Another Friday, another batch of new music. With latest releases from alt-rockers Young The Giant, singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers and others, it’s a strong week for the music world. Among all the genres — even though genre doesn’t matter — this week is heavily dominated by R&B. From debut album and singles to seasoned artist releasing new projects, R&B is alive and well. Here are some R&B highlights from this week’s latest music:
The one who may be up for Best New Artist at the 2019 Grammys:
Mixing pop with R&B all with the heartfeltness of a singer-songwriter, Ella Mai is a definite contender for Best New Artist at the 2019 Grammy Awards. Though her recent self-titled debut album doesn’t qualify her, her earlier projects do. With her debut, the artist establishes herself as an artist further than her earlier works. Ella Mai is a 16-track album that has features from John Legend, Chris Brown and H.E.R., yet Mai stands out among the bigger names.
From emotion-filled slower jams (“Easy,” “Naked”) to more upbeat, but equally chill tracks (“Boo’d Up,” “Sauce”) Mai excels. Her smooth R&B vocals emanate the likes of Alicia Keys, while her backing beats and tracks mix hip-hop and early house music. Furthermore, the dynamic British singer is one to keep an eye out for.
The one to get groovy to:
The Free Nationals may be best known for playing as Anderson .Paak’s live band, but even without the Malibu singer, the band thrives. With its first solo release, “Beauty & Essex (feat. Daniel Caesar & Unknown Mortal Orchestra),” Free Nationals blend sweet guitar, electronic synth sounds, all with smooth R&B vocals of Daniel Caesar. It’s sensual, funky and just downright sexy. Though “Beauty & Essex” is only the first taste of Free Nationals music to come, it’s exciting to see where the band could take things.
The surprise album:
The music world nowadays loves a surprise album. Drake’s done it multiple times, Beyonce released her self-titled and now Usher has done it with “A.”
The “Yeah!” singer has always been able to produce killer tracks, as well as boost other artists’ careers. Done in tandem with producer Zaytoven, “A” is an 8-track album that modernizes Usher’s early-2000s R&B style. The album shows his versatility. He has songs where his voice is as smooth as silk, yet he contrasts those with harder tracks such as “Birthday.”
The album follows up 2016’s Hard II Love and includes features from both Future and Gunna. With the Atlanta duo of Usher and Zaytoven, “A” is a coherent project that shows both experimentation and pride in what they’re creating. It’s a solid project, and it’s apparent that both artists brought their A-game.
