R&B

Brandy is responsible for one of the most pivotal albums in music history. Resurfacing nearly four years after her sophomore LP, Never Say Never, Brandy strengthened her hold as a stylistic template with Full Moon, a pioneering masterpiece, celebrating 20 years this March. Working to refine and expand her brand of contemporary R&B music, she paired

The 64th Grammy Awards have been postponed due to concerns about the recent surge in COVID-19 cases. A new date hasn’t been announced yet. The Recording Academy issued a statement about its decision to reschedule the ceremony, which was originally set to air on Monday, Jan. 31. “After careful consideration and analysis with city and

Otis Kane is one of many artists to participate in SoundCloud’s inaugural narrative film, The Day Ones.  The Los Angeles native’s contribution included performances of songs from his debut album Purple Blue, which released in June 2021. Kane offered live renditions of “Lost” and “Sweet Sensation,” both early tracks.  Released before year-end, The Day Ones, produced as part of The First SoundCloud,

August Alsina has ended his music sabbatical with a remix of Muni Long‘s current viral single “Hrs and Hrs.”  Everything about this slow and steamy track stays intact until Alsina adds a new verse, insisting that he gains supernatural abilities from his boo’s love box.  “I wish the day was more than 24 hours /

The Weeknd’s fifth studio album, Dawn FM, will release this Friday, Jan. 7. The R&B-pop superstar announced the news on Monday morning. His announcement was accompanied by a one-minute trailer, which provided more details about the highly anticipated project. The album is described as “a new sonic universe from the mind of The Weeknd.” It will

Chris Brown is gearing up to launch his new era of music. To celebrate the new year, the Grammy-winning singer announced that his new single “iFFY” will release on January 14. Brown shared a cinematic trailer for what appears to be the official music video. “BREEZY SEASON COMING! 2022 🎥 NEW ERA UNLOCKED. PRESAVE LINK

Alicia Keys has unveiled the cover for her upcoming young adult graphic novel, Girl on Fire, which is named after the title track of her fifth studio album. The book will release on March 1.  The coming-of-age novel, co-written by Andrew Weiner and illustrated by Brittney Williams, follows a young girl named Lolo Wright who discovers telekinetic powers.

An extended trailer for Janet Jackson’s highly anticipated documentary, JANET, has been released. Part one of the two-hour special event will air on Friday, Jan. 28, at 8 p.m. EST on Lifetime and A&E. The three-minute clip opens with several high-profile entertainers, such as Ciara, Mariah Carey, Regina King and Samuel L. Jackson, praising Jackson and

H.E.R. has achieved the first number-one single of 2022 on the Billboard Adult R&B Airplay chart, as her Chris Brown-assisted track “Come Through” moves from 3-1. The newest addition to her list of leaders on this airplay-driven chart becomes the Oscar and Grammy winner’s fifth for collaboration and seventh overall.  H.E.R. topped the Adult R&B

Alicia Keys is on a roll promoting her latest album, KEYS, which she spoke candidly about with Rated R&B.  As a bonus to fans enjoying the new release, the multi-awarded musician tells more of the story behind it with a 13-minute featurette titled KEYS: A Short Film. It is divided into three chapters, one of

Leela James has unlocked a music video for the title track to her most recent album, See Me.   The simple yet delightful video, directed by Eric Daniels and Matthew Houck, follows James around a spacious warehouse where it’s just her and her emotions flowing freely.   The visual for “See Me” is the latest of several from

Lucky Daye has shared an extended live version of his duet “How Much Can A Heart Take” featuring Yebba. The live take is lifted from his May late-night stop at Jimmy Kimmel Live!.  “One of my favorite moments of this year,” wrote Daye in a caption directing fans to check out the longer performance.  Last

This year’s R&B darling Jazmine Sullivan hints at a sequel to 2021’s Heaux Tales with a new snippet.  The teaser, recorded near a studio mixing console, was shared Wednesday, Dec. 22, on her official Instagram with the video text alluding to a tale dedicated to Sullivan.  “I just didn’t want to be alone,” Sullivan said

At the 2022 Oscars, the Best Original Song nominations could include works from the three R&B divas: Beyoncé, H.E.R. and Jennifer Hudson. On Tuesday, it was revealed that each woman and their film-dedicated music made the 15-song shortlist for this category.  [embedded content] Already a winner of this prestigious award, H.E.R. may be one step

Jacquees knows how to capitalize off harsh public opinion. After getting the internet talking following his rendition of the national anthem at a LA Clippers vs. Los Angeles Lakers game, the multi-platinum artist calls on 2 Chainz for his new song “Land of the Free.”  Produced by iMarkkeyz, it begins with a snippet of his

Alicia Keys has unveiled the video for her Khalid and Lucky Daye-assisted jam “Come For Me (Unlocked).” The visual shows footage of Alicia, Khalid and Lucky vibing out to the song in the studio as it’s being recorded. In between cuts, Keys rocks a couple of different looks for beautiful solo shots.  “Come For Me

Mary J. Blige’s video for “Amazing” featuring DJ Khaled is a family affair. Filmed at a luxury Miami Beach estate, the Eif Rivera-directed video gathers some of Blige’s closest industry friends, such as Angie Martinez, Misa Hylton, and LOVE aka Diddy, to raise their glasses and have a good time.  Blige and DJ Khaled enjoy

Mariah Carey‘s holiday staple “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has nosed out Adele’s massive single “Easy On Me” to become the number one single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart this week.  It marks the third consecutive holiday season that the undisputed Queen of Christmas has topped this list with her evergreen success,

Maeta has shared a moody remake of Don Toliver’s current focus single, “Swangin’ On Westheimer.”  The emerging singer doesn’t shy away from the nocturnal vibe of the original, blurring the vocal lines between alluring and hazy.  “Don’t leave the house, baby / You gotta swing my way, but don’t believe the hype, babe / I’m always

As 2021 comes to an end, reflection on the year of music is a must, particularly related to the enormous amounts of R&B albums released.  Certainly, it can’t be denied that it has been a historic year for many of the genre’s most talented and prestigious artists, not just in chart numbers and records but