As a radio format that prized legacy artists plays more acts in their 20s and 30s, staples of the genre face intense competition. By Elias Leight In March, the singer Maeta hit No. 1 on Billboard’s ...

Host Erykah Badu attends the 2016 Soul Train Music Awards at the Orleans Arena on November 6, 2016 in Las Vegas. The combination of rhythm and blues spurred the development of the culture and genre ...

Before crossing over into the more commercial “contemporary” sound of keyboards, synths, and the bass-and-drum pop of the 1980s with the likes of Stephanie Mills, Debarge, and Al B. Sure, 1970s R&B ...

This week, Jacquees anointed himself the undisputed ruler of R&B— and all hell broke loose. “I just wanna let everybody know that I’m the king of R&B right now, for this generation,” said the ...

Welcome to The State of R&B, ESSENCE's look at the past, present and future of rhythm and blues. In this piece, writer Jaelani Turner-Williams addresses claims that today's R&B is too sexual. R&B’s ...

Billboard's R&B/hip-hop team reveals the talented players who made major impressions this year. ‘Tis the season again: to make a list, check it twice (and a couple more times for good measure) and ...

One of the cool things about music is how it continues to elevate over time, and R&B is no different. R&B tends to change its sound with each new decade. The '70s had soul and disco, the '80s had funk ...

Whoever thinks R&B is dead simply isn’t listening. The soundtrack of lovers and friends of love has been a relished space within music for decades, finding sweet prevalence in the aughts for its ...

For many decades, going as far back as the 1940s, artists from the world of R&B couldn’t really claim mainstream success until they’d crossed over to Top 40 radio and the pop charts. This century, it ...

“If I Get Caught,” the first single from the R&B duo Dvsn‘s upcoming album, released last month, is far from subtle in its description of what some might call “toxic” behavior. In the chorus, destined ...

While Canada already has a rich R&B history, the future may be even brighter. Thanks to the Weeknd and Drake's global success mixing his brand of hip-hop with R&B influences, many Canadian acts from ...