Browsing Tag

Contemporary Rnb

East London RnB Luminary 8rii became the Queen of Headstrong Hedonism with ‘T.O.T.Y’

East London’s hottest independent RnB artist 8rii fuelled some fire into the genre with her latest single, T.O.T.Y, which fuses a gritty production with a solid backbeat to keep your rhythmic pules kicking and swathes of soul which spill from the earwormy vocal melodies.

Between encapsulating the East London attitude and searing her infectious sonic signature, 8rii ensured she established herself as one to watch with T.O.T.Y (the Time of the Year).

Since the age of 15, the songwriter has been crafting her own inexplicably fresh and fiery tunes, driven by a deep-rooted passion for music, showmanship, and the thrill of performance. So far, her discography is as versatile as they come. Whether she’s amping her audience up for a night of hedonism or setting the tone for introversion and self-care, her lyrical prowess always hits the mark while she tracks various eras of RnB.

After a whirlwind year, her latest single is set to close the year on a note as high as the track itself which captures the empowering liberation of embracing life’s journey and taking the rough with the smooth.

TOTY will be released on November 27, stream it on Spotify, and keep up to date with all new releases via Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nyasia Chane’l narrated a story of love and longing in her latest Neo-Hip-Hop-Soul release, Rain

Nyasia Chane'l

“Rain” by Nyasia Chane’l transcends your archetypal RnB track to narrate a profound lesson in seduction and soul. The trappy backbeat and tinges of 80s nostalgia create a beguiling blend of modern rhythmics and caressive old-school style as Chane’l’s honeyed vocal lines glide over the equally as smooth instrumental layers with a grace which is as powerful as it is tender to embody the track’s theme of deep, yearning lust.

Drawing inspiration from the likes of SWV, Ashanti, and New Edition, Nyasia has created a song that stands tall among classic elemental love songs. Co-written with the talents of Dajour Neufville and Jayson “J-Didda” Butler, “Rain” captures the essence of longing and connection in a way that feels both timeless and irresistibly new. It is guaranteed to strike a chord with anyone with a pulse and libido.

Nyasia Chane’l, with her multifaceted talents in singing, songwriting, and acting, emerges as an essential artist in today’s musical landscape. Her Neo-Hip-Hop Soul signature is one that any RnB fans will want perpetually etched in their memory.

Listen to Rain on Tidal and Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Specyal T pioneered nostalgia for her boundary-breaking boom-bap RnB pop track, Double Take

Canada’s hottest RnB artist, Specyal T, brought enough heat in her LP, Foresight, to start an inferno. The standout single, Double Take, runs through with funk-laced retro synths to carve the grooves and boom-bap beats to deliver rhythms that will intoxicate your rhythmic pulses.

With the fiery old school rap bars in the verses and lashings of luxe soul in the harmonised vocal lines, Specyal T ensured their seminal hit was dripping in dynamism to accentuate the pioneered and manicured nostalgia.

The Caribbean-Canadian artist splits her talents between her vocations as a pro musician, actor and executive; her multi-award-winning tracks have featured on several popular TV channels, and her hits have been heard on commercial radio stations across Europe and North America. After working its way into her boundary-pushing LP, Double Take will also feature in the soundtrack to the 2023 film Alarmed. 

Stream the Album Version of Double Take for yourselves by heading over to Soundcloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

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

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

ANGELCONCEPCION is emboldeningly iconic in her RnB Soul instant classic, Like I Was

Here to take to the sting out of retrospective romantic regret is the emboldening RnB icon, ANGELCONCEPCION, with her latest single, Like I Was.

The lyrics may not explicitly verse that deceit and someone degrading you to drag you down to their lowly levels happens to the best of us, but given the elegance and grace of every inch of this elevated instant classic, it’s heavily implied through ANGELCONCEPCION’s heavenly vocal beguile.

Fusing a modernist tonal palette while pulling at the roots of RnB and soul allowed the Philadelphia-residing Filipino artist to reach the crux of the contemporary curve before transcending it through her effortlessly flawless energy. The bluesy guitars shimmering behind the lush reverb is a lesson in aural intoxication. Grab a glass and get your fill.

Like I Was dropped on March 1st; hear it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Grammy-Nominated Frank Swisher is on Euphoric Form in His Contemporary RnB Single, ItDontGetNoBetta ft Corio

Frank Swisher

For his seminal single, ItDontGetNoBetta, the SWILLA-signed artist, Frank Swisher, teamed up with Corio to create a gratitude-encompassing feat of RnB soul that pays homage to the unparalleled feeling of losing yourself completely in the sanctity of another.

If those three little words don’t feel enough, send your main squeeze this lusciously fresh hit their way to allude to how deep your feelings run. It’s Shakespeare for the modern era, with sublimely smooth melodies to boot.

After garnering hype as a rising artist in the hip-hop world, Swisher set his sights on the contemporary RnB scene; based on the impassioned euphoria within ItDontGetNoBetta, the Ohio-born and raised artist may just be in the running for another Grammy nomination.

ItDontGetNoBetta will officially drop on January 13th. Catch it on Spotify.

Follow Frank Swisher on Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

NALLA is liberatingly demure in her orchestrally originated alt RnB Single, Sidechick

There are few things in this life as bitter-sweet as concluding that you’re a sidepiece for someone you have fallen wholeheartedly for, which NALLA demurely explores in her latest single, Sidechick.

The smoky R&B single pays homage to the roots of the genre while replanting them through a fresh futuristic vision that resounds through the distorted vocals in the intro and the glitchy rhythm of the beats that allow the sensually convictive single to veer into the trip-hop arena.

If any single is going to compel you to stand by your convictions and muster enough self-esteem to walk away from an unworthy lothario who probably needs to spend thousands in therapy before he works through his inability to commit, it’s this orchestrally scored masterpiece.

Sidechick is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lank G brought in a new era of pure soul with his contemporary RnB single, I’LL SEE YOU SOON

Lank G

In his fervid music career, the dynamic up-and-coming artist and producer Lank G has eclectically experimented with RnB, hip hop, and gospel. In his latest single, I’LL SEE YOU SOON, he euphonically converged them all to bring in a new era of pure soul.

At just 20 years old, Lank G is bringing an air of ethereal maturity to his soundscapes, especially on the basis of I’LL SEE YOU SOON, which goes all in on the sincerity to the tune of the ambient lush reverb that cushions his soft percussion and velvety vocal timbre that reaches the pinnacle of smooth. Within the lyrics, Lank G finds the perfect balance between cheeky grit and ride-or-die devotion. It’s a potent mix, one that is sure to leave RnB fans hooked.

I’ll SEE YOU SOON will be available to stream from October 15th. Check it out via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Vonsíwel – I Love It: And So Do We

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

Jimmy G. $hi takes it slow in his RnB single, Drown Tonight

Give your RnB playlists a fresh soul fix by introducing it to the lead single, Drown Tonight, from Jimmy G. $hi’s 2022 album, P.T.H.B.

After warm saturated tones have eased you into the smooth contemporary track that unfurls around hip hop percussion and spacey electronica synthetics, Jimmy G. $hi goes in heavy with the sultry romanticism. The affectionately demure energy resonates through the lyrics as much as the steady vocals that affirm the message of the single; pace is the trick.

With the stellar production, the mellifluous soul that spills from the vocals and the evocative heights that Drown Tonight takes you to, the up-and-coming artist can definitively be seen as a triple threat.

The official music video for Drown Tonight was released on July 22nd. Check it out for yourselves via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast