R&B

Steve Lacy has returned with his sophomore album, Gemini Rights. It arrives three years after his debut LP, Apollo XXI.  The 10-track album includes the previously released tracks “Mercury” and “Bad Habit.” Gemini Rights finds Lacy picking up the pieces after a breakup. “It’s a story that is very fluid [and] very fun. To me, the subject matter

Monica is back. The legendary singer has returned with her new single “Friends” featuring Ty Dolla $ign. It was produced by Grammy-winning songwriter and producer Tasha Catour (Lecrae, Jacquees, Keke Palmer).  At first listen, “Friends” comes close to past heights in Monica’s elite romantic songbook. Her emotions of an unbreakable bond for a special someone

Ambré has released another music video from her latest EP, 3000°. “I’m Baby,” a collaboration with Jvck James, receives a supporting visual directed by Child (H.E.R., Lucky Daye, Doja Cat). For the video, Ambré takes us on a crash course in fabric painting with six melanin Black beauties holding lilies by the pool as the

Usher has landed his 52nd chart appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 this week (July 16), as “Good Love” with rap duo City Girls debuts at No. 70.  The Lathun-sampled party anthem marked the 8x Grammy winner’s first entry since October 2019 when his self-influenced track “Come Thru,” headed by Summer Walker, opened and peaked

Jamie Foxx has signed on to star in J.J. Perry’s new Netflix original action film Day Shift, which premieres Aug. 12. The movie was produced by Chad Stahelski and written by Tyler Tice and Shay Hatten.  Day Shift surrounds Bud (Jamie), a Los Angeles pool cleaner in desperate need of some serious cash to front essential

Yuna has shared Y3, the third of five capsule projects leading up to her forthcoming album Y5. It includes three new songs, one of which has a supporting video.  There are streaks of lightweight R&B with light and breezy vocals and beautiful minimal production suited as a foundation. The songs on Y3 are made for playlists targeted

Brian McKnight Jr., son of R&B veteran Brian McKnight, has released a new song titled “Feels Like Home,” produced by SkyHigh Music.  McKnight shows himself as a student of the R&B sound date-stamped during its golden era. He understands the sophistication of the genre and translates it beautifully in this smooth ode. The simplistic production

Jon Batiste has had a momentous year. The Louisianna native took home five awards at the 64th Grammy Awards, including the coveted Album of the Year (We Are). He was the most-nominated and most-awarded artist of the night. Batiste says he’s still processing that milestone. “I think it takes a minute to process the work,

Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul” freshens up R&B radio’s top 10 after it reaches No. 8 in its third week. At the time of this publishing, the motivational dance track motored to this region with 7.4 million audience impressions from airplay at more than 80 radio stations. Previously, Beyoncé’s last top 10 entry on R&B radio

Emerging singer Thuy has released a new song titled “Trust” featuring RINI, which came with a music video directed by Edgar Daniel. It’s Thuy’s first single from her forthcoming untitled project.  Thuy works overtime on the lustrous, guitar-based track to make her respective partner know she will be around for the long haul. She lightly

Kyle Dion is back. The Los Angeles-based artist has shared his new song “Spoon & Bang,” produced by Soran Atole and co-written by Dion and Michel Simard. On this track, Dion conveys a sweet message to his partner, suggesting that his favorite place is under them. He’d rather chill at home, with his body connecting

Sik Sonic, the duo composed of Anderson .Paak and Bruo Mars, has chosen “After Last Night” as their fourth R&B radio single. It appears on their 2020 debut album, An Evening With Silk Sonic. “After Last Night,” co-produced by Mars, D’Mile and The Stereotypes, impacted the airplay format dominated by contemporary and traditional R&B recordings earlier

Ciara has released a video for her comeback single, “Jump” featuring Coast Contra. Directed by Dave Meyers, the spirited video opens with Ciara and her C-Squad performing a saucy cheerleading routine. She is then transported under a highway bridge where she rapidly shakes her ass while the cars behind her spring in the air. Throughout

A week after Breezy, Chris Brown shares the album’s deluxe edition. The expanded version features nine additional songs with appearances from Anderson .Paak and Davido. The .Paak-assisted “Inner Peace,” produced by BongoByTheWay, Brown invites a special woman to have some one-on-one fun in the bedroom.  “Come get this inner peace (Sweet dreams) / She pay

As Jade Novah gears up for Moon in Pisces Tour, she releases a new song “Rollercoaster” featuring Kenyon Dixon. The track was produced by Novah’s husband, Devin Johnson, and co-written by him, Novah and Dixon. Novah sweetly coos across lightly touched guitar strums and well-placed percussions, conveying the adrenaline rush she desires to inject into her

Rising R&B act Phabo has announced his next project, Before I Let Her Go. The forthcoming EP will be released on July 15.  Before I Let Her Go will include the title track co-produced by Troy Taylor and Francesco Carlesi. The upcoming EP will also feature his freshly-released single, “Achy,” produced by Larce Blake, Sonic

Alicia Keys has gained a new award from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The 15-time Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and producer has scored a gold certification for her appearance on “City of Gods” with Fivio Foreign and Kanye West. It’s her first RIAA certification since collecting more than a dozen in 2020. “City of

R&B vets RL, Willie Taylor and Q Parker have joined forces for a new song titled “Fireworks.” On the Double AA-produced track, the R&B gents use fireworks as a simile for a romantic time in the bedroom. “When we kiss / It’s just like fireworks / Blasting off in my heart, oh and / When

KIRBY has never been afraid of saying what’s exactly on her mind. In the new song “New D,” produced by Homer Steinweiss and Nick Movshon, the rising singer-songwriter has an out with the old, in with the new attitude with her current lover. Like a receipt within its 30 days window, KIRBY hopes she can

The kool kids of R&B Your Grandparents have released “Pootie Tang (G.T.K.Y),” their second this year. The summer-friendly groove was produced by Josh Conway of The Marías and ghettoblasterman of the group.  “Pootie Tang (G.T.K.Y)” gave off immediate sparks, finding the trio’s vocalists, Chaz Carter and DaCosta, singing mellifluously about the time they encountered their