R&B

Janelle Monáe is hitting the road later this summer. The Grammy-nominated singer has announced the North American dates for her Age of Pleasure Tour. The 26-city tour kicks off Aug. 30 in Seattle, Washington, at WAMU Theater. From there, Monáe will make stops in Vancouver, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Nashville, Atlanta and more. The

Coco Jones continues to make strides in her blossoming music career. The rising singer has achieved her first award from the Recording Industry Association (RIAA) for her current single “ICU.”  The Camper-produced hit has been certified gold by the RIAA for selling more than 500,000 equivalent units.  Jones’ new RIAA certification comes a week after

Tamar Braxton has achieved another top 10 hit on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart. Her new single “Changed” moves to No. 9 this week, tallying Braxton’s eighth top 10 single on this chart. Braxton went to Instagram to celebrate her latest hit. “Glory be to God. He’s the champ of champions. THE BEST DADDY EVER!!

After touring her sophomore album, age/sex/location, around the world, Ari Lennox is making time for the studio again. Powerhouse songwriter and producer Jermaine Dupri is among the studio associates Lennox has been seen with earlier this week. “Excited to be back in the studio with @arilennox tonight,” Dupri wrote in a caption for a photo

R&B vocalist Luke James is expecting his first child with Sunny Lewis. It has been announced that they will be having a baby boy. Lewis made an Instagram post to announce that the baby shower was perfect. She expressed gratitude to all family and friends who took the time to celebrate the baby with them.

Jhené Aiko has earned a new award from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Her 2014 track “Lyin King,” produced by Fisticuffs, has been certified gold for selling more than 500,000 equivalent units.  It marks Aiko’s fifth RIAA award this year. She previously gained certifications for “Above and Beyond” (gold), “None of Your Concern”

Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye is back at the top of the urban radio chart for the first time in eight years. “Creepin’,” his collaboration with Metro Boomin and 21 Savage has reached No. 1.  The Weeknd previously hit No. 1 with his 2015 hit “Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey).” The Grammy-winning song appeared on

R&B legend Alicia Keys has regained a position of power on R&B radio. Her track “Come For Me” featuring Khalid and Lucky Daye is now No. 1 on the format, displacing Ledisi’s “I Need to Know” after a week in the lead. “Come For Me” gives Keys her second chart-topper at R&B radio this year,

John Legend has achieved a new milestone on Spotify. His 2013 hit “All of Me” has surpassed two billion streams on the platform. “I played ‘All Of Me’ for Chrissy at our wedding almost 10 years ago, and since then, so many of you have celebrated your special moments with it too,” Legend wrote in

After touring her sophomore album, age/sex/location, around the world, Ari Lennox is making time for the studio again. Powerhouse songwriter and producer Jermaine Dupri is among the studio associates Lennox has been seen with earlier this week. “Excited to be back in the studio with @arilennox tonight,” Dupri wrote in a caption for a photo

Atlanta-based singer and songwriter Saint Smith has released his debut album, Yours, Saintly. The 11-track effort was led by “Round and Round,” released in April 2021. Produced by Jay Abe, Smith described it as a “coming of age” record in a statement to Rated R&B. “I’ve been making music for some time and I feel

Grammy-winning producer has released a new track titled “Whatever You Say” to celebrate his 33rd birthday (May 25). On the libidinous slow jam, Camper writes toward R&B stereotypes, describing a disrobing scene with a sweetie who’s got his nose open wide. Elsewhere, Camper shows vulnerability, as evidenced in the line: “Baby don’t play with my

Podcaster Rory has released his debut album, I Thought It’d Be Different, via Avant Garden, I Thought It’d Be Different is an exceptional 13-track project that showcases the remarkable talents of Rory and some of the most renowned R&B and hip-hop artists in the industry. In July 2022, Rory began working on his first album by

Khamari doesn’t like to force anything that doesn’t come naturally. The bio section of his Spotify page is a testament to this. “Been staring at this shit for 30 min,” it reads. He may come back and update it one day, but that’s what we get for now. It’s a similar approach that the singer,

Ruben Studdard is back. The seasoned vocalist and American Idol winner has released “The Way I Remember It,” his first single in nine years. In this sweet, piano-backed ballad, Studdard thinks back in time and searches his heart to brood over his first encounter with his forever lady. Most of his inspiration for “The Way

Jade Novah has named it and claimed it on her new single “Like That.” The core of “Like That” is blissful and merely hints at what Novah has seen in her union with her husband, Devin Johnson, who co-wrote and produced the twinkling and candy-coated track. Novah confidently states that she has found someone who

After months of anticipation, singer Kevin Ross has finally released Midnight Microdose, Vol. 1, through Art Society Music Group/EMPIRE. The project is the first installment of a three-part series that will be released throughout the year. Midnight Microdose, Vol. 1 boasts two singles: “Show & Prove” and “Look My Way.” The latter is currently making

Tone Stith has set a new release date for his upcoming single, “Girls Like You.” It will now release June 23 via RCA Records. In a recent interview with Rated R&B, Stith exclusively told Rated R&B that “Girls Like You” would arrive May 19.  “It’s my point of view on my first heartbreak,” Sith explained

Slim of the R&B group 112 is back with a new solo single, “Gotta Have Faith,” featuring Faith Evans and Eric Bellinger. Over a production that includes a sample chop of Evans’ classic “Come Over,” Slim encourages his lover to trust they will heal their strained relationship. “Gotta have faith / If you really want

BET+ has unveiled its Black Music Month programming for next month. The streaming service ordered a six-episode reboot of Donnie Simpson’s Video Soul, which will debut June 1. Each new episode is 30 minutes.  Donnie Simpson’s Video Soul will keep its original intent intact, bringing on various artists and entertainers to amplify their latest ventures.