my lips and leave a

Ethiopian-American singer Mereba has returned with her sophomore album, The Breeze Grew a Fire, via Secretly Canadian.  She wrote every song on the album, as well as produced alongside Sam Hoffman and Kibrom Birhane. Across 13 gentle tracks, Mereba embarks on a soul-replenishing journey through the lens of motherhood. Heartwarming songs like “Out of the

Valentine’s Day just got even more naughty with kwn’s remix of her blazing track “Worst Behaviour” featuring Kehlani. The bedroom banger, produced by kwn, includes a lip-biting verse from Kehlani where they fervently sing: “Imma turn into a slip and slide / I’ll make sure you’re satisfied.” Throughout the rest of the track, kwn and

R&B duo THEY. has released their fourth album LOVE.JONES via drink sum wtr. The featureless project, which merges the last names of members Drew Love and Dante Jones, was also inspired by the 1997 cult classic Love Jones.  “I just keep movies on while we’re working and Love Jones kind of sparked something and had

J. Valentine wants to divide and conquer in the bedroom with his new song “Separate Ways.”  On the passionate track, produced by Shawn Holmes, Valentine sings, “You know what to do I ain’t gotta say / Girl I wanna see those legs go their separate ways / Lay back and watch you put a show on.” 

Muni Long is feeling romantic in her new song “Slow Grind.” Released ahead of Valentine’s Day (Feb. 13), the bedroom jam finds Long craving a night full of passion with her partner. “One time, I wanna slow grind, baby / All night, I wanna slow grind, baby,” she sings in the chorus. Speaking on “Slow

Jagged Edge will celebrate the 25th anniversary of their second album, J.E. Heartbreak, with a commemorative tour.  The legendary R&B group has announced the dates for An Evening With Jagged Edge: 25 Years of J.E. Heartbreak. Promoted by Live Nation Urban, the U.S. tour kicks off March 26 in Dallas. From there, the quartet will visit major cities,

Erykah Badu was among the list of winners at the 2025 Grammy Awards. The neo-soul legend won Best Melodic Rap Performance for her feature on Rapsody’s “3:AM.” It marks the rapper’s first-ever Grammy win. “So much to feel,” Rapsody wrote in an Instagram post. “So many loved ones to thank. Not enough words to articulate it

Leon Thomas makes his first appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 this week as an artist. The singer, songwriter, and producer’s rising hit “Mutt” debuts at No. 100 on the Hot 100 chart (dated Feb. 8), led by Travis Scott’s “4×4.” As of this writing, “Mutt” has garnered more than 51.5 million streams on Spotify

Longtime collaborators Jacquees and DeJ Loaf have unveiled their co-headlining F#*k a Friendzone Tour dates. The U.S. tour, powered by Live Nation Urban, kicks off April 5 at The Dome in Wallingford, Connecticut. From there, it will visit Chicago, Detroit, New Orleans, Atlanta, and more. The tour wraps up May 11 at The Fillmore in

Abel Tesfaye, also known as The Weeknd, has revealed the official trailer for his new feature film Hurry Up Tomorrow. The psychological thriller, which hits theaters May 16, co-stars Tesfaye (as Abel), Jenna Ortega (as Amina) and Barry Keoghan (as Lee).  According to the film’s official logline, “A musician plagued by insomnia is pulled into an

As we enter the middle of winter, festival season will be here before we know it. For R&B enthusiasts looking for musical festivals to attend this year in the U.S. — and beyond — Rated R&B has you covered. These festivals will showcase R&B talent, from legends and icons to rising newcomers on the brink

Durand Bernarr will release his third album, BLOOM, Tuesday, Feb. 18, via Create Music Group. The Grammy-nominated singer announced the news in a promotional trailer, which co-stars Kid Fury of The Read podcast. The two-minute clip shows Bernarr in a therapy session with Fury, who plays his therapist. During the session, Fury advises Bernarr to

Rising R&B sensation TA Thomas has released his new single “Preach.”  The divine track, written by Lucky Daye, finds TA enraptured by his love interest’s allure while confessing his willingness to surrender to temptation.  “How’d you get that body to preach? / Let it speak to me, baby / Like it does in my dreams

R&B veteran Craig David has released his new single “SOS” via Believe UK.  On the pop-leaning track, produced by Tré Jean-Marie, David expresses a desire to take a chance on love with a potential partner. “I feel love and now I realize / I’m sendin’ out an SOS, an SOS / And I hope that

Alt-R&B singer Bryant Barnes navigates the painful side of love on his new single “Why Can’t You.” In the melancholic ballad, Barnes contemplates reality of unrequited love and the glimmer of hope that his partner will stay to make it work. “Here I am again, love / I hope you don’t mind, hope you don’t