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.
Beyoncé announced her new whiskey brand SirDavis and Usher officially kicked off his Past Present Future Tour. FLO announced their debut album Access All Areas, which they called the “the soundtrack of our lives” while Janet Jackson officially announced her Las Vegas residency. Elsewhere, Justine Skye reflected on her hit song “Collide” for Uproxx’s How I Blew Up series.
Here are the new releases you need to have your eye on this week:
Jessie Reyez — “Ridin” Feat. Lil Wayne
Jessie Reyez’s new single “Ridin” is her second of the year following “Shut Up” with Big Sean. This time, Lil Wayne joins her on the track to help her open up about past relationships and how they’ve repeatedly failed. Now, all Reyez wants to do is be physically pleased by her partner.
Chxrry22 — “Poppin Out (Mistakes)”
Chxrry22 ended her 2023 year with her stellar Siren EP and it looks like another one could be on the way. She’s back with “Poppin Out (Mistakes),” a futuristic-feeling R&B record that relishes in the freedom of the early days after a breakup.
Eric Bellinger — “Chase” Feat. Jastin Martin
Eric Bellinger and Jastin Martin put their chemistry on display for their latest collaboration “Chase.” After connecting on a remix for Martin’s “Miss Me Yet?” the two singers connect for a record that captures them both as lovers want to skip all the formalities and get right to bedroom business.
Xavier Omär & ELHAE — Truth Be Told
Xavier Omär and ELHAE finally turned their great chemistry into a full project. The duo teamed up for their Truth Be Told EP, led by “Favourite” and “Luv 4 U.” Now, three more songs accompany the singles for a complete EP that will leave you wanting more music from Omar and ELHAE, both as solo artists and as a duo.
Elmiene — “Light Work”
Elmiene’s impressive year continues with “Light Work.” The British singer’s new single is a truly elegant experience that he uses to celebrate the ease of a relationship between two lovers who were seemingly made for each other.
Jaz Karis — “Chill On Me” Feat. June Freedom
Jaz Karis has a beautiful album on the way with her upcoming debut Safe Flight. The latest single from that is “Chill On Me” with June Freedom which captures Karis’ frustration about not being ready to settle down with a lover whom really enjoys her time with. The lyrics juxtapose the sweet and enticing guitar strums in the song’s production.
Raiche — “Thinking Of You”
Raiche takes another step closer to her upcoming Making Room EP with her new single “Thinking Of You.” The Massachusetts-bred singer breaks free from a past relationship on the roaring and confident new track. “I feel liberated,” she said about the song in an Instagram post. “I’m absolutely NOT thinking of him anymore and my wildest dreams have unfolded in front of me.”
Ye Ali — “All Summer” Feat. Ant Clemons
Ye Ali took it upon himself to round up some of R&B’s best rising singers for a compilation album title THJ Radio Vol.1. The project arrive on September 6 and the first single, “All Summer” with Ant Clemons, is the latest sample (a sultry and inviting one at that) of the upcoming project.
Amanda Reifer — Island Files
Amanda Reifer has just what you need to keep the temperature up for the final weeks of summer. The Barbados-born singer checks in with Island Files, a 5-track project she says is “a lil island ting to sweat to while my album’s being mixed.”
Jourden — Straight, No Chase
Jourden is keeping it Straight, No Chase on her debut EP. The Brooklyn singer delivers seven songs as her formal introduction to the rising artist who simply wanted to celebrate “honesty while being true to self, unfiltered.”
PxRRY — FairXchange
PxRRY isn’t done with the FairXchange era. The Connecticut returns to the project he released in May to add three more songs — two solo records in “Minute” and “Ask For” as well as a collaboration with Norman Perry titled “Miss Me.”