I’ve recently heard it over and over again that R&B is dead. There are no more declarations of love or painful confessions in our modern day music. People are constantly saying that Gen Z is incapable of love or we can only commit to “situationships,” and it reflects in our music.
I think the people who say things like that just aren’t looking in the right places. R&B is a broad genre with more and more subgenres every day.
Artists like SZA and Summer Walker are mainstream examples of R&B artists who experiment with their music while maintaining their romantic sound. Sometimes they’re telling off their man and sometimes they’re begging for a little attention.
Either way, between the two of them, they capture the feelings of millions of girls going through similar experiences with dating.
If you’re looking to expand your alternative R&B catalog, there are three artists who I highly recommend.
- Spencer
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First is New York native Spencer, who has a soft, melodic theme that is present in his music. It’s the sweet and soft side of R&B that people are complaining about missing.
He encapsulates the romantic, light-hearted feelings of a first date or honeymoon phase in his instrumentals. I recommend listening to his 2021 album “Are U Down?” as an introduction.
- bLAck pARty
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My second recommendation is bLAck pARty, who was born in Arkansas and now based out of Los Angeles. He describes his style as a mix of R&B, hip-hop, psychedelic soul and “tropical funk,” which reigns true in his instrumentals.
There’s a refreshing, light air surrounding his music. It’s like a mix of nostalgia being brought into something entirely new. His song “Dancing” has a 70s vibe, while also feeling like something that would play in an H&M while my mom took me jeans shopping in 2014.
- Dijon
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Third on the list, Dijon, lyrically takes me back to the feeling of hearing Usher or Boyz II Men, and makes me feel like they’re pouring their hearts out to me. The sweet lyricism is accompanied by soft instrumentals and catchy melodies to create the perfect R&B storm.
My personal favorite song by Dijon is “The Dress,” but you should check out his entire discography for that nostalgic feeling that R&B artists have provided.
If you’re someone who likes to leave new music on in the background while working idly, there are a few premade playlists curated by Spotify that you should check out. I recommend “Lowkey,” “Butter,” “Chilled R&B,” “Next Wave Soul,” “Riffs and Runs,” “Lorem” or “Indie Frequency.”
These playlists are updated on a constant basis and they’re a great source for finding new artists. I like feeling like I discovered new music for myself rather than someone telling me to listen to a new song. That’s just me being stubborn, though.
This year, don’t find yourself saying that modern music is dead, or that it was so much better before the streaming era. The digital age is changing the way we do everything, including listening to and finding new music.
Instead of relying on the mainstream media for quality music, you should explore for yourself and discover a new artist who may not have their record label’s support to be mass marketed.