Browsing Tag

80s RnB

Gbogboade Sculpted a Soulful Monument to the Frequency of Love’s Fragility with ‘Where Do We Go?’

Posted on 28 April 2025

With the organic percussive textures tapping against the iridescent synth lines, in all of its questioning, Where Do We Go? is an instrumental study in contrasts as Gbogboade exhibits how his passion and adoration remain unflinching in the face of uncertainty. With expressions of jazz and spoken word recordings which run just as smooth as his harmonies, the track is a complete exposition of what it means to love in the presence of doubt, not letting it slip through fear of loss, but instead, allowing your soul to remain steadfast in the presence of limitless possibilities.

Drawing on his Nigerian roots and his London experiences, Gbogboade pours his dual heritage into his sonic signature. Known for his seamless infusion of soul, jazz, hip-hop, and Afro-rooted rhythms, he creates sonic worlds that pulse with lived reality. Influenced by D’Angelo, Solange, Kendrick Lamar, and Burna Boy, his music refuses to shy away from vulnerability, strength, and the tension that pulls between the two.

Where Do We Go? serves as the centrepiece of his forthcoming EP, a three-track reflection tracing love, uncertainty, and transformation. By anchoring the composition with 85 BPM rhythms and layering in analog warmth, Gbogboade offers a rich, emotionally charged soundscape that honours both his Lagos upbringing and his diasporic evolution.

Where Do We Go? is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Soundcloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Dana’s ‘More Than Enough’ is RnB Gospel for the Self

Posted on 22 March 2025

Dana is forging his own path to the top of the charts with ‘More Than Enough’, a track that channels RnB, pop, and soul into an intimate yet universally resonant anthem. As he advocates for knowing that the only thing you’ll ever really need to change is how much you value yourself, the production finds space for his growing audience to amplify their sense of self. So often, RnB leans into external validation, but Dana hones in on where affection truly matters—within.

Born in Huntsville, Alabama, and now calling North Carolina home, Dana White has come a long way from the self-doubt that once kept his voice in the background. His reinvention as an artist wasn’t just about sound—it was about shedding insecurities, embracing his own style, and pushing forward with a genre he calls Seren&B, a fusion of atmospheric serenity and RnB’s soul-bearing aura

With layered harmonies building into seraphic choral textures towards the outro, ‘More Than Enough’ is gospel for anyone who needs to find their way back to themselves. The rich vocal layering feels like a sonic embrace, wrapping around the empowering lyricism that doesn’t just suggest self-worth—it demands it. Dana’s trajectory is one of resilience; in ‘More Than Enough’, he makes it clear that he’s bringing listeners along for the ride.

‘More Than Enough’ is available now on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

jfons Ignited the Flames of Devotion in His RnB Earworm, ‘You Got Me Baby’

Posted on 19 March 2025

jfons dials up the heat and the heart in his seminal RnB and hip-hop-fused single, You Got Me Baby. With over 65k SoundCloud streams, the Atlanta-based emissary of scintillation, soul, and seraphically nostalgic melodies proves why his sound is a siren call to anyone craving raw passion wrapped in funk-filtered grooves.

Every note spills with firebrand romanticism, fusing old-school soul with modern sensuality. The bassline struts with intention, the beat hits with precision, and his velvety vocal runs lock onto the listener like a magnetic force. It’s a love song that doesn’t just simmer—it sizzles, throwing embers into an era where commitment is often cast aside.

You Got Me Baby serves as an impassioned ode to devotion, flipping the script on the nonchalant, lust-fuelled anthems that dominate the airwaves. jfons goes all in, letting the weight of unconditional love lift the track beyond the ordinary. Every groove, every falsetto-wrapped lyric, testifies to the sanctity of knowing someone has you, mind, body and soul.

You Got Me Baby is available to stream on all major platforms, including SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sincerity and Skill Coalesce in Choclett P’s RnB Instant Classic, Do You Mind?

Posted on 17 December 2024

Do You Mind? by Choclett P aligns modern lyrical candour with a nostalgia-slick tempo, giving the shimmer of RnB an irresistible contemporary edge. The ‘Boy Meets Girl’ narrative veers away from expositions on superficial situationships, offering a tangible sense of honest connection. It’s as though the classic luminescence of RnB has been recast with a graceful subtlety, allowing soulful lyrics and seductive rhythms to coalesce in a perfect equilibrium.

Choclett P—born Larry Redding in South Bend, Indiana—occupies a unique sonic space influenced by Trey Songz, T-Pain, and Usher while still whispering of Michael Jackson’s timeless influence. He refuses to be defined by any label, having found ways to craft family-friendly hits and pure acapella renditions yet never straying from the genre that anchored him.

Recently signed to Cash Catcher North, he looks beyond the familiar, laying plans to perform at festivals, organise tours, and broaden his musical output. His focus remains on making his family proud and staying loyal to both himself and the supporters who have followed his evolution.

In Do You Mind?, Choclett P recaptures classic RnB warmth with sincerity and skill and reflects it through a fresh lens, proving that the heart of the genre can still glow with new intensity. You just can’t help falling for his aura.

Do You Mind? was officially released on November 27th; stream the single on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Chris J Hudson – What Do You Wanna Do ft MoskoStar1: A Game of Hearts and RnB Harmony

Posted on 13 November 2024

In What Do You Wanna Do, the two legends in their own right Chris J Hudson and MoskoStar1 create a velvet-touched sonic seduction that resonates with lyrical vulnerability and soulful bravado.

Born from Chris J Hudson’s creative evolution—from Phoenix indie band frontman in Thunderbird to an LA-based solo visionary—the track is a testament to his commitment to making music that embodies heart and soul. His influences, spanning from Prince’s experimental genius to the groove of Timbaland and the emotive depth of Joni Mitchell, are distilled into this bilingual RnB gem that bridges borders and musical backgrounds.

The single pulses with smoky Latin guitar tones and jazzy sax lines, underscored by melodious keys, that bring a nostalgic warmth straight from the 80s and 90s RnB playbook. It’s a quintessentially smooth yet fiery RnB-Soul fusion, reflecting Hudson’s belief that music should mirror what’s in the soul, not just provide easy pleasure. The track’s groove feels like a game of chess in the arena of love, where the object of desire holds all the proverbial cards, leaving the protagonist grappling with the pain of ambiguous longing.

Hudson’s artistry, defined by a mission to spread love and mindfulness, is undeniably at the heart of this sultry release. It’s an aural aphrodisiac designed to sweep listeners off their feet—while slyly reminding us that love often leaves us at its mercy.

What Do You Wanna Do is now available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Anirban Jee is soul searching in the lush landscape of his RnB Pop earworm, Looking for Something

Posted on 23 September 2024

Anirban Jee serenaded his staunch fan base once again with his soulfully smooth tribute to 80s RnB and Soul, Looking for Something.

Passion permeates every progression in the lush landscape of pop hooks, funky guitar chops and reverb-radiating synth lines which carry the Australian singer-songwriter’s honeyed timbres right into your soul as he narrates the emotions which rush to the surface when you’re yearning for something far beyond the superficial without knowing exactly what you’re looking for.

The award-winning artist has done so much more than found the perfect RnB pop formula; he’s found the key to connection and it is opening all the right doors in the industry with his profoundly sophisticated and magnetised sonic signature which listeners the world over have fallen head over heels for.

Looking for Something is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Audric Pinder revived RnB’s golden era with ‘The Moment I Laid Eyes on You’

Posted on 5 August 2024

Audric Pinder’s latest single, ‘The Moment I Laid Eyes on You,’ is a veritable aural rapture for RnB fans weary of the genre’s modern iterations that often assimilate and echo the vibes of Frank Ocean and The Weeknd. Pinder separates himself from the crowd with his distinct blend of honeyed harmonies and diehard romanticism. His production chops shine as he infuses salacious soul into every beat while ensuring the purity of his sound remains undiluted.

The track is a euphonic meditation on love’s ability to elevate us above the mundane material world. It offers a refreshing escape into the arms of romance, where every harmony is an avenue of affection to explore. The backing vocals perfectly complement the main lines, amplifying the arcane energy of the single, which embodies the deep reverie of falling irresistibly in love.

Instrumentally, ‘The Moment I Laid Eyes on You’ is a respectful nod to the soul-stirring rhythms of the 80s and 90s RnB, a period revered for its rich, emotive layers while Pinder’s vocal arrangements offer innovation for anyone craving originality in their RnB repertoire.

The Moment I Laid Eyes on You is now available to stream on all major platforms, including YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Slip into the sheets of euphoria with Deshon Washington’s RnB hit, Stay the Night

Posted on 30 March 2024
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=vR-XrlMrCA4&si=gZSTSk2_PROKWy_y

Take the time to slip away from the Weeknd and into the superlative RnB pop solace and soul which resounds in Deshon Washington’s standout single, Stay the Night. With one of the seamlessly smooth crescendos on the airwaves, the single erupts into a burst of affection-derived euphoria as the backbeat bolsters and the passion spilling from Washington’s vocal lines intensifies.

By building up from a tenderly caressive start and allowing the soundscape, which intertwines 80s, 90s, and contemporary RnB aesthetics, to ensue into a cascade of ardour, Stay the Night becomes so much more than a proclamation of passion from the Arkansas singer-songwriter. You almost get a first-hand experience of hitting the sheets with one of the most seductive artists on the scene when you hit play.

After cutting his teeth in the indie RnB scene for the past seven years, Deshon Washington’s time to dominate the charts is now. Following being cast on the Netflix series Sing On, earning his stripes as an international performer and a nomination for R&B Vocalist of the Year in 2023, we have no doubt that 2024 will be the year when he moves from criminally underrated to internationally acclaimed.

Stream Stay the Night on YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Go down the rabbit hole with TaQuan MonChez’s ode to 80s soul, Wonderland

Posted on 20 March 2024

Start your 80s RnB love story by slipping into TaQuan MonChez’s latest single, ‘Wonderland’, which pours the essence of gospel into the heart of RnB. After honing his skills in a 20-year tenure as a church musician and a self-taught pianist, Wonderland showcases TaQuan’s journey and his ability to construct auditory embraces, capable of enveloping listeners in lush, hazy tones.

The ode to an ethereal kind of love, one that allows the material world to dissolve into insignificance, ensures this emotional theme resounds through each element – especially through his velvety magnetic vocals as they effortlessly ascend into a higher vocal register.

The guitar lines in ‘Wonderland’ are also a standout feature, dancing through the track with a pop and groove that’s infectious, intricate, and definitively 80s. These melodies underpin TaQuan’s vocal prowess, creating a layered and immersive soundscape.

Moreover, ‘Wonderland’ is a showcase of TaQuan MonChez’s exceptional songwriting ability. Each musical element is meticulously woven to create a tapestry that visually and sonically represents the sanctity of transcendent love. The song is a testament to TaQuan’s belief in music that resonates with integrity and decency.

Wonderland was officially released on February 16; stream the single on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Supa Philly – PERCOLATE: A Retro RnB Revival with a Modern Heartbeat

Posted on 29 January 2024

Supa Philly, a band seasoned by decades of musical evolution, returned with their latest single, PERCOLATE, a track that masterfully interweaves the vibrant essence of ’80s synth-pop, funk, and disco into the fabric of R&B.

The song’s essence, deeply rooted in political inspiration, resonates with a message of love and unity, a beacon of hope in today’s fragmented world. Its lyrics, “Life is short… No more hate… Show your love… Percolate,” echo as a mantra for our times, urging listeners to embrace a brighter, more harmonious path.

Supa Philly’s rich heritage, having shared the limelight with legends like Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Monkees, infuses PERCOLATE with a depth and authenticity rarely found in modern music. The blend of experienced voices with fresh, dynamic tones creates a vocal synergy that is both stirring and soulful.

The honed songwriting chops lend a refined yet spirited character to the track as the production melds classic synth lines with contemporary rhythms, crafting a soundscape that is both nostalgically familiar and thrillingly new. The gospel-influenced backing vocals add a layer of majestic depth, reminiscent of the soulful echoes of R&B greats.

As we eagerly await their upcoming release, ANOTHER FOOL (On a Hill), it’s evident that Supa Philly continues to redefine the boundaries of music. This track is an essential listen for those seeking a rejuvenating musical experience and a reminder of the enduring power of unity and love.

Get into the groove with PERCOLATE via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast