Peace to the OGs. The sultry and sexy track is everything fans have come to love and expect from the R&B veteran. FOX’s hit show, STAR, may have been Ryan Destiny’s breakout debut, but it’s her solo single, “The Same” that has proved the Detroit native is ready to step away from the show’s shadow and into the limelight of her own. - I.R. Fans agree—“Love Again” hit No. Now, the self-proclaimed “hip-hop nonconformist” is working on his sophomore album, which he promised fans would be released in 2019. ", Produced by John “SK” McGee (Omarion, Trey Songz, August Alsina), the beat allows Jacquees’ vocals to also be an instrument thanks to his ad-libs and signature “eeeee” sound. Guess it all makes sense, then; the perfect baby step to getting back on top is quite literally showing what love can do. Through J. Cole’s verse, he flips the meaning of the devil emoji into a spiritual blessing, alluding to his partner as Eve (“God, pulled out a rib”) and calling her “Heaven-sent.”. The sultry single indeed makes you want to be in love. Rich Wilhelm. The 70 Best Soul Songs of 2019 (December 26, 2019) It is always fun at the end of each year to celebrate the best of that year. - S.O. There's a knock embedded throughout Jacquees' "Your Peace" melody that sends your brain into a groove. While the interpolation does little to oust the endearing quality of the original, the 30-year-old vet knew better than to make that his mission. We also have a Spotify playlist below so that you can listen to the list. South African Afro soul & Afro pop songs 2019. - C.M. - Kiyonna Anthony. Can we get a Mereba and JID joint EP, though? - M.A. Since her commercial debut in 2013, Justine Skye has been subtly stripping away the layers of her artistry in order to expose her bare, soulful side. First, flipping Lloyd’s “Feel So Right” into “Permission” in 2015, and now doing Usher’s Robin Thicke-penned masterpiece the justice it deserves. Heads instantly get to bopping when the first verse rings off: “That man is fine/ many find, yea/ so fine, that’s why he’s mine, yea.” There’s no one man that Bus waxes poetic about on this song—think of it as an ode to Black men, whom Bus believes are under-celebrated. The instrumentation and vocal prowess stand up to the vibe in equal measure. It almost seems as if Luke James spent lots of time appreciating and studying natural, Black girl Twitter, then decided to make a song honoring the organic, melanated beauty that they exude. "Enough" is a chart-climbing testament to Fantasia's devotion to her craft. Its soothing melodies, interpolation of the classic hit, “Tonight, I Celebrate My Love,” by Peabo Bryson & Roberta Flack and sultry lyrics hit all the right spots, but Andrew Watt’s enthralling guitar solo is the satisfying climax. Many duets focus on coupling an artist with a singer who will elevate their clout status or simply serve as a supporting role to the star vocalist. SiR is a hopeless romantic on the album’s second song, “John Redcorn,” as he croons “you don’t ever bring me good news, babe.” Despite this, SiR’s voice is velvety and stern, possessing a regal coolness and forthright vulnerability. Produced by Insightful, a rather appropriate name for the mind who also produced the single “Artifacts,” the eighth track on To Myself, “Mortal” has a sepia-toned quality of a memory gone blurry around the edges, perhaps aged with time, or perhaps obscured by tears. Dirty mackin’ anthems have existed in R&B since the genre’s creation. His appearance was a chance to perform cuts from Painted, including “I Love You Too Much” and “Call,” but not before joining Saddiq for an impromptu performance of “Be Here,” in which Daye covered D’Angelo’s part with ease. The track finds the duo, driven by the familiarity of kinship, effortlessly harmonize their way through stanzas detailing how a relationship that looks glossy and perfect on the surface, holds a tumultuous and roiling maelstrom of sadness and anger just beyond view. - Naima Cochrane, The R&B landscape is becoming much like its rap counterpart; there is a smorgasbord of “something for everyone,” ranging from new neo-soul stylings, to “trap soul,” to pop-friendly chart-toppers. Others are embracing their forms of love regardless of skin complexion, sexual orientation, and age. The term “dirty mackin” is used across the country to describe someone who is interested in someone and attempts to win them over by speaking negatively about their significant other or other possible suitors. Might it be safe to say that Drizzy jumped on the wrong Summer Walker track? - Jasmine Grant. Fatman Scoop - Something Sweet Allen Stone - Look OutsideAlthea Rene - Life on MarsAmber Mark - What IfAnderson.Paak feat. Sampling a staple like Shanice’s “I Love Your Smile” is a touchy undertaking, especially as an R&B artist. Marinated in emotion and soaked through with yearning, it is little surprise that singles like “Mortal,” a stunningly vulnerable meditation on the almost suffocating nature of love, settle so heavily on the soul. Today’s R&B landscape keeps getting criticized for being more about vibes than vocal prowess, but BJ continuously delivers us the best of both worlds. Beneath the Atlanta native’s croons of unrequited love, lies an all-out rap flow, that if recited instead of sung, would make for a passable hip-hop offering. With her Jaguar EP slated for release, “A** Like That” isn’t just a gaze at Victoria Monet’s figure, but a sight on her undeniable penmanship. - Camille Augustin. -S.S.S. Its lyrical simplicity details how two lovers consider their ominous entanglement as merely fate: "Everybody's got opinions on our thing/ Say we're flying down a path with no ending/ And if I die before I wake/ Don't let me wake 'em from this dream. Whew! The R&B/soul single dropped on Valentine’s Day, with the Nathan Corrona-directed visual following months later in July. But musically, there is more below the surface. - I.R. 15 on Billboard’s Hot R&B Songs, it wouldn’t be surprising if it holds as part of H.E.R.’s core catalogue later in her career. Speaking of celebrating...can we applaud our good sis for successfully sampling a Wu-Tang track? In many ways, Khalid has evoked nostalgia from the very beginning. With ‘90s and early aughts nostalgia at peak levels, nothing brings things full circle quite like a familiar and beloved sample. “Something Keeps Calling” introduced Jimmy Lee, Raphael Saadiq’s highly anticipated solo return after eight years of working on projects for Solange, Mary J Blige, and others following 2011’s Stone Rollin’. An R&B anthem dedicated to every trainer, “A** Like That” encapsulates singer-songwriter Victoria Monet as a fitness junkie and serves as a celebration of self-love. The androgynous play on her sexuality with the Harlem native drifting back and forth between feminine and masculine energy, like her homage to LL Cool J’s “Doin’ It,” made the song more fluid and honestly, sexier. Lyrically, earnestness and vulnerability take flight as Fantasia finds herself in the throes of a dynamic relationship that she knows won't last forever: "I could just live here in your arms, I don't wanna move/ 'Cause the way that you love me/ It makes me feel like I'm brand new." In the midst of the potpourri is DaniLeigh, the Miami native taking listeners to the dance floor with jams that command your body to move. The 15 Best R&B/Soul Albums of 2019 Sarah Zupko, Colin McGuire, Jacob Uitti. From Raphael Saadiq handling production and guitar to the music video’s signature '90s R&B-esque singing in the rain, this release has nostalgia written all over it. Perhaps the only thing more hypnotizing than the ravishing cinematography of the film Queen & Slim is its accompanying soundtrack. We follow her struggle with her relationship and ascending stardom until she finally leaves him behind and takes the concert stage. To get an additional verse from Ghostface Killah himself further proves this track’s undeniable likeability. You experience it. Black love to be specific," which is pretty utopian for a generation of Black girls who undoubtedly crave such a familiar, safe love. - N.C. Amidst finger snaps and an elastic bassline, India.Arie's "Steady Love" is a gently strummed ballad predicated on emotion and resilience. The opening frame writes out “Real People. 8. 19 on the Billboard’s Top R&B Albums. Riding a raw, visceral rollercoaster of heartbreak, lust takes over one moment (“I wanna f**k you right now”), then scorn takes over the next (“Might f**k around, have to pay me in blood”), all before settling onto the bitter truth: she is not okay. Jhene Aiko is at her best when she wades in the waters of nuance, enacting rigorous, complicated honesty about life and love’s perils. The Toronto native interpreted recognizable songs from Jagged Edge to Mya to 112, but one that seemed like a long time coming on the collaboration end is Lanez's "The Take" featuring Chris Brown. What took the song to a new level, though, was its visual, directed by Teyana “Spike Tee” Taylor herself. Magic Soul. Being that he’s a DJ and is always up on tunes weeks before they pop commercially, I trusted his inkling that this Dutch-Curacaoan singer had something special. It's been a minute since the New Orleans native gave us new tunes to groove to. PJ Morton and JoJo’s “Say So” isn’t that. 2018 was definitely the year where R&B declared its status as "alive and well," in a time where hip-hop made its dominating and profitable presence known. Lalah Hathaway - So EmotionalMorgan James - I Don't Mind Waking UpNao Yoshioka - Got MeNygel Robinson - One More ChancePhonte feat. From the moment the beat dropped, the G.O.O.D. Through its neo-soul gauze—with an atmospheric psychedelic production that would fit the transitional period of the ‘60s into the ‘70s—“John Redcorn” draws inspiration from the fictional character of the same name of the animated comedy, King of the Hill. With "Sandstorms," Mereba flawlessly tells the prolific tale of the emotional rollercoaster we all experience while going through a breakup. "I let go of something that was comfortable in hopes of making space for something that was actually meant for me." https://daily.bandcamp.com/best-of-2019/the-best-soul-albums-of-2019 - S.S.S. phone number that was previously trademarked by Mike Jones. Where the Texas native shines, is adding a fresh flair to nods from the past, making him irresistible to the masses. It’s a simple but catchy and effective bop; the lyrics “You never know when to chill, always talk 'bout keep it real/ Only til’ you've had your fill, then you wanna cry ill will” probably popped up in multiple texts this fall. It recalls the work of neo-soul artists like Bilal, humming and ooo-ing along to the free spirit of ticking drums and synthy-winds.