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 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 column, we’ve received plenty of music and news from the genre’s artists.
The Weeknd continues to tease his new album, one that will complete the trilogy that includes After Hours and Dawn FM while Tinashe dropped separate remixes of “Nasty Girl” with Chlöe and Tyga. Khalid took a step closer to his upcoming album Sincere with his level-headed single “Ground” and Kaytranada announced the Timeless Tour with Channel Tres, Amaarae, Sam Gellaitry, Kitty Cash, and Lou Phelps. Elsewhere, Netflix’s Prince documentary is reportedly “dead in the water” after six years of work and Normani was accused of not properly crediting a songwriter on her Dopamine album.
Tinashe — “Nasty Girl Remix” Feat. Chlöe & “Nasty XXX Remix” Feat. Tyga
We’re a couple of weeks away from Tinashe’s upcoming album Quantum Baby, and she continues its rollout with a pair of remixes for her hit song “Nasty Girl.” The two remixes, titled “Nasty Girl Remix” and “Nasty XXX Remix,” feature Chlöe and Tyga, respectively, for reimagined versions centered on the female and male experiences. Fans now have two more reasons to love the original song.
Sampha & Little Simz — “Satellite Business 2.0”
It took Sampha six years to release his second album Lahai, but it didn’t take him nearly as long to drop new music after it. The British singer teamed with fellow Londoner Little Simz for a remix to “Satellite Business.” The new take, titled “Satellite Business 2.0,” is the fully-realized version of the interlude from Lahai. Its “completion” comes after Simz witnessed Sampha perform it live with his band during his run of residency shows for the album.
Blxst — I’ll Always Come Find You
Almost four years after Blxst emerged onto the scene with his debut EP No Love Lost, the West Coast crooner is finally here to deliver his debut album. I’ll Always Come Find You arrives with 20 songs broken into four discs and features from 2 Chainz, Fatman Scoop, Offset, Anderson .Paak, Joony, Becky G, Joyce Wrice, Ty Dolla Sign, and more. “I feel like it’s my obligation to bridge that gap and show people from my city different tastes, cultures, music, food and fashion,” Blxst said in a press release about the album. “It’s a big world, and I’d be crazy to limit myself to just one thing.”
Khalid — “Ground”
Khalid’s third album Sincere arrives on August 2 and it’s currently led by two singles: “Adore U” and “Please Don’t Fall In Love With Me.” With a couple of weeks to go, Khalid makes it three singles with “Ground.” A level-headed Khalid steers through the track as his showcases his growth, a theme that will be seen throughout Sincere.
4Batz & Usher — “Act IV: F*ckin U Again (18+)”
Days away from the start of his Thank U, Jada Tour, 4Batz lands the co-sign of a lifetime from Usher who remixes his U Made Me A St4r standout “Act IV: F*ckin U (18+).” A new verse from Usher is also paired with a new verse from 4Batz that adds to the smooth and sensual feeling behind the track.
Blk Odyssy — 1-800 Fantasy
Singer and producer Blk Odyssy returned with his third album 1-800 Fantasy which presents 13 songs and features for Wiz Khalifa, Jackie Giroux, Harry Edohoukwa, and Joey Badass for a deep dive into infatuation and rejection. The album was made from the perspective of a teenage boy obsessed with an elusive woman, following his attempts to win her over. Unfortunately for him, it ends with heartbreak, but without a lesson learned.
Hailey Knox — For The Best
Los Angeles-based singer Hailey Knox is here with her debut EP For The Best. The 8-track release showcases her impeccable vocal talents and sweet pop-R&B blend carried by catchy hooks at the center of tales of dysfunctional relationships and the aftermath “For The Best is about accepting what is,” Knox says about the project. “Reflections on when love hurts, growing together and apart, closing chapters, and starting new ones.”
Honey Bxby — “Bonnie & Clyde” Feat. Fivio Foreign
Just a couple of months after releasing the deluxe version of her debut EP 3 Words, 8 Letters, Honey Bxby is back with new music. She teams up with fellow East Coaster Fivio Foreign for their new track “Bonnie & Clyde.” The duo’s take on the ride-or-die anthem blends nostalgia and a fresh feel for a heartfelt addition to the long-running canon of Bonnie & Clyde records.
Rayana Jay — “Garden”
Two years after Last Call, Richmond, California singer Rayana Jay is readying a new album. Temple is set to arrive later this year, and for its first offering, Jay brings us to the “Garden” on the new single. “This song illustrates what happens when we take love and pleasure into our own hands and tell someone, ‘Hey, this is what I want’,” she said in a press release. “I think ‘Garden’ is about passion, vulnerability, and love as a form of worship.”
Allyn — “Lick Back”
For her second single of the year, Sacramento singer Allyn is getting her “Lick Back.” Success if the best form of revenge, and on her latest track, Allyn is focused on leveling up, proving her haters wrong, and conserving her energy for the things that serve her the most.
Tyler Loyal — “Eve’s Garden”
Boston native Tyler Loyal navigates through heartbreak on his latest single, “Eve’s Garden.” The track, which pulls elements of sexy drill, captures Loyal’s frustration about a woman’s infidelity in their relationship and how it proved to be the last straw.