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.
Miguel takes new steps toward his upcoming album through “Number 9” with Lil Yachty and Tory Lanez was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Tori Kelly took over a convenience store to throw a party in his “Cut” video while Beyoncé declared Washington D.C. as the tentative “eerbody on mute” winner for her Renaissance Tour. Elsewhere, Ciara announced that she was pregnant with her third child with Russell Wilson and Erykah Badu subtly destroyed DJ Akademiks after he lashed out at her.
Here are some more releases on the new music front that you should check out:
Raahiim — BUT IF iiM HONEST
Toronto singer Raahiim has this week’s best R&B project with his second project BUT IF iiM HONEST. The 11-song release is flooded with silky smooth records that showcase Raahiim’s impressive pen and artistic vision. “Friend Zone” and “Outside Freestyle” are this writer’s favorites, but you’ll surely find something for yourself here.
Tone Stith — “I Need You”
With an EP due for a release at some point this month, Tone Stith returns with his second single of the year, “I Need You.” With the funky twang of guitar strings behind Stith’s voice, the singer lays his cards out for a woman he absolutely adores. Stith says he “needs” her and he hopes the feeling is mutual with her.
Emotional Oranges — Still Emo
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Emotional Oranges keep up their streak of consistency with Still Emo, their fifth project in four years. Still Emo arrives with eight songs and contributions from Tkay Maidza, Aáyanna, Nonso Amadi, and Zhu. The project’s songs teeter the line between pop and R&B for moments that are fun, lively, sultry, and down to earth.
Elmiene — “Mama”
Def Jam’s latest signee, Elmiene, is a name worth paying attention to going forward. Months after sharing his El-Mean project, the UK is keeping up the momentum as he returns with his latest offering, “Mama.” The confessional record, which is co-written and produced by Sampha, beautifully bares Elmiene’s soul and takes a moment to contemplate his imperfections.
Jastin Martin — Miss Me Yet?
Houston, Texas, singer Jastin Martin makes a big impression with her debut project Miss Me Yet? Each of the project’s ten songs are centered in the deep intimacy that arises in different periods of her life. Her soft voice is delicate enough to boost the intimate moments she sings of, as she does on the album’s title track.
Umi — “Happy Im”
Seattle-born and Los Angeles-based singer Umi returns with her latest single, “Happy Im.” Over an acoustic guitar and stripped-back drumbeat, Umi sings about the moment she felt herself falling in love. “I wrote this song to remind myself, and those who listen, that it’s okay to be happy — it’s what we came here to experience,” she says about the song in a press release. “And oftentimes, when we allow ourselves to stop thinking so hard about it, we let it in.”
Olamide — Unruly
Afrobeats singer Olamide returned with his new album Unruly, his first since 2021’s UY Scuti. On the new record, Olamide presents 15 songs with help from CKay, BNXN, Rema, Fireboy DML, and Asake for a body of work that is without restrictions or limitations in both sound and vision.
Black Sherif — Take Care Of Yourself Blacko
Nearly a year after releasing his beloved debut album The Villain I Never Was, Ghanaian afrobeats singer Black Sherif checks back in with a two-pack through his Take Care Of Yourself Blacko EP. It begins with the triumphant “Yaya” and settles into a more relaxed space with “Simmer Down.”
Laya — “Need 2 Know”
With her Bet That EP set to arrive at the top of September, Laya dishes out another single with “Need 2 Know.” It follows her previous release “F’d Up” and arrives as a truly honest and vulnerable single that also gives space for her vocals to shine.
Taryn — “Give It To Me”
For her first single of the year, Buffalo-bred singer Taryn takes a trip to the ’80s for “Give It To Me.” The record was made for a dancefloor where gentlemen in dress shirts buttoned halfway up and ladies in colorful dresses danced without a care in the world. The influence is clear, but Taryn does a great job in making her own — oh, and she can sing.
Frex — “Hoodie Back”
LA-based singer Frex delivers her second single of the year with “Hoodie Back.” On it, Frex reckons with the end of a relationship and the possibility of her ex partner moving on to someone new. With that, she requests the return of the hoodie she gave him as she’s ready to move on from someone who “already got the best of me.”
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.