rolling r&b 2020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exKC1W-Tu_U

certainly not as unique or bold as her material from her commercial prime, but brandy's return is pretty solid imo. backing is fairly repetitive but that moment when the horns and percussion retreat for a few seconds hits the spot. chance's guest verse veers from eyebrow-raising to genuinely amusing

i will take literally whatever Brandy i can get but that's fairly undistinguished

the chloe x halle single seems like an instant classic, the sort of thing that might've led off a "summer jams" thread in precedented times gone by!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9HIaGcBocc

(a victoria monét co-write btw)

that’s lovely

http://youtu.be/zdcdIYkL6go

lol, they got your number maura

(that’s “Too Much” by Ro James ft. Miguel)

and there’s this teddy riley-assisted lloyd slow jam


https://empire.ffm.to/slowwinebassline

future nostalgia

the parisalexa album is really well executed and enjoyable: https://open.spotify.com/album/5SqQ4wQaltxdUwRrlGuwmw

the chloe x halle single seems like an instant classic

yes!

+ Lloyd's slow jam is stunning and giving me a Swing Mob deep cut kick

the album's great too (chloe x halle's, out today)

I will have to listen to it more, but one thing’s for sure, the title track is a beauty.

New single “Forgive Me” is also good:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bc9Y58TeZk0

New Victoria Monét (w/Khalid) song coming on Friday:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EaphkxsUYAADh7n?format=jpg&name=large

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0t8zeEiqEY

finally got around to the 070 Shake album recently and it's very good

~WOW~

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXruX1qBAc8

oh my god

not a direction i immediately expected from either of these artists but wow at how effortlessly they pull it off here. surely has to be among the best songs in both of their catalogs? i honestly figured khalid would never make a good dance tune again.

if i do not get to roller skate to this at some time in my life i will have failed

yeah that's great

xp coincidentally, here’s what she says about another song from her forthcoming project:

The title track, ‘Jaguar’ is one of my favourite songs,” she says. “It’s going to make you want to rollerskate around, or do a dance like the electric slide! It’s that vibe. It’s not too on-the-nose disco. It’s not like I’m trying to straight up be Donna Summer, but it definitely feels like retro-future.

banger

lost summer jam for the summer we never had

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWqGG92GsrQ

phonte and vic mensa, produced by zo. i love this so much

that show is dope

I like this from Ayanis, whose 2018 single "Awh Yeh" was huge for me. This one's from back in January - it has 2mm views as of now (that's decent, no?)

Ayanis - Lil Boi (Big Talk) feat. Queen Naija

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvDH2-G77-0

i like that, has some clever lyrics

appreciate the tasteful references to classic music videos too. i def prefer that to the sometimes-gratuitous interpolations that pop up in the songs themselves lately

that's great

This is really nice:

Mahalia - Plastic Plants

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBaDGFrdNg0

love mahalia

Loyal, by Ceraadi, was a jam last year... they're still tearing it up:

Ceraadi - Tear It Up
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gro3S-uWuk

(throwback-style jams are hitting the spot for me right now)

Jaguar coming July 31:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EbdB36nU8AAaiAT.jpg

1. Moment
2. Track 2
3. Dive
4. Track 4
5. Track 5
6. Experience ft. Khalid & SG Lewis
7. Ass Like That
8. Track 8
9. Track 9

love that cover

I need it

Summer Walker has a new EP out July 10. Nice BET Awards performance (w/Usher):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVqh9kCltAM

Rollerskating video (for dyl):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJGSU0nXd-w

:D

TIL her first name stands for “Kill All Arrogance Stop Hatred.”

Kaash Paige - Jaded

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrTM2jPAdhg

👑 when the Queen is coming, you move!! It’s just what you do lol new Jaguar release date: August 7th 🤎 pic.twitter.com/IrJRpxuTeo

— Victoria Monét (@VictoriaMonet) July 7, 2020

The new Summer Walker EP, Life on Earth, is really good:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ebs74MhWsAAcdzn?format=jpg&name=large
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EcbuhxFXQAMlm3t?format=jpg&name=large

def need to listen to that soon

here's a song i heard earlier today. i'm a bit taken by how warm, hopeful, gently uplifting it feels. (the video ends on a note that's not quite that)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GR4OJgDvFY

theres so much new R&B these days ... not a TON of it is connecting on a mass scale but a lot of it is doing decently, I'd love to read some really good critics on contemporary R&B

I think this would be a really good time for publications to properly cover r&b, not just because the genre is in particularly good health, but with the wider cultural conversations happening it would be a really good time to commit to covering work produced in a style that's still mostly associated with black voices

I'm aware how patronising and clunky and simplistic that statement reads but at the same time, I feel like we're talking about Black Lives Matter and empowerment and yet the coverage I see of contemporary r&b is so minimal

I agree it would be great (and, yes, “timely”) if a genre in which young Black women thrive were more celebrated!

it's so frustrating

I can't get over this EP - the first three tracks, especially, are just blazing. She's a major artist, you know? I'm so pleased, especially bc I never really connected w/Over It.

Summer Walker - My Affection

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMCpQ0FxJIo

i'm late but i am also enjoying summer walker's ep

Voicemails was a masterpiece but I somehow missed a new Tink album even existed. Belated thanks to Maura for the link. Have now picked it up and it's pretty great.