R&B

Jessica Nwokike, formerly of R&B duo VanJess, is now known as AMAKA. The new solo act has released her debut single “Cruisin.” The party-ready groove was produced by KAYTRANADA, who AMAKA has worked with before as part of VanJess (“Dysfunctional,” “Taste“).  AMAKA shared the inspiration behind “Cruisin” to Rated R&B. “‘Cruisin’ was the first song that

Alicia Keys is going back on the road again. The 15-time Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and producer has announced a Latin America leg of her massive Alicia + Keys World Tour. The tour, produced by Live Nation, begins in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, on May 3 and hits venues in territories such as Sao Paulo and

Jessica Nwokike, best known as one-half of the R&B duo VanJess, has rebranded herself as AMAKA. In light of the announcement, AMAKA announced her new single’s title and release date – the first under her new moniker. The song is called “Cruisin’,” out March 31. AMAKA wrote the forthcoming track, while Grammy-winning Kaytranada produced and

John Legend is entering the world of skincare. The EGOT winner has announced his gender-neutral skincare brand, Loved01 (pronounced “Loved One”), launches globally on Feb. 1. According to the Loved01 homepage, which is still under construction, the products are “crafted to moisturize, nourish and uplift melanin-rich skin.” Legend aligned himself with A-Frame Brands for Loved01,

The 2023 Lovers & Friends Festival lineup has been announced.  Presented by Usher, the one-day festival will feature performances by R&B acts, including Mariah Carey, Boyz II Men, Miguel, Jhené Aiko, Summer Walker, Bryson Tiller, PARTYNEXTDOOR and Usher, among others. Additional performers outside of R&B include Missy Elliott, Lil Kim, Christina Aguilera, Nelly, 50 Cent,

SZA’s reign just won’t let up. The Grammy-winning singer’s sophomore album, SOS, spends its fifth consecutive week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart this week.  SOS sold 125,000 equivalent units in the week ending Jan. 12, according to Billboard. The publication also reports SOS is the first album to spend five straight weeks at No.

Chris Brown is among the first class of artists to land an RIAA certification in 2023. His 2022 single “Call Me Every Day” featuring Wizkid has been certified gold after surpassing 500,000 equivalent units.  The Blaisebeatz and RoccStar-produced bop is the first song from Brown’s tenth album, Breezy, to achieve certification. Brown released “Call Me

August Alsina has collected his first RIAA of 2023. His 2014 track “Porn Star” has been certified gold by the RIAA after exceeding sales of more than 500,000 equivalent units. The steamy song, co-produced by DJ Spinz and The Exclusives, marks Alsina’s first song release as a lead artist to gain a certification since April

It’s a new era for RealestK. The emerging singer has returned with a new single, “Wish You Well,” produced by Dimi. Over a piano-driven production, the Columbia Records artist expresses deep heartache as he longs for an old partner. Even though he struggles to get over the woman who left him behind, he still sends

Singer and actor Trevor Jackson has shared a video for his song “This Won’t Go Viral.” The minimalistic video was co-directed by Jackson and his older brother Iyn Jay.  “This Won’t Go Viral” is lifted from Jackson’s debut album, The Love Language, released in 2021. Jackson explained the meaning behind “This Won’t Go Viral” in an interview with

The nominations for Best Original Song at the 80th Golden Globe Awards have been announced. Rihanna is among the nominees for “Lift Me Up,” an emotional ballad from the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack. It marks her first Golden Globe nomination. Rihanna co-wrote “Lift Me Up” with Tems, Ludwig Göransson and Black Panther director Ryan

Ari Lennox has announced the opening acts for her headlining age/sex/location Tour. The Washington, D.C., native will be joined by Alex Vaughn and Jai’Len Josey for the trek.  “Excited to bring these sangin angels on tour with me @jailenjosey and @alexvaughn. See y’all soon,” Lennox wrote in an Instagram caption, with a flyer that consists

Grammy-nominated artist Masego has announced his headlining You Never Visit Me Tour.  The North American tour begins March 12, 2023, in Santa Ana, California, at The Observatory. From there, Masego will visit major cities, including Seattle, Minneapolis, Cleveland, New York, Atlanta, Miami and Houston, before he concludes on April 27, 2023, in Los Angeles, California,

Ciara recently sat down with Zane Lowe of Apple Music for a conversation about her new Summer Walker-assisted single “Better Thangs” and what it felt to collaborate again. The two previously joined forces for Walker’s 2021 album, Still Over It, on which Ciara featured on the outro, fittingly titled “Ciara’s Prayer.” “Summer’s special. Summer’s voice

John Legend has released the official for “Wonder Woman” from his new album, LEGEND, out now. The aesthetically pleasing visual, directed by Nabil Elderki, was filmed in the Tuscan region of Italy. (Elderki also directed the video for Legend’s diamond-selling single “All of Me.”) The video finds Legend admiring his wife Chrissy Teigen, who is

The Isley Brothers have announced their new album, Make Me Say It Again, Girl, will release on Sept. 23. The album is titled after their “Make Me Say It Again, Girl” remake featuring Beyoncé. The original song appeared on the legendary R&B group’s platinum-selling album, The Heat Is On, which released in 1975. The album peaked

R&B vocalist Jesse Powell has died, according to a statement released by his family. The Gary, Indiana, native was reportedly 51. Powell’s sister Tamara Powell, who is also a singer, shared the statement in an Instagram post. “It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our beloved son, brother and uncle

Nominees for the 2022 BET Hip Hop Awards have been revealed. R&B superstars Alicia Keys and Usher are among this year’s nominees, which also include Ms. Lauryn Hill, Teyana Taylor and Kaytranada. Hosted by Fat Joe, the 2022 BET Hip Hop Awards will air Tuesday, Oct. 4, at 9 p.m. ET on BET. Usher has

Brent Faiyaz has unleased the video for “Loose Change,” the second track on his sophomore album, Wasteland.  Lone Wolf and Mark Peaced directed the black-and-white video. In the cinematic visual, Faiyaz plays a public figure who takes his love interest (portrayed by Olympic rhythmic gymnast Nastasya Generalova) to see a ballet. While watching the show,

Muni Long (formerly known as Priscilla Renea) has announced her debut LP, Public Displays of Affection: The Album. The platinum-selling singer and songwriter confirmed the news on Instagram on Monday (Sept. 12) afternoon. The album is set to release Sept. 23 via her imprint Supergiant Records in partnership with Def Jam Recordings. The record compiles