Rolling R&B Thread 2012

the painting isn't the worst thing in the world

god I wish the terry richardson photo aesthetic would just die

yeah seriously

this new miguel song is so delicate. the production really leaves room for his voice to soar at the end there.

<i>He should've been lumped in with Frank and Weeknd with the whole "new r&b guy" trend.</i>

...

<I>even tho miguel was sorta new like frank ocean and the weeknd, the audiences aren't really the same so it's sort of a weird thing to bring up

it would make more sense imo to talk about how miguel is a much more creative, fun and singular songwriter than trey songz</i>

I interviewed Trey Songz the other week, and he touched on a lot of the points this thread has over the last couple of days. His big-picture take on R&B is that it's a good time for the genre, with young blood like Miguel, Frank Ocean and The Weeknd (he listed them in that order, I think) doing great things that are possible in part because they've done their own thing instead of trying to cater to a Top 40 radio climate that doesn't have much interest in R&B right now.

(sorry I used the wrong HTML for those italics)

I think Miguel is a better songwriter than Trey Songz, but My Mans is more singular. It's often his clumsier aspects that are the most distinct.

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRvdppj5moIFtoIwOpNZdCvC3GUtxYFdpsG7OyDJ9ECwTYgHlxiMXwh-Q
http://snd.sc/z1PP2d
http://snd.sc/z1PP2d
http://snd.sc/z1PP2d
http://snd.sc/z1PP2d
http://snd.sc/z1PP2d
http://snd.sc/z1PP2d
http://snd.sc/z1PP2d
http://snd.sc/z1PP2d
http://snd.sc/z1PP2d

^^^^^^^^^ NEW BRANDY AND MONICA SONG ^^^^^^^^^^^

^^^ AWESOME ^^^^

just heard that on the radio coming home, pretty good

Sorry bwasher, didn't want to squash your enthusiasm, not feeling this really at all. Nothing particularly memorable about any of it.

I wish there was some good reason for it to be a duet

Somehow never found the R&B 2012 thread until today. Hm. Excited to work through all this.

Ok. That first Dawn Richards single does sound very Brandy.

Listening to the Jade Alston tape and she had me from the Single on a Saturday Night Intro which is A++ gorgeous. Like the guitar counterpoint going on in at the end of 'Missing You Lately'.

She's got a beautiful lower register - I can't think of the last time we had a R&B singer who consistently hung out in that part of her vocal register. Very sultry.

The Elle Varner mixtape is also pretty good, even the R&B cover of Ani Difranco.

New mixtape from Kalenna of Dirty Money, a few dope cuts on it

http://www.datpiff.com/Kalenna-Chamber-Of-Diaries-mixtape.312046.html

Another mixtape

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2012/02/14/take-a-trip-to-raheem-devaughs-loveland/

usher - climax

http://soundcloud.com/diplo/climax

:o

yes,

:O

Yeah. I was just coming here to post that. Was a bit skeptical at first, but it's one of my favourite Usher tracks in ages, notwithstanding Diplo's involvement.

Market forces + Guetta pushing Usher away from his totally awesome balladry towards Autotuned Taio Cruz/Derulo ish was/is incredibly depressing. This doesn't quite match the best of old-Usher, but this is /DAMN/ good.

I mean. It's no 'Burn' or 'U Got It Bad', but I'll take what I can get.

Real good.

yeah this is incredible

it sounds cool but think the songwriting is a bit lacking

it kinda needs a hook... as far as astral third era usher songs go, "mars vs venus" >>>>>> climax

'astral third era usher songs' is going to be the name of my sci-fi paperback

I think the songwriting is actually really sharp. There's a lot of layers of deliberate ambiguity behind what on the surface seems a shitty double entendre. It doesn't hit me as immediately as "Papers" (or even "Stranger") but it's the first Usher track in a while that leaves me something to chew on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf9Sz7MpCbw
<3

annoying pronunciation aside this tinashe tape is sounding very very good. she commands the tracks, some of which sound like the weeknd with competent vocals. actually these are way beyond just competent... please, school me on tinashe. easily debut of the year so far

I interviewed Trey Songz the other week, and he touched on a lot of the points this thread has over the last couple of days. His big-picture take on R&B is that it's a good time for the genre, with young blood like Miguel, Frank Ocean and The Weeknd (he listed them in that order, I think) doing great things that are possible in part because they've done their own thing instead of trying to cater to a Top 40 radio climate that doesn't have much interest in R&B right now.

― Evan R, Monday, February 6, 2012 2:48 PM (2 weeks ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

this seems like a pretty pat summary of it, esp considering that one song aside neither of the latter artists have done any damage to the charts either...

fuck evy jane

more fucking tumblr&b. JUST FUCK OFF

new nikkiya song is really excellent though

Just tried that Evy Jane track. Not good, but it's not that different from some of the more ephemeral stuff in the outsider R&B thread. Why such hostility? Did a pitchfork writer recommend her or something?

It showed up in FACT today and they're white and from Vancouver?

Unless there's a more tangible reason.

all fair enough reasons to hate tbqh

I feel like half these acts would be better if they used snare in their beats

("these" being ppl like Evy Jane)

Listening to Evy Jane and don't really understand why we're even discussing them as R&B (and by extension why their existence is threatening to R&B).

This sounds far more like Purity Ring or random witch house stuff than anything that's been claimed to be 'an evolution of R&B' - I understood the frustration w/ the discourse around Frank Ocean and The Weeknd even if I couldn't entirely get behind it, but this sounds like a different thing altogether.

I didn't love the A-side, "SaySo", but OhSo was okay. But they're basically a b-grade Purity Ring.

it was described as r&b it's shit let's talk about and listen to something else

weren't you the first person to bring them up? unless there's an unlabeled Youtube that I can't see

why even mention them in this thread if you don't want to talk about them?

been digging that alunageorge track from last year lately

i thought everyone would just ignore it à la what happens when i bring up artists and songs i'm really into

Yeah, exactly - no one knew about them (or at least no one was talking about them until you did!)

But anyway - R&B - Melanie Fiona's new album is confusing me. We have three lead singles so far.

I love 4 AM but it's totally Drake-y and not really what her general style is. Gone and Never Coming Back is a good big ballad, but didn't blow me away.

And now there's 'Wrong Side of a Love Song' which is breathtaking but a total throwback - right down to the organ.

Most people do not ignore the songs and artists you're really into. Two people said that in some other thread in a manner that was blatant trolling - while about 6 other people were actively saying that they pay attention to your recommendations.

Anyway.

re: Melanie Fiona - it just got delayed until May. Does this mean they're retooling it to fit the success of 4AM?

Because her chops would be wasted on a whole album of 40 copycat beats.

i started a melanie fiona thread about an hour ago which has gotten zero answers so far

lex you're being a weirdo