Today, R&B is everywhere and nowhere. According to The Factory Times, R&B is dying due to artists merging genres or abandoning it altogether. Just when you think you’re enjoying R&B, recent artists employ pop music at the expense of confusing fans with their melodic voice. Take The Weeknd for example; he has sung great music with amazing lyricism, but it’s not R&B due to the sound of the melody which is unequivocally pop.

With many fans with a great musical ear and with platforms like Spotify and Apple Music presenting them with new sounds, algorithms guide listeners to find R&B albums and artists. An obstacle fans have is where to start in the genre. Having R&B on the brain, here’s a list of fresh artists if you’re wishing to fall in love (too deep) with the R&B genre: 

Summer Walker

Summer has given fans two albums, a mixtape and an extended play. She’s even broken records with her recent album, “Still Over It,” by being the first self-identifying female to achieve the biggest R&B debut and overall debut on Apple Music. The entire album, a 20-song project, occupied 19 of Apple Music’s top 20.

Summer Walker’s music could resonate with many fans who have experienced heartbreak. Her lyrics are straightforward and you know exactly who it’s about.

H.E.R

Ladies and gentlemen, H.E.R. She has proven herself by dropping two albums and a phenomenal EP with an excellent cover: A silhouette of a woman and a dark and yellowish background. A child prodigy and mentored by “the” Alicia keys, she can play guitar, drums, piano and bass.

After she won a few Grammys, she received an Oscar for best original song for a screenplay. She has such a crazy amount of experience, and she is only 24.

The Internet

With such talented members, The Internet has delivered marvelous vocals from Syd, the lead singer. With the addition of bass player Steve Lacy, they have made low-beat music that could be utilized for anything to dancing or thinking to yourself. Also, both members are part of the LGBTQ+ community, which signals something new to the music industry with LGTBQ+ related lyrics.

“Girl / If they don’t know your worth / Tell ’em you’re my girl / And anything you want is yours,” proclaim The Internet in their song “Girl.” For the female lead singer who identifies as a lesbian, Syd utilizes her voice to sing about loving girls — a normalizing perspective coming from new R&B.

Jessie Reyez

Jessie is an example of a first-generation Colombian developing into an R&B sensation. Born and raised in Canada by Columbian parents, she learned guitar from her father and the rest was history. In her song, “Far Away,” she touches on the subject of long-distance relationships with a deported immigrant. By including such a vulnerable topic in her music, many of her fans could resonate with her as they are in the same situation. She has also performed with artists like Calvin Harris, Eminem and 6lack.

Music’s going to evolve, but that doesn’t mean the R&B genre is relinquished. The artists above are composing their renditions of the genre. A recommendation on ways to find new artists is by hopping onto any streaming platform and listening to the “Artist Recommended” section. 

If you want R&B to satisfy you through Tuesday and Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and perhaps the weekend, keep your ear open for these and more innovative artists.

Axel is a sophomore in LAS.

[email protected]