R&B

Alicia Keys and her husband Kasseem Dean, better known as Swizz Beatz, are among the honorees of The Gordon Parks Foundation’s Annual Awards Dinner. The ceremony will take place Tuesday, May 21, at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City.  The power couple, who have co-chaired the Gordon Parks Foundation Awards gala for a decade,

Emerging vocalist Norelle pays tribute to Sade Adu ahead of the legendary singer’s 65th birthday (Jan. 16) with a cover of “Like a Tattoo.”  Norelle’s reimagined version of the Sade classic was produced by Romero Mosley and Iyeball, with Keyon Harrold on the horns and Eric Nicholas on the keys.  Regarding her “Like a Tattoo”

Mary J. Blige, the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul, will be honored at the 2024 Urban One Honors with the Entertainment Icon Honor. The ceremony airs Sunday, Feb. 25, at 8 p.m. ET on TV One and simulcast on CLEO TV. “Urban One is thrilled to honor the incomparable Mary J. Blige as our 2024 Entertainment

J. Valentine has returned with his new single “Before The Streets,” which he co-wrote with the song’s producer Shawn Holmes and Feather.  “Before The Streets” delicately speaks to a floating woman who hasn’t received the attention she deserves from a man. J. Valentine wants to reset her mind with positive appreciation before she goes down

Mary J. Blige’s chart domination is still going strong. Her Vado-assisted single “Still Believe In Love” is No. 1 for a third week on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart.  The Mtume-sampled song now shares the term with Blige’s 2017 track “U + Me (Love Lesson)” for spending three weeks atop this chart. Five out of

Eric Bellinger is wasting no time sharing new music in 2024. The Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter has issued his new single, “La Perla.” It was produced by KP Wentworth (Tone Stith, Keke Palmer) and B HAM (Chris Brown, Nicki Minaj). Named after the luxury lingerie brand, “La Perla” finds Bellinger seranding his woman in the

After a brief hiatus, R&B veteran Tank hinted at his return to music in 2024 via an Instagram post on his birthday (Jan. 1). Tank shared a video of him doing a series of workouts in the gym before receiving a suit from a professional woman (played by Natasha Marc) with the caption “I’m Back.”

Sampha has announced the extension of his Lahai Tour to include North America. The new leg kicks off March 26 in Miami, Florida, and concludes April 14 in Vancouver, British Columbia, with stops in Boston, Denver, and Seattle in between. Before that, Sampha will perform in New Zealand and Australia from mid-February to early March.

Vedo has released his new song “Pull Over” to kick off the new year. The steamy track was produced by Bridge (Mary J. Blige, Raiche, K. Michelle) and John Scherer (Arin Ray, Trey Songz, Baby Rose). On the sensual tune, Vedo feels aroused in the car with his wife and requests a pitstop to act

Gladys Knight and Donna Summer are among the artists who will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Recording Academy’s upcoming Special Merit Ceremony. According to the Recording Academy, this honor is bestowed upon those who “during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording.” “The Academy is

Rising singer Kyle Dion has returned with his new single “Hang Me Out to Dry,” which he co-wrote and co-produced with Michael “Miko” Simard and Soran Dussainge. On the somber track, Dion finds himself emotionally drained from dealing with unrequited love.  “You hang me out to dry / Like I don’t mean nothing to you

The Jazz in the Gardens Music Festival 2024 lineup has been unveiled. The two-day festival will return to Hard Rock Stadium Saturday, March 9, and Sunday, March 10, in Miami Gardens, Florida. Day one, hosted by comedian Jess Hilarious, will feature performances by Summer Walker, Jazmine Sullivan, Davido, Kirk Franklin, Omarion, Tink and Eric Bellinger.

Musical duo Louis York, composed of Claude Kelly and Chuck Harmony, has announced their new song with Tamia, “Three Little Words.” The duet will release Jan. 12 via Louis York’s Weirdo Workshop label.  Louis York first teased their collaboration with Tamia in mid-December. They posted a behind-the-scenes video of them in the studio with the

Mary J. Blige is starting 2024 with a new award from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). “Good Morning Gorgeous,” the title track of her 14th album, is now certified gold. The confident anthem has sold over 500,000 equivalent units. It marks Blige’s first RIAA certification update as a lead act since 2013’s A

Tamia and Joe have announced additional dates for their upcoming joint tour.  Their spring tour, which launches Feb. 9 in Washington, D.C., will now see a second stop in the same city for Valentine’s Day. They will also make additional stops in Oakland, California; Atlantic City, New Jersey; and Chicago, Illinois, to name a few. 

Ciara’s current single “How We Roll” with Chris Brown continues its climb on Billboard. The midtempo banger moves from No. 11 to No. 9 this week on the Rhythmic Airplay chart. It’s Ciara’s first top 10 hit on this chart in 16 years and her 10th top 10 overall. As for Brown, it’s his 52nd

Urban One has unveiled the honorees for its 2024 Urban One Honors. The star-studded ceremony will be taped Saturday, Jan. 20, in Atlanta, Georgia, at the Coca-Cola Roxy. It will air Sunday, Feb. 25, at 8 p.m. ET on TV One. Music icon Dionne Warwick will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. Warwick’s six-decade career includes

Rising singer and songwriter UMI has teamed up with K-pop artist V of BTS for her latest track, “wherever u r.” On the gentle track, UMI and V sing about their interests, keeping them close even when they’re apart. Discussing the new song, UMI declares it as a dedication to “all people with loved ones

Deputy suspects that his appearance at the 66th Grammy Awards will be a day of appreciation. The producer already has it all mapped out. “I’m probably going to be somewhere with a stylist to make sure the fit is right. An afterparty, for sure,” Deputy shares with Rated R&B over Zoom. “But, for the most

French-Caribbean singer, songwriter and bassist Adi Oasis has announced dates for her headlining world tour. The upcoming trek begins Feb. 24 at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City. The North American leg will resume in April, making additional stops in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland and Seattle. The tour will continue in