R&B

Grammy winner Daniel Caesar was the musical guest on CBS’ The Late Show With Stephen Colbert on Wednesday night (Oct. 18). On a dimly lit stage, Caesar performed “Always,” his latest single from his third album Never Enough. Caesar’s late-night spot comes on the heels of him announcing leg three of his Superpowers World Tour,

Ethiopian-American artist Berhana has returned with his sophomore album, Amén: የዘላን ህልም (The Nomad’s Dream), via EGT Recordings. The 12-track project includes the previously shared songs “Gone (Abebe Bikila),” “Like a Habit” and “Break Bread.” The first two of the trio were accompanied by accompanying visuals. Berhana commented on the latter track in a previous

Emerging R&B singer-songwriter Jai’Len Josey dials out on her new project, Conversations From A Payphone. The two-track release, released on Hillman Grad Records/Def Jam Recordings, arrives ahead of her forthcoming tour. With a clear and self-explanatory title, “Mixed Signals” featuring lyricist Matt McGhee, depicts Josey’s struggles with a man who is indecisive and plays with

“I think the success of the first album opened the door to where the label almost didn’t even want to be involved in the second album,” Kenny Lattimore reflects over a video call with Rated R&B. “I think that they felt like the team that I had created had some kind of magic and had

Chris Brown has unveiled the official video for his new single, “Sensational,” featuring Davido and Lojay.  The video was directed by Child. and features Brown showing off his slick dance moves.  Produced by DJ Hardwerk, “Sensational” is the second single from Brown’s upcoming 11th album, 11:11. The project is slated to drop Nov. 11 on Chris

R&B icon Brandy has officially announced that her first-ever holiday album, Christmas With Brandy, will release Nov. 10 via Motown Records. It will mark her first full-length project since signing with the label in the summer of 2022. “For all my beautiful fans, my new album Christmas With Brandy comes out November 10. I feel so

Victoria Monét is living out a dream. The singer-songwriter made her debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Thursday (Oct. 19) and performed her hit song “On My Mama.” Monét’s energetic performance, complete with a band and background dancers, brings 2000s nostalgia to life and is sure to boost listens for the track

Promising soul singer Devon Gilfillian has released an official music video for his buzzing single, “Love You Anyway.” The video, directed by $ECK, was filmed in a warehouse. It starts with several participants of various ethnicities and gender identities sitting in a portrait setting. They are asked the question, “What changes would you like to

Usher is gearing up for an eventual 2024.  The R&B icon will headline Apple Music’s Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show on Feb. 11, 2024, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. “It’s an honor of a lifetime to finally check a Super Bowl performance off my bucket list. I can’t wait to bring the world

BJ The Chicago Kid has released a lovey-dovey video for his Coco Jones-assisted track “Spend The Night.”  In the video, directed by Tajana Tokyo (Beyoncé, Janelle Monáe), BJ The Chicago Kid arrives at the diner for work. Still, his attention is diverted when a coworker informs him that his love interest is sitting in a

Legendary singer and songwriter Smokey Robinson teamed up with NPR for a special performance for its Tiny Desk Concert series. Accompanied by a full band and background singers, Robinson opened his performance with “Being With You.” The song, named after his 1981 album, was his first single to be certified by the RIAA. It also

Genre-bending act Masego is returning to the road with his Where We Goin? Tour. The U.K. and Europe leg will span 20 dates, kicking off Jan. 24, 2024, at Sentrum Scene in Oslo, Norway. From there, Masgeo will perform concerts in various cities across the U.K. and Europe, such as Stockholm, Berlin, Milan, Paris, Amsterdam,

It’s been nearly 13 years since Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter Keri Hilson released an album.  After an extended wait, new music appears on the horizon for Hilson. In a recent interview on the R&B Money Podcast, co-hosted by Tank and J Valentine, Hilson confirmed that she has fresh tunes that she’s ready to share.  “Now

Emerging singer-songwriter Annie Tracy has joined forces with Robin Thicke for her new single “Close To You.” Over lively instrumentation, produced by Mike Sabath, Tracy tries to come to terms with a sinking relationship. The agonizing part is she had a feeling things wouldn’t last but continued to deepen their connection. Tracy sings in the

Summer Walker will release, Girls Need Love (Girls Mix), on Oct. 20 via LVRN/Interscope Records. The maxi-single compilation will feature five versions of her 2018 single, “Girls Need Love,” including collaborations with emerging female artists Victoria Monét, Tyla, and Tink.  There are two other versions of the song – an explicit solo version and a

Grammy winner SZA has earned her third No. 1 hit at Mainstream Top 40 radio, with “Snooze” rising from No. 3 to the top spot.  It’s her second solo No. 1 on this format this year, following “Kill Bill,” which also topped the rhythmic radio chart. SZA kicked off her No. 1 career on Mainstream

Singer and poet Jamila Woods has returned with her third album, Water Made Us, via Jagjaguwar.  The 17-track offering includes the previously shared songs “Tiny Garden” featuring duendita, “Boomerang,” “Good News” and “Practice” featuring Saba. “Water Made Us is a study on relationships,” explains Woods. “My heart is wired this way for a reason and I’m

Rising singer Journey Montana expresses her frustration towards a former lover on her new single, “Jack,” delving into the details of her grievances. No, Montana didn’t name her new song after an ex named Jack. She took the name partly from Ray Charles’ soul classic “Hit the Road Jack,” one of her favorite songs. With

Sean “Diddy” Combs has unveiled a stunning music video for his Teyana Taylor-fronted song “Closer To God.”  Taylor directed the video, utilizing a deserted region as the backdrop to showcase her bold and futuristic fashion choices and belt her heart out. Later on, she and Diddy meet up when he rides a horse to her

Maxine Ashley is not someone to be toyed with. The versatile artist has released “Somebody Else,” a funky farewell that will make you bop your head and tap your feet. Ashley assures her insecure lover that she is irreplaceable, and finding a replacement for him is easy on this groovy track. She warns him that