Browsing Tag

00s RnB

Kunle B – Wasting Time: A London Edge to R&B’s Classic Pulse

Posted on 8 April 2025
Kunle B

Kunle B may have cut his teeth in church pews and school halls, but his latest single Wasting Time proves he’s now fully in command of the late-night airwaves. Dripping with early 00s R&B swagger and wrapped in the kind of sensuous vocal delivery that leaves fingerprints on your soul, the track is a bold return for the Londoner who’s rebuilt his sound from the ground up after a vocal haemorrhage threatened to pull the plug on his rise.

He doesn’t just throw down smooth grooves—he stakes his territory with a voice that oozes intent. The cheeky edge in the voice note interludes grounds the track in the reality of London’s grit, while the sultry rhythm guitar flickers with Latin heat. It’s this juxtaposition—between street-smart bravado and slow jam sensuality—that makes Wasting Time so addictive.

The influence of Brandy, Craig David, and Michael Jackson is felt in the meticulous vocal layering and slick phrasing, but Kunle B brings something fresh with his aphrodisiacal tone and instinct for emotional weight. Every line is shaped with purpose; every harmony lands with a sting.

Having climbed from mashups on socials to writing for others and securing his own development deal, Kunle B isn’t leaning on anyone else’s vision. He’s here to push R&B forward, spotlight Black male artistry, and show the UK doesn’t need to look across the Atlantic for this calibre of soul.

Wasting Time is available to stream on all major platforms, including Soundcloud, now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Dialling Up the Future: KayOShea Reinvents RnB with Yo Number

Posted on 15 February 2025

With echoes of the iconic Nelly and Kelly Rowland track behind the syncopated beats, scuzzy synths and trickles of piano keys, KayOShea didn’t just break the mould with Yo Number, he contoured a retro-futuristic hybrid that instantly catches you off guard, pulls you in deeper and gives you the compulsion to hit repeat.

KayOShea, the Indiana-born artist who has spent over a decade navigating music, comedy, and acting, has a knack for exploring the experimental intersections of RnB. His approach refuses to sit in one space, stretching the genre’s boundaries with textured production and expressive depth.

Despite the polish and artful nuances, Yo Number still finds a way to feel like an impromptu rush of expression, allowing you to lock right into the energy of the salacious with soul single. The blend of crisp production with KayOShea’s vocals as they switch from RnB harmonies to rap verses ensures Yo Number makes an unforgettable impact—never veering into overindulgence but always keeping you hanging on every moment.

Now available to stream on all major platforms, including YouTube, Yo Number makes it clear that KayOShea isn’t just experimenting for the sake of it—he’s actively writing the next chapter of RnB.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lust and Luminescence: Exploring Derik Madrid’s Pulsative RnB Pop ‘Vision’

Posted on 17 July 2024

Derik Madrid, a Filipino singer-songwriter based in Sydney, illuminated the airwaves with the neon-lit glow of his latest RnB pop release, Vision. Created in collaboration with the powerhouse producer, Declan Dias, the sensuously salacious single explores the phenomenon of objects of desire existing as abstract ideas within fantasies until the lust-fuelled daydreams become more tangible than semblances of reverie.

The themes of fixation are expertly visualised in the etherealism of the single which showcases Madrid’s vocal versatility and Dias’ ability to thematically run with a concept until it euphonically materialises. Pulsative electronic beats become the bedrock of the vulnerable release that is underpinned with enough pure passion to allow listeners to vicariously experience the artist’s deep adoration and prompt reflection on the profound connections in their own lives.

By exploring the haunting fear of loss and unrequited love, Vision is a deeply affecting meditation on the dualism of love. It’s so much more than a showcase of Madrid’s ability to fuse his narratives into memorable melodies; it’s a testament to his talent for creating music that resonates on a profound level with his audience.

As Madrid continues to draw inspiration from icons like Sam Smith and The Weeknd, his own unique voice becomes increasingly distinct and influential.

Vision was officially released on July 5th; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Shegogg & Mariah Jae blossomed in their serene odyssey of lush RnB, ‘Garden II’

Posted on 3 July 2024

Shegogg’s latest lush with serene soul single, ‘Flower II’, created in collaboration with Mariah Jae, is a revisitation of the 00s RnB era via an unchartered path paved with striking authenticity.

The track’s unique ability to rekindle the genre’s former glory is amplified through the vibrant infusion of contemporary RnB elements while Mariah Jae adds a profound dimension with her ethereal and diaphanously sweet vocals, creating hypnotic harmonies that drift above the solid, trap-infused beats.

At 33, Shegogg, originally from Little Rock, Arkansas and now based in Atlanta, Georgia, stands as a cultivated originator. His style—a skilful meld of RnB and Pop-Funk—brings to mind the smoothness of artists like Justin Timberlake and Usher, yet, rather than letting influence overshadow his sense-awakening sonic signature, he plays to his strengths by blending soulful rhythms and melodies with a warmth that resonates deeply, evoking feelings of comfort and connection.

Unlike his deadest on mimicking RnB icons contemporaries, Shegogg innovative spirit turns everything he touches to sonic gold, and Flower II was far from the exception. The release harnesses the power of metaphoric parables to encourage listeners to nurture their relationships as his and Mariah Jae’s synergy becomes undeniable. Their vocal interplay weaves through the hazy Latin guitar-flavoured backdrop and the intermittently dominant trap beats, efficaciously capturing the bliss of being locked in love.

Garden II was officially released on June 19th; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Celestial Serenade: Anaia Lachelle’s ‘This Time’ Weaves RnB Nostalgia with Emotional Clarity

Posted on 28 April 2024

The anticipation for the RnB singer-songwriter Anaia Lachelle’s sophomore LP, Lay It Out, continues to intensify, especially after the release of her latest single, This Time. The 23-year-old Western Michigan University graduate has been honing her craft since the age of 16; in 2024, the evocative command of her pitch-perfect harmonies attests that there are few facets of her artistry left to polish.

The way her celestially crystalline harmonies glisten in the transcendent tones of her latest single, which finds the middle ground between 90s and 00s RnB, ensures that This Time doesn’t just act as a narration of her vulnerable emotion, it becomes a scintillating embodiment of it. Once you hit play on the single, you will fail to discern where your emotions end and the sublime succinct alchemy within This Time starts.

Every chapter of the tenderly tentative love story increases the yearning to turn the next page, allowing the single to offer a deeply gratifying listening experience as the progressions just get smoother and sweeter.

This Time hit the airwaves on April 12; stream the single on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sinch magnetised the melodies with soul in their RnB release, My Man

Posted on 11 February 2024
Sinch

This week, we were lucky enough to get a sneak peek of the forthcoming single, My Man, by the RnB luminary, Sinch, who knows just how to magnetise melodies, heal with harmonies, and paint panoramic vignettes with lyricism.

The track will take you right back to the 00s era of RnB, when Alicia Keys, Blu Cantrell, Black Eyed Peas, and Ashanti dominated the airwaves as Sinch pays an ode to the anticipation of hearing a key fumbling in the lock and welcoming your partner home.

To amplify the emotion in the single, the superlative songwriter and chanteuse singer juxtaposed the cosy and affectionate feelings with a sense of gratitude for sanctity within a soul and the truest definition of the word home, given the conflict that other people endure outside the idyllic four walls. It’s food for thought, a salve for the soul, and will become your rhythmic pulses’ new favourite ignition.

My Man is currently awaiting a release date; to be the first to know when it drops, follow Sinch on Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Phil Q left Earth’s orbit with the interstellar RnB single, Supernova

Posted on 24 April 2023

RnB innovator, Phil Q, went interstellar with his latest single, Supernova, which efficaciously added a new trajectory to the evolution of the genre through the scintillatingly contemporary production, the bluesy guitars, and the glisteningly spacey pop elements.

With the trap beats oozing as much sex appeal as the vocal lines and the lyrics, which roadmap the kind of carnal pleasure that is only in reach when you’re in the arms of someone you love, consider Supernova as the ultimate aural aphrodisiac and affirmation that Phil Q is definitively one to watch.

Supernova is the title single from the Bay Area singer-songwriter and producer’s latest EP, which any RnB fan will want to devour completely after the lead single gives you a taste of his meta ingenuity.

Supernova was officially released on April 14. Catch it on Spotify

Review by Amelia Vandergast

MUNBOI walks us down Memory Ln. in his latest stoically philosophical hip-hop aural installation

Posted on 23 September 2022

With his philosophy-laced rap flows, the UK alternative artist MUNBOI is becoming one that an increasing number of fans turn to for stoic poetry. Fresh from the release of his 12-track debut album, EUDAIMONIA, the producer, engineer, and artist is well on the way to the 1-million streams club.

The standout single, Memory Ln. unfurls as an intricate organic amalgam of hip hop, pop, RnB, and experimental sonic textures while MUNBOI looks to the past for answers in the present. His vocal energy truly becomes the epitome of stoicism as he twists common tropes to deliver lyrical sanctity through lines such as “I was sitting on the edge, I just needed a little push”, and “nothing really matters so we be risking it all now”.  Update your chill indie playlists accordingly.

His debut album EUDAIMONIA is now available to stream in full on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jessica Nicole Brown is an indie Rnb dream come true in The Devil’s Favorite ft. Brian Brown

Posted on 14 September 2022

South-Carolina-born Indie RnB singer-songwriter Jessica Nicole Brown gave us a soulful insight into her reprising torment in her latest single, The Devil’s Favorite, featuring Brian Brown.

The melodiously euphonic single normalises the routine of negative thoughts and actions in a profoundly honest way. All too often those who err on the side of pessimism use it as another reason to reprimand themselves. But this playfully up-vibe protest to existentialism and all of its pitfalls subversively switches the narrative.

Jessica Nicole Brown is evidently an Indie RnB pop dream come true, and her decision to bring the smooth vocal timbre of Brian Brown into the soundscape that exudes Nelly Furtado in her prime vibes was a stroke of genius. The affable chemistry is one of the best aural highs we’ve experienced in 2022.

The Devil’s Favorite will officially drop on September 14th. Catch it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Vonsíwel – I Love It: And So Do We

Posted on 5 September 2022

Urban fusionist, Vonsíwel is hotter than a fever dream in his latest single, I Love It, which melds layers of RnB with smoothly evocative pop textures to pay a romantic ode to the object of his all-consuming desire.

The boundary-pushing singer-songwriter may be uniquely wired, but that hasn’t stopped tens of thousands of fans from revelling in the resonance of his modernist spin on RnB.

Honestly, I Love It is enough to give me unrealistic romantic expectations (as if I don’t have those anyway). Although, bravely, Vonsíwel isn’t afraid to explore the lows in life as intrepidly as the highs with his music, which is inspired by the likes of Ne-Yo, Stevie Wonder, Beyonce, Prince and Michael Jackson.

I Love It is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast