rolling r&b 2020

i will take literally whatever Brandy i can get but that's fairly undistinguished

the chloe x halle single seems like an instant classic, the sort of thing that might've led off a "summer jams" thread in precedented times gone by!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9HIaGcBocc

(a victoria monét co-write btw)

that’s lovely

http://youtu.be/zdcdIYkL6go

lol, they got your number maura

(that’s “Too Much” by Ro James ft. Miguel)

and there’s this teddy riley-assisted lloyd slow jam


https://empire.ffm.to/slowwinebassline

future nostalgia

the parisalexa album is really well executed and enjoyable: https://open.spotify.com/album/5SqQ4wQaltxdUwRrlGuwmw

the chloe x halle single seems like an instant classic

yes!

+ Lloyd's slow jam is stunning and giving me a Swing Mob deep cut kick

the album's great too (chloe x halle's, out today)

I will have to listen to it more, but one thing’s for sure, the title track is a beauty.

New single “Forgive Me” is also good:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bc9Y58TeZk0

New Victoria Monét (w/Khalid) song coming on Friday:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EaphkxsUYAADh7n?format=jpg&name=large

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0t8zeEiqEY

finally got around to the 070 Shake album recently and it's very good

~WOW~

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXruX1qBAc8

oh my god

not a direction i immediately expected from either of these artists but wow at how effortlessly they pull it off here. surely has to be among the best songs in both of their catalogs? i honestly figured khalid would never make a good dance tune again.

if i do not get to roller skate to this at some time in my life i will have failed

yeah that's great

xp coincidentally, here’s what she says about another song from her forthcoming project:

The title track, ‘Jaguar’ is one of my favourite songs,” she says. “It’s going to make you want to rollerskate around, or do a dance like the electric slide! It’s that vibe. It’s not too on-the-nose disco. It’s not like I’m trying to straight up be Donna Summer, but it definitely feels like retro-future.

banger

lost summer jam for the summer we never had

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWqGG92GsrQ

phonte and vic mensa, produced by zo. i love this so much

that show is dope

I like this from Ayanis, whose 2018 single "Awh Yeh" was huge for me. This one's from back in January - it has 2mm views as of now (that's decent, no?)

Ayanis - Lil Boi (Big Talk) feat. Queen Naija

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvDH2-G77-0

i like that, has some clever lyrics

appreciate the tasteful references to classic music videos too. i def prefer that to the sometimes-gratuitous interpolations that pop up in the songs themselves lately

that's great

This is really nice:

Mahalia - Plastic Plants

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBaDGFrdNg0

love mahalia

Loyal, by Ceraadi, was a jam last year... they're still tearing it up:

Ceraadi - Tear It Up
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gro3S-uWuk

(throwback-style jams are hitting the spot for me right now)

Jaguar coming July 31:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EbdB36nU8AAaiAT.jpg

1. Moment
2. Track 2
3. Dive
4. Track 4
5. Track 5
6. Experience ft. Khalid & SG Lewis
7. Ass Like That
8. Track 8
9. Track 9

love that cover

I need it

Summer Walker has a new EP out July 10. Nice BET Awards performance (w/Usher):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVqh9kCltAM

Rollerskating video (for dyl):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJGSU0nXd-w

:D

TIL her first name stands for “Kill All Arrogance Stop Hatred.”

Kaash Paige - Jaded

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrTM2jPAdhg

👑 when the Queen is coming, you move!! It’s just what you do lol new Jaguar release date: August 7th 🤎 pic.twitter.com/IrJRpxuTeo

— Victoria Monét (@VictoriaMonet) July 7, 2020

The new Summer Walker EP, Life on Earth, is really good:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ebs74MhWsAAcdzn?format=jpg&name=large
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EcbuhxFXQAMlm3t?format=jpg&name=large

def need to listen to that soon

here's a song i heard earlier today. i'm a bit taken by how warm, hopeful, gently uplifting it feels. (the video ends on a note that's not quite that)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GR4OJgDvFY

theres so much new R&B these days ... not a TON of it is connecting on a mass scale but a lot of it is doing decently, I'd love to read some really good critics on contemporary R&B

I think this would be a really good time for publications to properly cover r&b, not just because the genre is in particularly good health, but with the wider cultural conversations happening it would be a really good time to commit to covering work produced in a style that's still mostly associated with black voices

I'm aware how patronising and clunky and simplistic that statement reads but at the same time, I feel like we're talking about Black Lives Matter and empowerment and yet the coverage I see of contemporary r&b is so minimal

I agree it would be great (and, yes, “timely”) if a genre in which young Black women thrive were more celebrated!

it's so frustrating

I can't get over this EP - the first three tracks, especially, are just blazing. She's a major artist, you know? I'm so pleased, especially bc I never really connected w/Over It.

Summer Walker - My Affection

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMCpQ0FxJIo

i'm late but i am also enjoying summer walker's ep

Voicemails was a masterpiece but I somehow missed a new Tink album even existed. Belated thanks to Maura for the link. Have now picked it up and it's pretty great.

Victoria Monét's Jaguar is out on Friday; Kaash Paige's album Teenage Fever next week... this is gonna be a great month for r&b.