rolling r&b 2021

she shoulda called it “i promise i’m not still thinking about it”

first single is surprisingly poppy:

Summer Walker - Ex for a Reason (ft. JT from City Girls)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fK0BzeBs90o

The album’s out, but I’m hesitant… that single was disappointing, and something about this tracklist.. idk

BITTER (NARRATION BY CARDI B)
EX FOR A REASON (WITH JT FROM CITY GIRLS)
NO LOVE (WITH SZA)
THROW IT AWAY
RECIPROCATE
YOU DON’T KNOW ME
CIRCUS
INSANE
CONSTANT BULLSHIT
SWITCH A NIGGA OUT
UNLOYAL (WITH ARI LENNOX)
CLOSURE
TOXIC (FEATURING LIL DURK)
DAT RIGHT THERE (WITH PHARRELL WILLIAMS, THE NEPTUNES)
SCREWIN (WITH OMARION)
BROKEN PROMISES
SESSION 33
4TH BABY MAMA (PRELUDE)
4TH BABY MAMA
CIARA’S PRAYER (NARRATION BY CIARA)

Ok so it's a set of extremely personal & direct breakup songs, all addressing London (by name). "Ex for a Reason" aside, it seems (so far) like a hardcore r&b album, with some jazzy touches that recall the stuff she did on Clear. I haven't listened to the whole thing yet...

"ex for a reason" maybe my fav song of the year. was disappointed listening to this that it's the only one w/ a beat aside from the predictably awful neptunes homage. some of the songs seemed decent enough tho

“ex for a reason” is good, especially it’s verse, but the vocal overdubs on the chorus muddle it and keep it from hitting as hard as it should imo

album is good tho, even as someone who dgaf about the drama. especially enjoying “circus” and “constant bullshit”

I like the Neptunes track! ("Dat Right There")

bleh. i wonder when artists will stop foisting their nostalgia for curdled "change clothes" era neptunes productions on us. brent faiyaz same thing this year

the Neptunes were madly overrated to begin with and Pharell in 2021 seems even worse, I wish artists would realise this

eh I just like the sound, it’s fun to hear every once in a while

another quality project from summer. some of it could definitely be excised including the neptunes track but i found stretches of it great

india shawn's EP "before we go" is out - the second track "don't play with my heart" is so lush, one of my favourite songs this year

https://open.spotify.com/album/1MnOpmiIDEfloQektuOGkr

Muni Long has a new EP out, called Public Displays of Affection. It's good! She really has a way with words...

I'm not a big SZA fan, but I like her new song ("I Hate U"). I also think the best track on the Summer album is the song w/SZA ("No Love").

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38TEd55NcXs

new brent faiyaz track "mercedes" is really good

Seeing a few r'n'b albums showing up on some 2021 critics lists... Caramanica in NY Times has Summer Walker

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYCKZ1Wk7ZE
Amaal - Honey (from her EP Milly)

this faiyaz song is my fav of his so far this year

i'm still playing summer walker's album myself (skipping a handful of tracks). "no love" is great as is "screwin'"

I had a tune in my head all last week; realized today it’s the chorus of “Constant Bullshit.”

i'm obsessed w/ the summer walker album. top 2 of the year for me. ex for a reason, throw away, reciprocate, you don't know me, constant bullshit, unloyal, screwin are all knockouts to me. you don't know me in particular is just stunning. and the rest is pretty great too

It's kind of similar to the last album, in that I underrated / didn't connect with it so much at first, and then it has grown on me. There's no "Tonight" or "Off of You" this time (the two astonishingly great tracks from Over You), but overall she was a step ahead of my expectations once again.

*Over It

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdTpQ-URyTw

also, i understand she has some real anxiety issues as it pertains to performing and stuff (feel you, girl), but i love the way it comes off as this kind of too cool for school anti-stage presence, her voice sounding so smooth and poised

I had the chance to see her in a theater a few years back (before she blew up), but couldn't go... regret missing that opportunity

my sister sent me this incredible Amber Mark song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXaPGlkd5do

new album next month, the other four singles are pretty great too

I don't know anything about dvsn, but I really like this lush R&B cover of a song I dislike.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiMrzqdFiA4

https://slate.com/culture/2021/12/best-r-b-albums-2021-jazmine-sullivan-summer-walker-bell-hooks.html

Briana Younger on her fave 2021 r'n'b and what it meant to her

Nice Maeta cover of a Don Toliver song ("Swangin on Westheimer"):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pX-Pau6S8wc

EOY Errata: two unrelated (but both good) 2021 songs titled "Sneaky Link":

Muni Long
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXjnm4UPqC0

Savannah Cristina
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L0pyTQBxJk