R&B

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

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,