R&B

THEY. are back. The R&B duo, composed of singer/songwriter Drew Love and producer Dante Jones, has released their third album, Nü Moon. It’s the follow-up to its 2020 sophomore LP, The Amanda Tape. The Nü Moon campaign started last spring with “Blü Moon,” a song designed to remind fans of the early 2000s R&B. Three

How often have you not been serious about finding love, and suddenly, like a random guest, it comes knocking at your doorstep? Singer Arin Ray gets swept off his feet on “For Granted,” the latest song from Dinner Party, on which he is featured. With valuable support from the supergroup, composed of Robert Glasper, Kamasi

Don’t call Stephanie Mills an underdog. “I’ve had a fabulous life and fabulous career,” the legendary singer confidently tells Rated R&B. “It’s just that I’ve never had someone to display my accomplishments the way others have. My career has always been very grassroots.” Mills has achieved considerable success since the age of nine when she

Jhené Aiko has returned with another feel-good track, “Calm & Patient.” The song is filled with positive affirmations over a glistening production that incorporates sound bowls played by Aiko. The mellow instrumentation also features a bass (Robert “Bubby” Lewis), as well as a flute and saxophone both played by David Otis. “And I know whatever

Mahalia makes one thing abundantly clear in her new song: Her love comes with “Terms and Conditions.” The new tune, produced by The Elements, was co-written by RAYE, who also contributed background vocals. On “Terms and Conditions,” Mahalia outlines her expectations from a future love interest. It isn’t stuffed with a bunch of legalese that

Blue Note will bring its Blue Note Jazz Festival Napa, to California, for its second year this summer. The three-day affair takes place July 28 through July 30 at Silverado Resort in Napa, California. This year’s lineup includes Queen of Hip-Hop Soul Mary J. Blige at the top of the bill, along with rap acts

Maxwell is returning to Las Vegas, Nevada, for a new summer residency, dubbed NIGHT, The Trilogy Show. The R&B icon will play a three-night residency at Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas. The shows take place on Aug. 9, Aug. 11 and Aug. 12. Presale tickets for NIGHT, The Trilogy Show go on sale Wednesday,

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