Sometimes the best new R&B music 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 music that fans of the genre should hear every Friday.

This week, sisters Chloe x Halle deliver their grown-up R&B track “Do It,” accompanied by an impressive, gilded music video. Also, OVO Sound artist Roy Woods came through with his first EP of the year Dem Times and Ro James released his new song “Plan B” featuring the legendary Brandy Norwood. Check out the rest of the best new R&B music below.

Chloe x Halle — “Do It”

R&B duo Chloe x Halle ate the girls up visually and sonically with their latest release of “Do It.” Their rich and angelic vocals are perfectly layered over the track’s production, which is expected to live on their upcoming album Ungodly Hour on June 5.

Roy Woods — Dem Times

OVO Sound’s Roy Woods has been steadily recording in between Los Angeles and Toronto over the past year, and the result is a collection of tunes titled Dem Times. The 6-piece of passion and seduction features Roy expressing his version of love and how it feels to get lost in it.

Ro James — “Plan B” Feat. Brandy

Ro James and Brandy connect and take their time on “Plan B,” a track off James upcoming Mantic project. Mantic is expected to arrive May 29 with additional slated guest appearances from Masego and Miguel.

JoJo — “Comeback” Feat. Tory Lanez & 30 Roc

JoJo released her first album in a long time, Good To Know, earlier this month and now she’s here with a tempting visual for her standout cut “Comeback” featuring Tory Lanez with production by Grammy Award-winning producer 30 Roc. The steamy song is filled with JoJo’s and Tory’s healing sexual energy.

070 Shake — “Nice To Have”

Before we all were mandated to stay stuck at home due to COVID-19 having its way with the world, 070 Shake had her way with her sold out tour from the release of her incredible album Modus Vivendi under the direction of Grammy Award-winning producer Mike Dean. Now, fans can relive the moment with her live performance of “Nice To Have” at New York’s Webster Hall.

Reo Cragun — “Cuss You Out”

Reo Cragun is fed up. His latest single “Cuss You Out” is an expressive R&B cut that is equal parts rambunctious and brimming with elaborate synths and color. “‘Cuss You Out’ really comes down to the self worth,” the rising artist said in a press release. “It’s easy to lose yourself inside a relationship and this song was my wake up call. I’m a polite person, but when I feel like I’m being taken advantage of or my kindness is taken for weakness. I’m liable to remind you you’ve overstepped.”

Wurld — Afrosoul EP

Nigerian singer-songwriter WurlD has unleashed his latest EP Afrosoul via Platoon after much anticipation. Wurld seamlessly fuses the worlds of soul and Afrobeats to create a rich sound of his own. Nothing but good energy and vibes on this 6-piece.

Young Rog — “On The Road”

Young Rog isn’t letting a little quarantine get in the way of love. For his latest visual “On The Road,” off his upcoming album under LoveRenaissance, Rog shows how romancing still lives on under these circumstances with virtual Zoom dates and smoke sessions.

Bren Joy — “Henny In The Hamptons”

A year after the release of “Henny In The Hamptons,” burgeoning R&B artist Bren Joy is celebrating with an animated visual directed by Burn & Broad. Bren is certainly a voice to look out for as the new wave of R&B acts take over.

Natasha Elise — “Ride Wit Me” Feat. PnB Rock

Natasha Elise and PnB Rock came together for the R&B bop “Ride Wit Me,” and delivered a summertime-ready visual to go along with it. “’Ride Wit Me’ is all about living your life to the fullest and making sure your squad is down to ride,” Natasha said in a press release. “Loyalty and good vibes. No matter what, they should be by your side through it all. This song exudes good energy. I want my fans to listen to this song and just have a good time with their friends. Making this song and video was amazing and I couldn’t stop smiling. I hope that my fans keep on smiling through the song.”

Check out this week’s R&B picks, plus more on Uproxx’s Spotify playlist below.

As the pandemic has taken a major hit the live music industry, artists and venues are brainstorming ways to safely bring back in-person concerts. After news of a Denmark drive-in concert broke, DJ Carnage decided to follow suit. The DJ’s Road Rave festival is confirmed in Florida, and it’s a completely drive-in concert experience.

DJ Carnage is trying to make summer music festivals a reality with Road Rave. Carnage’s claims that the festival is the “first” of its kind is challenged by Germany EDM festival BigCityBeats. But Road Rave is the first four-hour drive-in festival taking place in America.

So far, the festival’s lineup includes DJ Carnage himself along with other producers Riot Ten, Nitti Gritti, and more. Carnage previewed the festival in a revved-up teaser video on social media. “I can’t believe this is actually happening,” he wrote.

After an Arkansas socially distant concert was postponed because it went against the state’s guidelines, Road Rave’s organizers are making sure every safety precaution is being taken. Attendance is limited to a 500 car capacity and festivalgoers must remain inside their vehicle for the entire event unless they wear a mask to use the facilities. Dancing outside cars is prohibited and the festival will have security on-site to make sure attendees are adhering to the safety measures.

While Road Rave is paving the way for future festivals, it’s also benefitting charity. A portion of proceeds from Road Rave will be donated to the ​ANF COVID-19 Relief Fund, which aims to provide assistance to vulnerable communities in Nicaragua.

Road Rave kicks off at the Central Florida Fairgrounds in Orlando on 5/6 with tickets on sale now starting at $40. Get them here.

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Tbh, no longer interested in anything that doesn’t make me feel like a human cloud.

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“To everyone hating on Ashley Benson, please stop!”

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Big sophomore college student energy.

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Apple’s Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet will follow in the footsteps of Parks and Recreaction and Community by delivering a quarantine special shot entirely through social distancing, but with a twist: The episode was written, filmed, and edited solely on iPhones.

Similar to the Parks and Rec special, the one-off episode written by creator Rob McElhenney (It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia) will lean into the characters who work for a fictional gaming company as they attempt to navigate lockdown life with mixed results. In a statement to Variety, McElhenney breaks down the impetus behind the special and how they were able to quickly produce it on the fly:

“Lots of workplaces are figuring out this whole working-from-home thing, and the gaming industry is no different. Virtual meetings are a new and special kind of hell, so I think people will relate,” said McElhenney. “Yes we’ve all had low points, but there have also been incredible moments of triumph and we wanted to celebrate that. We needed to shoot this episode fast without sacrificing quality. Thankfully, we’re living in a time when everyone’s got a camera in their pocket. Having an iPhone coupled with the ingenuity of our crew, allowed us to make this unique piece of television in just days. We hope people enjoy it as much as we enjoyed making it.”

It’s only fitting that McElhenney would jump at the chance to help bring some comedy relief during these stressful times. When the pandemic became a global crisis back in March, McElhenney was one of the first to publicly demand that Hollywood continue to pay the thousands of crew members who will be unemployed during the shutdown.

“This only really works if EVERYBODY makes the commitment to help” McElhenney tweeted at the time. “Just shutting down without a plan is not an option. I am so fortunate that I am in a position to help. I wouldn’t be here without the support of an entire community. No one in my position is.”

Mythic Quest: Quarantine will be available on Apple TV Plus on May 22.

(Via Variety)

Earlier this week, Katy Perry offered a glimmer of hope that Taylor Swift might appear on her next album, as she neither confirmed nor denied an upcoming collaboration in a recent interview. However, now it appears that, at least at the moment, Perry and Swift do not have a joint song in the works.

In an interview from before the release of “Daisies” (the new single that came out today), one of the hosts asks Perry, “Is it right that Taylor Swift appears on this new song, Katy?” She responded, “No, it’s not correct, but fans are definitely excited for something like that to happen in the future and I’m always open.” The host followed up, “So could she appear on the album, or…?” Perry answered, “No, not as of yet! The fans are so fun. They do search far and wide for easter eggs, and we do put them in our visuals, and in lyric videos, and music videos, and content that we create, but not everything is an easter egg! Some things are just… a flower!”

The two pop stars of course has a public reconciliation in 2019 after years of feuding, and Swift previously spoke about how they have mended their relationship, saying, “We have been on really good terms for a while. She sent this beautiful note and olive branch to the opening night of the Reputation stadium tour, a while ago, and from then on, we’ve been on good terms.”

Though the Jr. NBA Leadership Conference won’t happen in-person as scheduled, the NBA and WNBA put together an impressive slate of virtual interviews throughout Friday, starting with ESPN broadcaster Doris Burke and two-time MVP Steph Curry. The Jr. NBA seeks to educate kids not only on the skills necessary to be great players, but how to become better leaders and teammates. Curry detailed his own leadership style, as someone who has never been the biggest, most athletic or most aggressive player on his teams.

“As I look back from when I started playing AAU basketball when I was 9 to now, I have the same personality, I love to have fun, I love to smile, I love to crack jokes no matter what room I’m in,” Curry said.

But that had to change as he progressed in his career and into the NBA.

“Because I was talented and eventually became the best player on a team, there comes a certain expectation that sometimes you have to be the most vocal and demonstrative,” he added. “You don’t have to be anybody but yourself. I can show it better than I can say it. So I know there’s a consistency to that, but I’m pretty selective when I do speak. I’m not the loudest guy in the room, so hopefully when I do speak, it commands attention and there’s a presence about it.”

The Warriors’ locker room impressively held together well over the course of its four straight Finals appearances, despite the vast differences between Curry’s style, that of Draymond Green, and the magnetic cool of Klay Thompson. Though of course their bond wasn’t easily achieved, it wasn’t until last season that major cracks appeared in Golden State’s infrastructure.

Green is the loudest and most brazen Warrior, but Curry is the MVP. They had to figure out how to balance one another.

“Draymond has a totally different approach in terms of what works for him,” Curry told Burke. “The biggest thing is you have to be able to look yourself in the mirror everyday and say did I do everything I could to make everybody better around me? That doesn’t mean its something tangible, it’s just a feeling that you have. You just keep adding dominoes to the stack in terms of what a leader should be.”

Dating back to his time at Davidson, Curry has always been underestimated based on how he looks, how he plays, and his successful father. Trying to lead in spite of all that was difficult, but it was actually the confidence to not go outside his comfort zone that allowed Curry to earn the respect of his incredible Warriors teammates.

Previously on Total Bellas: Nikki and Artem had their first fight and looked like they might be on the path to having their first baby.

Was There Anything About Wrestling On This Week’s Episode Of Total Bellas?

There’s a lot of Daniel Bryan in this episode, but the closest thing to a direct reference to his wrestling career is talk about how often he’s away from home.

Swerved

Much more than it was about wrestling, this week’s show was about babies. But it was not about babies in the way last week’s cliffhanger ending led viewers to think! It turns out Nikki isn’t actually pregnant, and Artem, the Total Bellas production crew, and the E! audience see and hear her pee on a stick (in a PG but gross way) in order to find this out. This is not a Best and Worst column, but I’m still going to give the pregnancy test scene a hard Worst.

Nikki not being pregnant raises the question for Nikki-and-Artem of if they both want a kid. Artem does, which the audience learns in this week, but Nikki has apparently known all along. Nikki doesn’t have a straight answer and spends the episode in conflict about her “ticking clock,” which she calls a “clicking tock” after an unknown quantity of wine. I think most women who are in their thirties and either want to have kids or think they might want to have kids experience this panic of like, “Do I need to think about my eggs now? Are they doing okay in there? Also, what about literally all of my other priorities???” and that’s what Nikki goes through here.

She also has a waiter knock about half a glass of red wine all over her at a restaurant and is very chill and nice about it, I will point out! It’s a very non-Diva moment for the former Divas Champion. Nikki goes into the Nice To Service People category now until proven otherwise.

Together Apart

Last week, both of this show’s central couples were ON THE ROCKS, and this week Bryan and Brie are on the rocks again, but actually start to make their way out of the quarry by the end. Brie is still trying to get them to spend more time together as a couple and Bryan thinks the obstacle to that is Brie prioritizing hanging out with Nikki over him (career stuff is in the background for Brie this week.) Since Artem and Nikki are staying at their house, one of Bryan’s examples of this is that he’ll walk into the living room at night and the other three adults in the house will be watching TV and staring at their phones at the same time, “averaging seven-hours-plus of screen time a day.”

Every other time Bryan and Brie have had one of these fights on this season of Total Bellas it has escalated to the point of “Oh, yikes, this marriage is actually not going well at all,” but they make some real progress this week! Brie can’t figure out a date night that works with both of their schedules and generally seems really overwhelmed, so Bryan eventually ditches the argument and makes the save, figuring out a time they could go on a mini-trip and leave Birdie with Kathy.

Previously, these two have hashed out specific problem-causing situations in their marriage, but that never seemed to help their emotional problems. Here, it seems like Bryan finally figures out a way they could actually connect more as romantic partners rather than just pointing out the problems with Brie’s attempting solutions. Sometimes I feel like Bryan gets a less sympathetic edit because his name isn’t in the title of the show, so it was cool to see him work outside the box to make the save this week.

Total Bros

This episode also includes the historic, first-ever Bryan-and-Artem subplot, which is basically the Total Bellas version of that episode of Girls that was called “Boys” and was mainly about Adam and Ray. (I was going to call Alex Karpovsky the Marty Jannetty to Adam Driver’s HBK, but then I googled him, and it seems like he’s doing pretty well these days, actually.)

The Bellas’ fellas’ storyline is that Brie and Nikki want them to bond, but it seems like they have nothing in common. Bryan likes yoga; Artem does not like yoga. When Artem suggests fishing, Bryan explains he isn’t interested because “I just always picture myself as a fish” and then gives a detailed description of what he thinks the experience of a being “fished” as a human would be like. But by the end of the episode, they appear to have formed a sustainable future-brothers-in-law-and-next-door-neighbors relationship through D.I.Y. I feel like we would need significant reality TV machinations to get some drama between these two, which is probably a positive thing for the real-life Danielson-Garcia-Chigvintsev clan.

Celebrity Nail Artist Instagram Of The Week

While the Bellas are getting their hair, makeup, etc., done for a photoshoot, Nikki outlines her pregnancy woes to mother-daughter celebrity nail artists Lisa and Alex Jachno. It turns out Alex’s Instagram is a pretty good source of pictures of nail art and pictures of celebrities in which you wouldn’t really notice their nails unless you saw it posted by a nail artist. That’s a recommendation for something to kill a few minutes of quarantine for you.