Sometimes the best new R&B can be hard to find, but there are plenty of great rhythm-and-blues tunes to get into if you have the time to sift through the hundreds of newly released songs every week. So that R&B heads can focus on listening to what they really love in its true form, we’ll be offering a digest of the best new R&B songs that fans of the genre should hear every Friday.
Since the last update of this weekly R&B and Afrobeats column, we’ve received plenty of music and news from the genre’s artists. 6lack began his new era and the road toward his upcoming third album Since I Have A Lover with the release of the album’s title track and its free-floating music video. Chloe announced the In Pieces Tour while Wizkid postponed his More Love, Less Ego Tour over production issues. Elsewhere, Ari Lennox and Babyface released an intoxicating music video for their “Liquor” collaboration and SZA’s SOS spent a tenth week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Here are some more releases on the new music front that you should check out:
Masego — Masego
Nearly three years after his last project, Masego is back on the music scene with a new body of work. His sophomore album Masego is here with 14 songs that are both savory and hypnotizing. “I had to do a re-evaluation of a lot of things,” says about his state of mind with the project. “I said, ‘I can’t make this what I imagined it to be. So I cannot remain here. I need to move.’”
Kali Uchis — Red Moon In Venus
“Love is the message,” Kali Uchis says about her third album. “Red Moon In Venus is a timeless, burning expression of desire, heartbreak, faith and honesty.” All of that is evident through the album’s 15 songs which call on Don Toliver, Summer Walker, and Omar Apollo.
Jordan Ward — Forward
Whatever you do, please do not let Jordan Ward’s debut album Forward fly under your radar. The project is flooded with Ward’s unique touch that makes for a refreshing project perfect for the impending warm months. He also gets help from names like Joony, Ryan Trey, Gwen Bunn, and more to create the project that truly encapsulates his desire to “evolve and break cycles,” as he says in a press release.
Chiiild — Better Luck In The Next Life
For his third album Better Luck In The Next Life, Chiiild touches on the things he loves in life as well as some of the struggles he expressed. It makes for an honest and in-depth story that is told with help from Lucky Daye, Alina Baraz, Charlotte Cardin, and Caitlyn Scarlett. It’s a very honest record that begins to tell my story and answer some of the questions about why I’m doing this in the first place as well as who I am,” Chiiild says about the project.
THEY. — “In The Mood” Feat. Yung Bleu
Next month, THEY. — the singer-producer duo comprised of Drew Love and Dante Jones — will release their third album Nü Moon. For their latest offering, the duo returns with their new single “In The Mood” with Yung Bleu. The track salutes the quintessential 2000’s era while previewing the captivating music that’s expected to be on Nü Moon
Mac Ayres — “Again”
On March 17, Mac Ayres will release his fifth project Comfortable Enough. It’s the follow-up to his stellar 2021 output Magic 8Ball, and thanks to his new project’s lead single “Again,” it appears that the same success is in store for Comfortable Enough.
Lojay — Gangster Romantic
Just like he did in 2021 with LV N ATTN, Lojay arrives with a new project that’s nothing short of an exquisite listen. Gangster Romantic delivers six songs that whisk listeners away on a warm trip through infectious beats. “I made this project, because I wanted people to listen to something they can connect with and hold onto for a long time,” Lojay said in a press release.
Libianca — “People” Feat. Ayra Starr & Omah Lay
In a matter of a couple of months, rising singer-songwriter Libianca went from an unknown name to one of the hottest young names in afrobeats. She has her breakout single “People” to thank for that, and now, the track gets a lovely boost through a remix with Ayra Starr and Omah Lay.
WanMor — WanMor
After releasing a couple of singles to warm things up, the brotherly R&B group WanMor is here with their debut EP. The self-titled release delivers seven songs and a feature from King Combs for a project that the group hopes grants a look into their musical minds. They added, “With this project, we just wanted to bring the love, fun, and excitement back.”
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.