Rolling R&B Thread 2018

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

Caramel is good too.

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!

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

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

had totally forgotten about Lloyd

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

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

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

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

the marsha ambrosius album slaps

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

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

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

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

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

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

that's gorgeous

whole album kicks ass imo!

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

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

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

marsha ambrosius record completely blowing my mind

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

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

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

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

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

That was the same for me dyl

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

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

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...

lovely new brandy song on this week’s STAR

https://youtu.be/kGqKh6tcU3E

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

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

Oh, that was maura? cool!

it was :) thanks!

Has anyone noticed King Princess ?

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

yeah but I wouldn't call her R&B

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

anybody have any opinions on Ian Isiah?

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

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

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