R&B

Rising singer Chxrry22 is the latest act to perform for Vevo’s DSCVR series. The Toronto native delivered live renditions of “The Other Side” and “Wasteland.” Both songs are lifted from Chxrry’s debut EP, The Other Side, released in September 2022 via XO Records/Republic Records.  “My approach to writing this project was, “just be as honest as

Summer Walker’s 2018 EP, Last Day of Summer, has spawned sleeper hit. “Karma,” co-written and co-produced by Arsenio Archer, has reached No. 9 on urban radio this week. It’s one of four R&B songs within the top 10 on the radio format. “Karma” advanced in popularity thanks to going viral on TikTok, with user @whereisreese

Polow Da Don loves to bring people together. The Atlanta, Georgia, native, born Jamal Jones, has produced hits for artists such as Usher, Ciara, Mario, Fergie, Robin Thicke, The Pussycat Dolls, Nick Minaj and more. Yet, he believes his forte is uniting people. “Music is not my gift; bringing people together is,” he tweeted one

Kiana Ledé has released a new song in honor of her birthday and the third anniversary of her debut album, KIKI (April 3). It’s titled “Jealous” and features Grammy winner Ella Mai. The two stars lament against a slow-burning backdrop, highlighting the normalization of envy. A lustful partner whose love stick is hard not to

Tyrese has a growing hit on his hands. “Don’t Think You Ever Loved Me,” his current single, posts at No. 8 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart this week. It concurrently enters No. 9 at R&B radio. This accomplishment on the Adult R&B list gives Tyrese his first top 10 hit since “Waiting on You”

Summer Walker has announced her new EP CLEAR 2: Soft Life will arrive May 19 via LVRN/Interscope Records. Walker shared the news toward the end of her set at Dreamville Festival in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Sunday night.  CLEAR 2 is the sequel to Walker’s 2019 EP, CLEAR. The featureless, four-track project consisted of all acoustic

Shay Lia has returned with “TAKUTÁ,” her first new song in two years.  The Djiboutian-French singer teamed with Colombian producer Andrés Rebellón to create a hip-shaking groove that is full of bliss. “Cette garce est East-African (This baddie is East-African) / Pour qui se prend-elle? (Who does she think she is?) / Genre y a

Emerging R&B gent Cedric Brazle steps up to the mic on …What I Know Now, an extension of his 2020 EP, If I Knew Then… The six-track effort begins with a male emcee at a seemingly popular establishment beckoning a talkative crowd to take their seats because the star, Brazle, is taking the stage soon;

Reggie Becton released his new song “Life” earlier this month, and now, he’s back with its official music video. Directed by Chris Felix, the visual finds Becton and a woman showing off choreographed moves on a winding deck. Becton tells Rated R&B his video for “Life” is his “debut into the world of dance.” He

Rising singer Q has announced his debut album, Soul, PRESENT, arrives May 5 via Columbia Records. The album will contain 10 tracks, three of which were released ahead of the announcement. “Stereo Driver,” which Q self-produced, was issued as the lead single in September 2022. Q followed with “Today,” an enjoyable song that he performed

Ruben Studdard has signed a new record deal under SoNo Recording Group (SRG/ILS), the independent boutique label founded in 2012. He joins a roster that includes Chaka Khan, Kenny Lattimore, Raheem DeVaughn, Angie Stone, Eric Roberson, and more. “I am truly excited to join a label that is always looking out their artists and making

Two years ago, fans and critics were fixated on the solo push of Chloe Bailey, now simply known as Chlöe. “Have Mercy,” the first planned lead single from her then-untitled debut album, was synchronized with a solo appearance at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards. It was where she first performed the chart-topping single, which

It’s late March, and Elle Varner is on the tail end of her headlining Lucky Tour. The Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter has performed a wave of intimate shows at City Winery locations in the U.S. Varner was forced to reschedule our interview after losing her voice the night before. Experiencing vocal loss isn’t uncommon to Varner, who

Durand Bernarr reenacts Bobby Proud, the local entertainer of The Proud Family, in his debut appearance on NPR’s Tiny Desk series.  Supported by an all-male band, with backing vocalists styled as Proud Family characters, Bernarr delivers a phenomenal 22-minute set that delves into his discography from the beginning to now. Bernarr does a fantastic job

Just a week before Daniel Caesar releases his third album, Never Enough, the Grammy winner has debuted a new song titled “Valentina.” Caesar’s younger brother Zachary Simmonds co-produced the track with Dylan Wiggins. “I know it’s late / And I know you got a man / Please understand, baby, he won’t / Love you like

Mary J. Blige is hard on the chat show circuit to promote her new children’s book Mary Can! available now. The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul made her debut appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to discuss the making of her first picture book, as well as other topics, including her flourishing acting career. When

Jordan Hawkins has linked with Los Angeles-based artist Phabo for his new single “Timeless.” NAIVE, for which Hawkins is a part, produced the track. The song interpolates Donell Jones’ 1999 classic “U Know What’s Up,” lifted from his sophomore album Where I Wanna Be. On “Timeless,” the two R&B gents toy with the idea of

Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Chlöe has released her debut album, In Pieces, via Parkwood Entertainment/Columbia Records. The album has been in the works for many years, undergoing a title change and scrapping a streak of singles, including the platinum-selling “Have Mercy.” In a lengthy Instagram post, Chlöe shared the significance behind the album. “IN PIECES is for

Khalid has returned with “Softest Touch,” his first solo song release of the year. He co-wrote the track, while Vaughn Oliver, Nico Stadi and Blake Straus co-produced it. The plush artwork design for Khalid’s comeback track is less indicative of the seasons for which it’s intended to be heard. Actually, if Khalid’s “Softest Touch” indicates

Rising singer-songwriter Kenyon Dixon dawns a new era of R&B with his new single “Slow Dancing” featuring Kincy. On this mid-tempo groove, which would have popped up on airwaves in the late ’80s and early ’90s, Dixon keeps a tight grip on his partner on the dancefloor for what could be a good night for