Rolling R&B Thread 2018

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Enjoying this: https://soundcloud.com/sydnyaugust/sets/6th-floor

Listen to my homeboy Fantano (D-40), Wednesday, 3 January 2018 10:48 (six years ago) link

Jorja Smith crushes this ballad

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWXHkYMZ4LQ

Evan R, Friday, 12 January 2018 15:20 (six years ago) link

I like the Justine Skye album. Nice vibe.

human and working on getting beer (longneck), Sunday, 21 January 2018 21:16 (six years ago) link

The Chris Dave and the Drumhedz record has a lot of sweet tracks on it. The Bilal/Tweet duet! The Stokley track!

maura, Friday, 26 January 2018 14:52 (six years ago) link

^^^ this record is very enjoyable

flamenco drop (BradNelson), Friday, 26 January 2018 18:30 (six years ago) link

just in case anyone is unfamiliar chris dave is responsible for the drumming on meshell ndegeocello's comfort woman and maxwell's BLACKsummers'night so i basically think he's the best drummer in the world

flamenco drop (BradNelson), Friday, 26 January 2018 18:33 (six years ago) link

Did anyone try the young millennial SoundCloud Kylie dean I posted upthread

Listen to my homeboy Fantano (D-40), Friday, 26 January 2018 18:34 (six years ago) link

i'm checking it out now. "young millennial soundcloud kiley dean" is... exactly right? i like it

flamenco drop (BradNelson), Friday, 26 January 2018 18:37 (six years ago) link

"house in the hills" bangs a lot

flamenco drop (BradNelson), Friday, 26 January 2018 18:47 (six years ago) link

http://pbs.twimg.com/media/DUxTU7HVoAAWXqC?format=jpg

essence fest lineup

maura, Tuesday, 30 January 2018 19:52 (six years ago) link

(it’s good)

maura, Tuesday, 30 January 2018 19:54 (six years ago) link

every time i look at that lineup i immediately black out

flamenco drop (BradNelson), Tuesday, 30 January 2018 19:59 (six years ago) link

dang

Chocolate-covered gummy bears? Not ruling those lil' guys out. (ulysses), Tuesday, 30 January 2018 20:05 (six years ago) link

wow

husked, tonal wails (irrational), Tuesday, 30 January 2018 20:06 (six years ago) link

it doesn't seem real

J0rdan S., Tuesday, 30 January 2018 20:22 (six years ago) link

is this where we discuss the SiR album? cause it's nice

hoooyaaargh it's me satan (voodoo chili), Thursday, 1 February 2018 18:37 (six years ago) link

Essence Fest lineups have always been great.

self-clowning oven (Murgatroid), Thursday, 1 February 2018 18:39 (six years ago) link

i like the SiR album

Listen to my homeboy Fantano (D-40), Thursday, 1 February 2018 20:00 (six years ago) link

The sample's gonna put a lot of people off, but the new Ne-Yo song is so wonderful and light on its toes. I really wanna believe he has another great album in him

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6cTkE_dchY

Evan R, Thursday, 8 February 2018 17:33 (six years ago) link

rayvn lenae (featured on noname's telefone tape) has a new EP with production assistance from steve lacy and it's v nice https://open.spotify.com/album/7jxrYnrAa06rekcs1cxp7i

monotony, Friday, 9 February 2018 05:53 (six years ago) link

that's ravyn*, rather than rayvn, my apologies

monotony, Friday, 9 February 2018 06:01 (six years ago) link

I nominated "Sticky" for the 2017 poll, and I'll probably nominate it again in 2018 since it will be re-eligible. :)

Johnny Fever, Friday, 9 February 2018 13:09 (six years ago) link

Also, it's got a video now

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keYOX0Fp_BQ

Johnny Fever, Friday, 9 February 2018 13:10 (six years ago) link

Lost a lot of time thinking about this lately, but what was the last significant hit slow jam? I'm trying to think of the last one that got regular airplay on rap/R&B stations, not just adult R&B stations. ("Redbone" doesn't count.)

Evan R, Tuesday, 13 February 2018 15:34 (six years ago) link

Does "Permission" count?

hoooyaaargh it's me satan (voodoo chili), Tuesday, 13 February 2018 15:35 (six years ago) link

I dunno tbh; I totally forgot about it. I guess there were those Bryson Tiller songs, too, if those count, and "Slow Motion" was around for a while. But all that just seems like background noise compared to, like, when "Miss Independent" was everywhere

Evan R, Tuesday, 13 February 2018 15:40 (six years ago) link

heard b.e.d. remix a lot later last yr idk if that counts

johnny crunch, Tuesday, 13 February 2018 15:47 (six years ago) link

"Miss Independent" was on pop radio here last night. Made everything around it sound even more lifeless.

maura, Tuesday, 13 February 2018 15:49 (six years ago) link

But I think "Get You" counts? The kids love Daniel Caesar.

maura, Tuesday, 13 February 2018 15:50 (six years ago) link

oh man "Get You" is so great. Not sure how much airplay it gets though. Wikipedia says it only peaked at 43 on the hip-hop/R&B chart, but that could be wrong

Evan R, Tuesday, 13 February 2018 15:54 (six years ago) link

I guess I'm trying to figure out if there's been a format shift that's restricting airplay for this kind of R&B, of if the public just sort of gradually lost interest in it.

It's funny, the '90s R&B is so lionized right now, but looking back the Ne-Yo/Mario/Lloyd/Omarion/etc. boom of the '00s that lots of people took for granted at the time really feels special

Evan R, Tuesday, 13 February 2018 15:56 (six years ago) link

crew?

J0rdan S., Tuesday, 13 February 2018 16:15 (six years ago) link

i guess that's not slow jam in the way you mean it... party next door "come & see me" got a lot of radio play

J0rdan S., Tuesday, 13 February 2018 16:17 (six years ago) link

oh yeah "come & see me" was everywhere. His performance on that is so noncommital it sometimes barely scans as an R&B song to me, but I guess it's pretty representative of where the genre's commercial energy is right now. It'll probably be remembered as an era-defining song, as weird as that is to think about

Evan R, Tuesday, 13 February 2018 16:26 (six years ago) link

curious to see what Daniel Caesar does this year. He's consciously not signed with a label. His last album was a quantum leap ahead from his prior one. I got high hopes.

Chocolate-covered gummy bears? Not ruling those lil' guys out. (ulysses), Tuesday, 13 February 2018 18:09 (six years ago) link

that Vulture article is bittersweet. Glad this music is still finding an audience through streaming but that arrangement takes away the shared experience of hearing it on the radio. Would be great if you didn't have to be Donald Glover to get airplay

Evan R, Tuesday, 13 February 2018 18:32 (six years ago) link

i wish this station would sprinkle in some more new stuff

https://977rnb.iheart.com/music/recently-played/

maura, Tuesday, 13 February 2018 19:01 (six years ago) link

one of the things I love about adult R&B stations is how expansive their playlists are. They seem to draw from a deeper, more diverse pool than like classic rock stations do. But it would be nice if they threw in more contemporary stuff. They seem to limit their rotation to just a few modern songs are any given time (and lately one of them is always Bruno Mars)

Evan R, Tuesday, 13 February 2018 19:19 (six years ago) link

(another is usually Charlie Wilson... man that guys does numbers)

Evan R, Tuesday, 13 February 2018 19:22 (six years ago) link

part of it's in how one defines slow jam, no? like, there's no shortage of subdued, sung, downtempo tracks on urban radio, both mainstream and adult. but no one's gonna call, say, "white iverson" a slow jam b/c i guess its sound is meant to be read as more vibey, not so much sensual or heartfelt. at the same time, though, i would never have described "miss independent" as a slow jam, especially back then when actual slow jams could still be hits with decent regularity (i.e. "like you'll never see me again", "lost without u" or "suffocate").

a couple recent-ish rap hits with a sentiment that i'd call almost-right for slow jam territory are k camp's "comfortable" and kendrick lamar's "love." (the former perhaps if slowed down slightly + given a more relaxed delivery on the verses). but there's something about the image element of rap that leads people to avoid categorizing any rappers' songs as 'slow jam'-like, or even as r&b, even if some individual cuts do fit basically all of the sonic and thematic benchmarks (i.e. singing, romantic sentiment, relaxed arrangement).

i guess what i'm trying to say is that the aesthetic hasn't been entirely scrubbed away, but when it does appear it's less often used by artists that can be comfortably slotted into the r&b, rap being as dominant as it is now.

dyl, Wednesday, 14 February 2018 00:03 (six years ago) link

as far as recent hits that do fit the traditional molds, i'd also offer, yes, "permission" and "slow motion", but also tory lanez's "say it" and khalid's "location".

"location" in particular is a bit odd in that it broke at mainstream urban radio and eventually crossed to the adult stations -- i've heard it a downright shocking number of times on my local station's quiet storm segment, and no, it doesn't sound out of place. even more surprising to see cross in that direction was sza's "love galore". (i imagine "the weekend" could make the same moves too, but adult r&b radio, like most adult-targetted formats, is slow to pick up on new material.) just those two, which are both very contemporary-sounding, happening in such quick succession, along with "get you" and now "finesse", leads me to think that there will be more overlap between the adult and mainstream contingents in the near future (whereas for the previous 2-3 years, overlap was quite meager). so who knows, maybe that might provide more room for the sound to thrive? it's hard to say really what the effect would be.

if the format landscape of the 90s were still in place today, i imagine a track like "before i do" would have been such an easy sell at mainstream (white) adult contemporary stations. (reminder: toni braxton was once one of the top artists at mainstream ac!) but alas the gulf between white and black adult stations is now basically historically wide. (it doesn't help that white ac stations now rarely break new material -- most of the format's currents are proven pop hits that broke ages ago (like, "slow hands" is *just now* starting to get heavy play there). so if your song has no shot at crossing to pop, tough, mainstream adult radio has no use for you either.)

dyl, Wednesday, 14 February 2018 00:25 (six years ago) link

"get you", by the way, is climbing the mainstream airplay chart pretty impressively for a song with its sound. i hear it on my local mainstream urban station and apparently it's top 30 on mediabase's chart for that format (i don't know where it is on billboard's because that's a subscriber-only chart). tank's "when we", like "get you", is a former adult r&b #1 hit that is also trying to make its way up the mainstream airplay chart now, but is lagging a bit currently (maybe tank isn't cool enough, even if he looks great without a shirt on -- altho a remix that i think is forthcoming might help). i'd also keep an ear out for h.e.r.'s "focus" (originally released in 2016), which is even higher on the mainstream chart than "get you" and has had no adult-side support yet to my knowledge.

dyl, Wednesday, 14 February 2018 00:36 (six years ago) link

completely blown away by this Jean Deaux track

https://soundcloud.com/thatsjeandeaux/due-to-me-produced-by-lanre

Evan R, Thursday, 15 February 2018 19:32 (six years ago) link

toni's album will be coming march 23rd apparently

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccQJq3gGt4o

dyl, Thursday, 15 February 2018 23:45 (six years ago) link

Lanre is a super dope producer! xp

Listen to my homeboy Fantano (D-40), Thursday, 15 February 2018 23:46 (six years ago) link

Only heard one other Jean Deaux track ("Wikipedia") but it blew me away, too. Chicago has something real special going on right now

Evan R, Thursday, 15 February 2018 23:52 (six years ago) link

That new Toni song is really nice. Looking forward to her new record.

Dangleballs and the Ballerina (cryptosicko), Friday, 16 February 2018 15:23 (six years ago) link

https://soundcloud.com/ghostly/starchild-the-new-romantic-language

title track from the smokin debut album by starchild & the new romantic (aka solange collaborator bryndon cook). out friday. from the press release:
"Sonically and spiritually, Cook finds guidance in grand standards: looking up to producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, studying their contributions to the New Jack Swing era and pop music at large. Touchstone statements like Janet Jackson's Control, Michael Jackson's Bad, and Prince's 1999. Singular breakout LPs from Terence Trent D'Arby and Bobby Brown. The honesty of Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska and Carole King's Tapestry; the ingenuity of Laurie Anderson. Cook also reflects on recent years with Solange, as part of her touring band, and collaborations with Dev Hynes aka Blood Orange, as reminders of artistic individuality. 'Being around them now urges me to find my own way of delivering my own messages.'"

maura, Monday, 19 February 2018 14:43 (six years ago) link

two weeks pass...

Nothing new, but I enjoyed Jose James doing a Bill Withers tribute at the Kennedy Center recently

curmudgeon, Tuesday, 6 March 2018 21:34 (six years ago) link

http://www.vulture.com/2018/03/how-a-veteran-r-and-b-singer-made-the-biggest-hit-of-his-career.html

42 year old Tank’s “When We” is getting support beyond adult r’n’b radio. His marketing folks are schooling his core listeners on streaming , he’s got a remix, and he’s got hip hop friendly beats.

It’s not bad.

curmudgeon, Wednesday, 7 March 2018 17:23 (six years ago) link

that's pretty cool. i dont like that song, well the hook anyway.

'hope this makes you love me' is one of my fav r&b songs in the last 5 years tho.

they call me melo gelo (Spottie), Wednesday, 7 March 2018 17:44 (six years ago) link

i like the song and was surprised when i first heard it that they weren't gonna try to cross it over immediately. but i guess these things take time and adult r&b tends not to be a big launching ground for crossover, save your very occasional "all of me"s

the remix they made for the mainstream urban format is rly bad tho

dyl, Wednesday, 7 March 2018 23:38 (six years ago) link

really fascinating how they put real effort into educating his audience on streaming services tho!!

(also i totally missed this article that was linked within, pretty neat: https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/8054003/hip-hop-rb-pop-radio-songs-crossover )

dyl, Wednesday, 7 March 2018 23:47 (six years ago) link

Standout track from the new Jeremih EP

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBt9Vbv5-Dw

Evan R, Friday, 9 March 2018 17:00 (six years ago) link

yeah i really like that new Toni track btw! (bunch of xposts)

surm, Friday, 9 March 2018 17:04 (six years ago) link

chloe x halle's new record is very good. i love their dreaminess and how it extends to the way they put their albums together

new ro james ep out today too

maura, Friday, 23 March 2018 13:27 (six years ago) link

oh god the toni record is exquisite

flamenco drop (BradNelson), Friday, 23 March 2018 15:52 (six years ago) link

goddamn the chloe x halle is wonderful too. what a stacked day for r&b

flamenco drop (BradNelson), Friday, 23 March 2018 16:24 (six years ago) link

oh nice gonna go in on these recs. pumped especially for the Toni record.

they call me melo gelo (Spottie), Friday, 23 March 2018 18:11 (six years ago) link

toni album hasn't really grabbed me for the most part but it could with time. i love "long as i live" tho. def worth a listen if you liked her last one. (don't worry the colbie caillat feature doesn't involve caillat actually singing lol.)

jeremih and chloe x halle! goodness there's a lot to get to

dyl, Saturday, 24 March 2018 00:54 (six years ago) link

Liked the Toni album on first listen. Finished strongly. Feels like a companion to love marriage and divorce.

they call me melo gelo (Spottie), Saturday, 24 March 2018 01:14 (six years ago) link

haven't heard the Toni yet but "Long As I Live" feels like a classic to me already, the melody in the way she sings the final "over" in the chorus is so gorgeous

boxedjoy, Saturday, 24 March 2018 09:07 (six years ago) link

omg totally putting this on tonight!

surm, Tuesday, 27 March 2018 18:49 (six years ago) link

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pf8x4MA_i9U

luke james’ latest star track

maura, Monday, 2 April 2018 19:40 (six years ago) link

ah it’s a cover of a donell james song from 1999

maura, Monday, 2 April 2018 20:45 (six years ago) link

i like that

dyl, Monday, 2 April 2018 20:47 (six years ago) link

he’s so good

maura, Monday, 2 April 2018 21:43 (six years ago) link

plz contribute to my doja cat thread thnx

thraed of DOJA CAT

Listen to my homeboy Fantano (D-40), Tuesday, 3 April 2018 08:57 (six years ago) link

think this is my fav one off the new Tink
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzTrdrbt30A

they call me melo gelo (Spottie), Thursday, 5 April 2018 21:27 (six years ago) link

haven't heard the Toni yet but "Long As I Live" feels like a classic to me already, the melody in the way she sings the final "over" in the chorus is so gorgeous

― boxedjoy, Saturday, March 24, 2018 2:07 AM (one week ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

otm. whole vibe is very step in the name of love like. there's a video for it too
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjW7WzozgI0

they call me melo gelo (Spottie), Thursday, 5 April 2018 23:28 (six years ago) link

also sounds like Rock the Boat

they call me melo gelo (Spottie), Thursday, 5 April 2018 23:30 (six years ago) link

oshun's record is out!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/bittersweet-vol-1/1360347816

this is one of two albums today featuring jorja smith (the other is the kali uchis)

maura, Friday, 6 April 2018 16:37 (six years ago) link

New Gallant song with nice falsetto

curmudgeon, Saturday, 7 April 2018 12:46 (six years ago) link

oshun record is v old school and modern at the same time and i dig it

flamenco drop (BradNelson), Monday, 9 April 2018 15:46 (six years ago) link

"long as i live" early contender for song of the year for me

flamenco drop (BradNelson), Monday, 9 April 2018 15:47 (six years ago) link

^^ talkin' toni not oshun, sorry, love to post two unrelated thoughts in short succession

flamenco drop (BradNelson), Monday, 9 April 2018 15:47 (six years ago) link

oh i like the new gallant single, v hypnotic and sensual

dyl, Tuesday, 10 April 2018 00:21 (six years ago) link

That Tink EP is, like her career, pretty disappointing. Songwriting is really flimsy. But she wrings some solid vocal performances out of them nonetheless. There are a few tracks where her voice is almost Lloyd-esque, all textured and feathery. Hope she finds a way to make good on her talent one day.

Evan R, Tuesday, 10 April 2018 14:39 (six years ago) link

i mean winter's diary 4 exists

flamenco drop (BradNelson), Tuesday, 10 April 2018 14:44 (six years ago) link

i seem to be the only person who thinks the albarn track on the kali uchis record is trash but the rest of it is v v good

flamenco drop (BradNelson), Wednesday, 11 April 2018 17:44 (six years ago) link

oh whoops she has her own thread

flamenco drop (BradNelson), Wednesday, 11 April 2018 17:51 (six years ago) link

p4k review sez littlebabyangel GADA was only released via mailing list -- anyone know where how to hear this

johnny crunch, Thursday, 19 April 2018 15:34 (six years ago) link

^

sean gramophone, Thursday, 19 April 2018 16:47 (six years ago) link

really like this khalid/ty dolla/6lack song. it was written by dvsn & nineteen85 and it really shows (i'm a fan obviously)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjf-h6NMj7U

J0rdan S., Saturday, 21 April 2018 04:36 (six years ago) link

i do think it's interesting to hear khalid bend back to R&B after his post-"location" output shot him into a different space entirely. & the hook is really strong

J0rdan S., Saturday, 21 April 2018 04:38 (six years ago) link

Yeah, I’m no fan of Khalil but I like that one too.

human and working on getting beer (longneck), Saturday, 21 April 2018 07:57 (six years ago) link

it's really nice! the production is spacy with a gentle bounce that works surprisingly well w/ his voice

not surprised but a little disappointed that khalid's obviously concerted effort to cross over to the mainstream pop sphere had a pretty muted payoff. i didn't really like much of his pop-oriented material ("silence" excepted -- also the only marshmello track i've liked), but overall i believe in him musically and as a personality. maybe it'll happen for him eventually. but in the meantime i don't mind if he pivots back to the r&b side of things for a bit, esp if it gives rise to tracks like "otw".

dyl, Saturday, 21 April 2018 19:25 (six years ago) link

wait dvsn has nothing to do w/ this song haha. nineteen85 is an established genius anyway

J0rdan S., Saturday, 21 April 2018 21:42 (six years ago) link

^^ found the littlebabyangel download on their website

Luxaporn (omennere), Tuesday, 24 April 2018 18:58 (five years ago) link

yo nice

johnny crunch, Tuesday, 24 April 2018 20:28 (five years ago) link

new internet song is nice as hell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIqvRzEIqIo

flamenco drop (BradNelson), Friday, 27 April 2018 15:12 (five years ago) link

what a bass line

nxd, Friday, 27 April 2018 15:29 (five years ago) link

Agreed on both counts.

Johnny Fever, Saturday, 28 April 2018 00:29 (five years ago) link

new tamia! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PgPyXtGn9w

monotony, Saturday, 28 April 2018 00:53 (five years ago) link

^ it's no "stuck with me" but it could grow on me

this song that has been out for ages but which only recently started zooming up your local station's playlist now has a video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YNZlXfW6Ho

it's got a catchy tune and is pleasantly sung but for me it's also missing a certain je ne sais quoi to reallynevoke the sort of feeling that the song's about

dyl, Saturday, 28 April 2018 04:34 (five years ago) link

* really evoke obv

dyl, Saturday, 28 April 2018 04:34 (five years ago) link

i can’t find this new raheem devaughn song on youtube but it’s v good

https://open.spotify.com/track/6gx8YAvoqFT93HRwMqBOM5?si=iU5IelnKS76ktsivX_RYZA

Also this week on STAR luke james covered “dance with my father”

maura, Friday, 4 May 2018 05:39 (five years ago) link

just caught saint jhn live, pretty fun show, the hot model dj twins were kind of corny schtick but

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUcrA3nRcPE

Listen to my homeboy Fantano (D-40), Friday, 4 May 2018 08:04 (five years ago) link

Don't know why I assumed he'd be terrible live.

tsrobodo, Saturday, 5 May 2018 22:51 (five years ago) link

I'm not as dazzled by Jorja Smith's Amy Winehouse inflected r'n''b vocals as many. She's ok, good even, but I read so much hype in advance of her DC gig last night that I thought I would be blown away. I didn't go, just listened to her online.

curmudgeon, Monday, 14 May 2018 15:25 (five years ago) link

shes totally not good lol

Listen to my homeboy Fantano (D-40), Tuesday, 15 May 2018 19:37 (five years ago) link

jorja smith's best song is the preditah collaboration "on my mind" which isn't going to be on her album

monotony, Wednesday, 16 May 2018 00:42 (five years ago) link

Come back R T C

on a BBC thread in 2016:

jorja smith is industry bingo full house, hard to assess srsly. 'blue lights' some amy traphouse honking geese dirge

curmudgeon, Wednesday, 16 May 2018 13:03 (five years ago) link

shes totally not good lol

― Listen to my homeboy Fantano (D-40), Tuesday, May 15, 2018 12:37 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

oh i feel vindicated, i did NOT get it at all

flamenco drop (BradNelson), Wednesday, 16 May 2018 13:07 (five years ago) link

maybe I live in a bubble but I feel that the whole Jorja Smith project isn't gaining any traction anywhere, and rightly so

boxedjoy, Wednesday, 16 May 2018 21:38 (five years ago) link

i find it odd that by far her best and most popular song is "on my mind" yet when it came out she was like "this is just a one off i won't be making any more music like this." that song w stormzy was terrible

J0rdan S., Wednesday, 16 May 2018 21:45 (five years ago) link

only heard ‘on my mind’ but that song is great

flopson, Wednesday, 16 May 2018 22:18 (five years ago) link

but seriously where is RTC

Listen to my homeboy Fantano (D-40), Thursday, 17 May 2018 02:10 (five years ago) link

gone clear

||||||||, Thursday, 17 May 2018 05:42 (five years ago) link

This Washington Post freelancer thinks everyone he reviews is the greatest including Jorja Smith

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/jorja-smiths-star-power-on-full-display-at-howard-theatre/2018/05/14/6963a9b6-5791-11e8-9889-07bcc1327f4b_story.html?utm_term=.207be53e3084

British singer Jorja Smith has the voice, presence and following to fill a venue — bigger ones by the day....
At the concluding concert of her U.S. tour Sunday, Smith projected a star quality as radiant as the timbre of her voice. It was a statement performance: She’s ready for the spotlight

...Her covers were notable because they weren’t of the karaoke variety. Smith’s take on TLC’s “No Scrubs” removed the original’s late-1990s quirks without stripping away the contempt. Her rendition of Frank Ocean’s “Lost” began quietly, but picked up a more vigorous shuffle as Smith rose from her seat on the stage for the falsetto-inflected chorus. These moments showcased Smith’s versatility as much as ballads such as “Let Me Down” or the subtle boom-bap of “Blue Lights,” which underlined her status as a genreless wonder.

curmudgeon, Thursday, 17 May 2018 15:26 (five years ago) link

i wish the star season 2 music would be collected on an album
because it would definitely make my top 10

https://open.spotify.com/track/5CloWXHDzMrR4AJxttXR4s?si=vAYEUV9-QkWa1uy8RVFn4w

maura, Thursday, 17 May 2018 22:12 (five years ago) link

two weeks pass...

the new Kadhja Bonet record is just ridiculous. those harmonies!

https://www.npr.org/2018/05/31/614967412/first-listen-kadhja-bonet-childqueen

Simon H., Monday, 4 June 2018 13:35 (five years ago) link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk3qdcgjCgE

flamenco blorf (BradNelson), Friday, 15 June 2018 14:41 (five years ago) link

that is gorgeous and affecting

dyl, Saturday, 16 June 2018 01:39 (five years ago) link

beautiful

Hall of Fam (Spottie), Saturday, 16 June 2018 02:02 (five years ago) link

how is the jacquees record

flamenco blorf (BradNelson), Monday, 18 June 2018 15:22 (five years ago) link

jacquees might be my fav rnb album since solange

ANU (sisilafami), Monday, 18 June 2018 15:55 (five years ago) link

that’s what i wanna heat hell yeah

flamenco blorf (BradNelson), Monday, 18 June 2018 15:58 (five years ago) link

hear*

flamenco blorf (BradNelson), Monday, 18 June 2018 15:58 (five years ago) link

yeah there's some really good stuff on it... "house or hotel" is awesome

J0rdan S., Monday, 18 June 2018 16:22 (five years ago) link

Jacquees has a great voice and a dirty mouth. “Girl I wanna f you in the studio”

curmudgeon, Wednesday, 20 June 2018 12:08 (five years ago) link

At the red light too

curmudgeon, Wednesday, 20 June 2018 12:44 (five years ago) link

I love his voice just wish he had more tunes

||||||||, Wednesday, 20 June 2018 13:35 (five years ago) link

Been really digging this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3y51fkjLEI

tsrobodo, Monday, 25 June 2018 22:08 (five years ago) link

this could be a lot lot lot worse

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKITRHSWCow

(produced by nineteen85)

sean gramophone, Wednesday, 4 July 2018 14:37 (five years ago) link

the production is good... doesn’t surprise me it’s nineteen85. songwriting is really lacking tho

J0rdan S., Wednesday, 4 July 2018 15:39 (five years ago) link

two weeks pass...

i've been enjoying mary j blige's first choice-sampling "only love" lately. not sure if it's going to be on an album but i've heard it on the radio.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-JGswDpiUI

i was going to say it's a bit unexpected for mjb to be doing what's basically a disco tune but then i remembered "you bring me joy"!

dyl, Monday, 23 July 2018 17:40 (five years ago) link

two weeks pass...

r.lum.r was one of my bonnaroo highlights. he just put out two new tracks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMkTB6hKHCE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_wbn3rI0rs

also... !!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od7ktfF-fcU

maura, Friday, 10 August 2018 14:56 (five years ago) link

new ro james too

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_ybPXb3E7s

maura, Friday, 10 August 2018 14:58 (five years ago) link

three weeks pass...

new lloyd album! i really like the duet with sevyn streeter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_l2WFbLvJGc

maura, Friday, 31 August 2018 14:20 (five years ago) link

wow this is his first album in seven years!

maura, Friday, 31 August 2018 14:21 (five years ago) link

i mean, i knew that it had been a while. 'seven years' just sounds like a lot of time

maura, Friday, 31 August 2018 14:25 (five years ago) link

Caramel is good too.

InfoWarriors (Spottie), Friday, 31 August 2018 23:29 (five years ago) link

i like a lot of the album's tracks better than "caramel"! his voice works well over some contemporary-sounding trap percussion for sure, but i'm glad he gets to showcase it over something more classic-sounding like "excited", too, guitar solos + 808 cowbells and all. he splits the difference well on songs like "porcelain" too. the run from that track to the end ("tru", still one of my fav singles from 2016) is great, gets so personal and affecting.

voices with a similar timbre to his have been all over radio for idk the past decade? and yet at his best there is a warmth to his voice that is not often touched by those of e.g. chris brown, august alsina and jeremih

unfortunately the lil wayne collab is one of the weaker points!

dyl, Saturday, 1 September 2018 23:33 (five years ago) link

finally got around to the Starchild & the New Romantic album and uh wow this rules so much, one of the best things I've heard this year. drawing from everything great about 80's R&B and so effervescent. highlight at the moment for me is Only If U Knew which just builds and builds fantastically

ufo, Wednesday, 12 September 2018 11:49 (five years ago) link

The 6lack album is much better than I thought it would be. Songwriting, vocal production, the guests... everything works.

human and working on getting beer (longneck), Friday, 14 September 2018 18:24 (five years ago) link

had totally forgotten about Lloyd

flopson, Friday, 14 September 2018 21:17 (five years ago) link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_hIJ1bBtfc

dyl, Saturday, 22 September 2018 15:45 (five years ago) link

oh apparently lloyd's "excited" has a video now! still one of my faves from that album

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6lXTp5n33s

dyl, Saturday, 22 September 2018 22:43 (five years ago) link

Fun vid, nice to see jeeps in music videos in 2018. Spice 1 did that sos band sample better tho.

Machine Gunk Jelly (Spottie), Sunday, 23 September 2018 06:31 (five years ago) link

the marsha ambrosius album slaps

https://open.spotify.com/album/0rzQED8fD3FNbWOCO1m8ap

monotony, Tuesday, 2 October 2018 06:13 (five years ago) link

"old times" is easily one of my fav songs in recent months so i def need to give that a listen

dyl, Wednesday, 3 October 2018 02:09 (five years ago) link

two weeks pass...

brent faiyaz has put out another solid ep. so far this is my favorite from it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bb5_-uHEa7E

dyl, Saturday, 20 October 2018 17:04 (five years ago) link

marsha ambrosius album is a little too long for me but the back half is really good

dyl, Saturday, 20 October 2018 17:48 (five years ago) link

maura put me onto this year's raheem devaughn record which is really excellent so far, this song in particular is so plush

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_i6JRZuDY0

princess of hell (BradNelson), Thursday, 25 October 2018 16:06 (five years ago) link

that's gorgeous

Machine Gunk Jelly (Spottie), Thursday, 25 October 2018 23:53 (five years ago) link

whole album kicks ass imo!

princess of hell (BradNelson), Thursday, 25 October 2018 23:59 (five years ago) link

gonna check it. he's put out some stuff i like but never been able to get on board with a full full length.

Machine Gunk Jelly (Spottie), Friday, 26 October 2018 00:01 (five years ago) link

Anyone else listening to these two new Amerie EPs? Sounding pretty good to me...

greta van vliet (morrisp), Friday, 26 October 2018 22:12 (five years ago) link

I particularly like the 2nd one ("After 4AM"); maybe b/c it's somewhat poppier...

greta van vliet (morrisp), Friday, 26 October 2018 22:35 (five years ago) link

marsha ambrosius record completely blowing my mind

princess of hell (BradNelson), Saturday, 27 October 2018 16:32 (five years ago) link

loving the raheem devaugh and marsha ambrosius albums. still regularly playing the starchild album too

ufo, Sunday, 28 October 2018 05:16 (five years ago) link

I loved "Old Times" but I really struggled with the full Ambrosius album when I gave it a go, its quite overbearing so maybe I just needed to be in a different mood

boxedjoy, Sunday, 28 October 2018 09:13 (five years ago) link

there's a ballad fugue in the second half but i think the songwriting is strong enough that she makes it work

princess of hell (BradNelson), Sunday, 28 October 2018 14:24 (five years ago) link

the first half is so light and funky and then it gets kinda retro stax-y and then "old times" hits, that's my kind of sequencing

princess of hell (BradNelson), Sunday, 28 October 2018 14:24 (five years ago) link

the first half didn't really connect w/ me -- it's "old times" onward that grabbed me

dyl, Sunday, 28 October 2018 15:27 (five years ago) link

That was the same for me dyl

boxedjoy, Sunday, 28 October 2018 19:26 (five years ago) link

Her voice was overbearing but the lightness of the material just didnt stick for me

boxedjoy, Sunday, 28 October 2018 19:27 (five years ago) link

i think i'm right and the first half kicks ass

princess of hell (BradNelson), Monday, 29 October 2018 23:09 (five years ago) link

Sorry to bump this topic if no interest, but I really, really dig these Amerie EPs.

What is some other recommended stuff in this vein (vibe, production style, etc.)? I’m pretty out of it when it comes to current R&B...

greta van vliet (morrisp), Tuesday, 30 October 2018 21:32 (five years ago) link

two weeks pass...

lovely new brandy song on this week’s STAR

https://youtu.be/kGqKh6tcU3E

maura, Friday, 16 November 2018 01:06 (five years ago) link

i really like Ryan Beatty's debut Boy In Jeans

very much in the vein of albums like Blonde and CTRL with its often guitar-oriented sound, but fuller in sound and less fragmented than Blonde. it's also very gay

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5LaDjqTujY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg2AGzD5d4M

ufo, Friday, 16 November 2018 06:12 (five years ago) link

seconding morrisp on those terrific Amerie EPs, and a h/t to Maura for hipping me to them with her Pfork review.

evol j, Friday, 16 November 2018 13:40 (five years ago) link

Oh, that was maura? cool!

verlaine & rambo (morrisp), Friday, 16 November 2018 14:31 (five years ago) link

it was :) thanks!

maura, Friday, 16 November 2018 20:27 (five years ago) link

Has anyone noticed King Princess ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGIkGbs1VEc

Nabozo, Monday, 26 November 2018 17:45 (five years ago) link

yeah but I wouldn't call her R&B

monotony, Tuesday, 27 November 2018 00:11 (five years ago) link

Anyone enjoying mih ty? Slight but I like some tracks a lot, particularly the light and fyt

Vapor waif (uptown churl), Tuesday, 27 November 2018 00:24 (five years ago) link

yeah but I wouldn't call her R&B
― monotony, Tuesday, November 27, 2018 1:11 AM (twelve hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

You're right, but I find it has become a very thin line, thinking of Kali Uchis in comparison or, say, Lemonade. It's also a style I find very attractive.

Nabozo, Tuesday, 27 November 2018 13:19 (five years ago) link

anybody have any opinions on Ian Isiah? was mostly non-plussed by his EP until I heard this, which floored me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovmTOohD46E

galaxy brian (voodoo chili), Tuesday, 27 November 2018 23:14 (five years ago) link

Anyone enjoying mih ty? Slight but I like some tracks a lot, particularly the light and fyt

― Vapor waif (uptown churl), Monday, November 26, 2018 7:24 PM (yesterday) Bookmark

perfect timing, new level, take your time, these days is a rly great stretch imo, and some of the stuff at the beginning (going thru some thangs) and end (lie 2 me) is dope too

top 10 album of the year to me

J0rdan S., Tuesday, 27 November 2018 23:29 (five years ago) link

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MPQ5EIKtmrY

maura, Friday, 30 November 2018 01:05 (five years ago) link

^ Erykah Badu, Kelly Price, BJ The Chicago Kid, Luke James, Queen Naija, Robert Glasper And Thundercat show out in the soul cypher!

maura, Friday, 30 November 2018 01:06 (five years ago) link

also luke’s song on this week’s STAR is super dramatic and great

https://m.soundcloud.com/starcastofficial/ready-for-war-from-star-season

maura, Friday, 30 November 2018 01:14 (five years ago) link

nice smooth collaboration between raheem devaughn and sax player vandell andrew:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAqR3s3uD1g

maura, Friday, 30 November 2018 14:02 (five years ago) link

i really like Ryan Beatty's debut Boy In Jeans

very much in the vein of albums like Blonde and CTRL with its often guitar-oriented sound, but fuller in sound and less fragmented than Blonde. it's also very gay

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5LaDjqTujY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg2AGzD5d4M

― ufo, Friday, 16 November 2018 06:12 (two weeks ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

This is fantastic, thankin u. Was not expecting the Green Gartside meets Om’mas Keith vibes.

Tim F, Saturday, 1 December 2018 01:47 (five years ago) link

https://grayowlpoint.com/2018/03/01/review-nameless-dominique-fils-aime/

j., Saturday, 1 December 2018 19:17 (five years ago) link

i'm glad someone else likes the Ryan Beatty album! that sort of summery guitar-oriented alt r&b is such a comforting sound to me. i don't really hear Green Gartside though other than the blue-eyed soul thing? Gartside has such a distinctive voice that it's hard to compare anyone to him imo

ufo, Sunday, 2 December 2018 03:56 (five years ago) link

anybody have any opinions on Ian Isiah?

I missed that he's been working with Sinjin Hawke for awhile, cool

change display name (Jordan), Sunday, 2 December 2018 20:40 (five years ago) link

three weeks pass...

i'm going head over heels for h.e.r.'s "could've been". exquisite.

dyl, Sunday, 23 December 2018 06:13 (five years ago) link

Merry everything ILM; have you a playlist of what's been discussed on the R&B thread this year.

ILM's 2018 Rolling R&B Spotify Playlist

Fuck the NRA (ulysses), Monday, 24 December 2018 18:17 (five years ago) link

Anyone enjoying mih ty? Slight but I like some tracks a lot, particularly the light and fyt

― Vapor waif (uptown churl), Monday, November 26, 2018 7:24 PM (one month ago

finally getting to this. agree with jordan's post above about that stretch -- jeremih is so good on this

k3vin k., Sunday, 30 December 2018 02:24 (five years ago) link

xp Thanks, ulysses!

underqualified backing vocalist (morrisp), Sunday, 30 December 2018 06:52 (five years ago) link

I like the Justine Skye album. Nice vibe.

― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Sunday, January 21, 2018 1:16 PM (eleven months ago)

Yeah, this is great... Cheers to this playlist, I'm finally catching up

underqualified backing vocalist (morrisp), Sunday, 30 December 2018 18:28 (five years ago) link


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