Everything but the Song: Genres change and evolve but R&B is far from dead


By
 in ,

With millions of songs — new and old — available on streaming services and thousands of artists to discover, there is absolutely no reason why anyone should claim the genre of R&B is dead. 

“Music don’t feel the same because we barely have R&B, … R&B brung that balance to music … now everything is leanin one way smh so it gets played out quick! We need R&B for the balance no kap!” These words from rapper Young M.A’s Twitter account pinched a nerve. To give her credit, the last portion of her statement is a sentiment I relate to. R&B does bring a precise balance to more dynamic and intense-sounding genres that populate the charts — think pop, EDM and some rap, specifically trap-leaning songs. 

Despite the truth in her tweet, R&B is very much present in today’s musical landscape. There are a host of artists like Jade Novah, Joyce Wrice, Kyle Dion, Tony Sway, BJ The Chicago Kid, Charity, Snoh Aalegra and more, whose music is reminiscent of the genre’s soulful roots. When people claim the style is dead or has lost its way, artists such as Baby Rose immediately come to mind; her voice sounds like it was plucked from the Motown archives. Or even Ari Lennox’s album-opener “Chicago Boy,” which would fit perfectly into any late-night radio format alongside the classics of Sade or Erykah Badu. 

These two Dreamville-adjacent artists are just the surface of what R&B in 2020 has to offer. Beneath them (in popularity, not talent) are a host of other artists who critique the genre for having too many “whisper singers,” lacking singers who were raised in the church or sampling the classics too often, among a host of other critiques. 

That’s not to say there aren’t issues with R&B today. I was not too fond of Justin Bieber’s faux R&B album “Changes.” There are fifty-’leven British artists who sound very similar to Ella Mai and Mahalia. And last, but certainly not least, C*ris B*own makes the same song over and over again. But in any genre there exists bad, corny or played- out elements, so why does R&B face so much scrutiny? 

The answer: The beloved genre is deeply unreported on in tandem with our affinity for nostalgia and lazy music discovery efforts. To the first point, take a minute to conjure up two or three music outlets or music journalism products such as video series, web shows and Instagram accounts that focus on the genre. You probably can’t. Shout out to COLORS for consistently putting on new talent and a host of other smaller creators who are dedicated to the genre. But when it comes to the Complexes, Geniuses and Jon Caramanicas of the world, the focus of their R&B effort is tethered to major label talent and viral hits. 

To the second point, please let ’90s R&B go. Yes, we love New Edition and covet singers with voices like Deborah Cox, but the era is not coming back. All genres go through tectonic shifts and will continue to evolve and change. Just because today’s artists aren’t fitting for the Love Jones soundtrack doesn’t mean the genre has been utterly disgraced. If ’90s R&B is what you crave, it’s readily available on all streaming platforms and you can head to YouTube to hear whatever Aaliyah is missing.

Lastly, we must be more ambitious about finding music that suits our needs. There’s no question that discovering music can be a daunting task. Where do you start? How do you move past Spotify’s or Tidal’s suggestions and personalized mixes? But just because it’s hard to find R&B you like doesn’t mean it’s not out there. 

I suggest combing through SoundCloud or following accounts like @RnBUntapped on Instagram. Soulection or @JoeKay’s Twitter replies are other great resources for discovering new talent in the genre, as well as COLORS. 

To Young M.A, my SZA whisper haters and more, there are a plethora of R&B artists to discover. To help your search, here is a mini-playlist of R&B tracks to rekindle your love for the genre and restore balance to your music library: 

1. “Paradise” by Daniel Merriweather 

2. “Thing Called Love” by Kevin Ross

3. “We Don’t Funk” by KIRBY 

4. “Damn” by Anthony Flammia 

5. “In Love with You” by Al Bettis 

6. “Hands Off Me” by Chiiild

7. “Sobriety” by Kaash Paige

8. “Not 4 Nothin” by Alia Kadir 

9. “Pan!c” by Audrey Mika

10. “Little Bit” by Erika de Casier 

11. “Bittersweet” by Lianne La Havas

Ellice Ellis is a senior writing about the music industry and social justice. She is also an Arts & Entertainment Editor for the Daily Trojan. Her column “Everything but the Song” runs every other Wednesday.