Browsing Tag

Contemporary Rnb

Jundae Hassan is a diamond in the rough in his vibe-driven RnB debut

Posted on 13 April 2022

Taken from his debut album, Good Vibes Only, Jundae Hassan’s standout single, Diamonds, is an evocative vibe-driven feat of experimentally bold RnB hip hop.

He promised good vibes only in his debut LP; he notably delivered in the tenderly sweet track, Diamonds which is decorated in unbridled soul and the kind of trap pop ingenuity that makes Hassan a worthy contender for the 2022 billboard charts.

After this extremely promising debut, it is safe to assume that Jundae Hassan is primed and ready to make a serious impression on the airwaves. We can’t wait to hear what follows.

You can check out Hassan’s debut LP for yourselves by heading over to Spotify or Apple Music.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Indigo Indiibabi lets her soul drive in her RnB single, Automatic

Posted on 20 January 2022

Up and coming RnB artist Indigo Indiibabi penned an old school serenade for her latest single, Automatic, which takes the unlikeliest romantic hallmark and allows it to become a vehicle for her affection for the person behind the wheel in their romance.

Old school and new school collide as the contemporary and atmospheric beats set a sultry atmosphere and Indigo Indiibabi’s gorgeously layered vocals bring the old school soul. Despite the mellow textures, there’s a panoramic feel to the dynamism that is laid out in this shamelessly impassioned release that wears its heart on its sleeve.

Check out Indigo Indiibabi’s latest single, Automatic, on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Throw away romantic inhibition with Ze-LuJ’s seminal single, Say You Love Him

Posted on 6 October 2021

Contemporary RnB artist, Ze-LuJ’s seminal single, Say You Love Him, is the perfect introduction to his sublimely smooth take on neo-soul. The ease of the minimalist 80s-inspired electronic instrumentals allows the single to groove at a meditative pace while the singer-songwriter croons the lyrics that tempt the listener to throw away romantic inhibition and go all in.

The production may be a little raw and simplistic, but that simply gives the intimacy of the single more space to breathe.

You can check out Say You Love Him, which was released in July 2021, for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Body Talk: Atlanta RnB Luminary Chris Harry has released his salaciously seminal single, Body Language

Posted on 31 August 2021

Earlier this year, Atlanta’s RnB luminary, Chris Harry, released his salaciously smooth seminal single, Body Language, and left us hooked on his provocative style.

Over the modern trappy beats, Harry asserts his convictive and dominating presence through his soulful vocals over the grooving sun-bleached melodies that should be considered a staple for your summer RnB hip hop playlists.

With his serenading wit and the unique atmosphere created by the smooth yet fiery production in Body Language, Chriss Harry is undoubtedly one to watch.

The official video for Body Language is available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Maria Manuel – True: A Veraciously Soulful Take on Love

Posted on 13 August 2021

London-based singer-songwriter Maria Manuel has released her soulfully luxe single, True, which takes RnB pop to an artfully ethereal level. With the moody pop atmosphere lingering around the pensive RnB melodies, Maria Manuel’s scorned ballad gives the evolution of RnB a brand-new trajectory.

The lyrics are as affectionate as they are ingenious and the soulful vocal timbre that brings a cinematic edge to the noir pop soundscape also makes sure that True emanates plenty of mainstream appeal.

True is now available to stream on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

King Brian runs through 30 years of hurt in his resilient RnB Hip Hop single, Blood Sweat & Tears.

Posted on 28 July 2021

Breaking RnB artist King Brian candidly exposes 30 years of hurt in his latest single, Blood Sweat & Tears, which sonically carries plenty of reminiscence to lovelorn 90s RnB hits with a contemporary introspective style.

It’s so far beyond the ‘my love life sucks’ kind of RnB that constantly spills onto the airwaves in swathes; the single almost allows you to consider what RnB would sound like if RnB artists weren’t constantly fixated on romantic success. Brian broaches the topic of love in Blood Sweat & Tears, but just as in life, it isn’t the be-all and end-all.

Anyone whose mentality errs on the side of melancholy will find plenty of resonance in the contemporary RnB hip hop single that relays familiar anxieties and feelings of isolation through lack of understanding over fierce trap beats and RnB melodies.

Blood Sweat & Tears is now available to stream on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jesse Powers – Let It Slide: Poetically Profound Indie RnB Pop

Posted on 6 July 2021

RnB pop singer-songwriter Jessie has released her soulful, resonantly dark single, Let it Slide; on a scale of 1 – 10, the wisdom in the lyricism is profoundly off the charts.

By starting with such stark questioning, “Why do I wake up to the sun and see only dark”, then transgressing to the very real life-lessons, “you can’t make people stay, you can only change”, Let It Slide teaches you what no one else dares to. They say we live to learn, but we’re not still testing poisonous fruit; we have the capacity to drink in the straight-from-the-soul sincerity in singles such as Let it Slide instead of savouring the bitterness first-hand.

The official lyric video for Let it Slide is now available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Find the beauty in endings with BNZA’s RnB pop hit, ‘Dangerous’.

Posted on 8 May 2021

If you’re looking for the perfect RnB pop track for those chilled summer nights, you’ve found it with the latest single from BNZA. With its urban grooves and deeply introspective lyrics, ‘Dangerous’, explores the uncertainties which endings bring.

As BNZA’s velvety vocals flow to the kicking, ardent beats, you may start to feel your attitude towards endings shift as the lyrics address the complexity and make room for new perceptions. The repetition of the lyric, “being alone saved me, being alone made me”, affirms that a solo status isn’t a life sentence. Instead of spinning the self-deprecating rhetoric, you can follow BNZA’s lead and find empowerment in solitude.

Dangerous is available to stream and download on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jace Heyman is going to get to us ‘One By One’

Posted on 21 April 2021

The second single from forthcoming E.P. ‘Lovin’ Under The Influence’ (following-up his debut, ‘Drunk Text’), ‘One By One’ is a little slice of modern R&B that mixes up Usher and Timberlake with The Weeknd, Future, and Drake. It’s a chilled, mellow track, deep bass and laid-back programmed parts underlaying Heyman’s relaxed, gentle upper-register vocal. Mixed in with collaborator Jaq Moon

‘One By One’ has got daytime Radio One or Kiss FM written all over it; that smooth-groove soulful sort of R&B vibe going on, that sort of beach-day chill out relaxing-yet-uplifting track that’s contemporary yet comfortingly old-school all at once.

‘One By One’ is out now across all major streaming platforms. You can hear it now on Spotify, and follow Jace Heyman on Facebook and Twitter.

Review by Alex Holmes

Dara Blaxx drops the stunning lead single from her new EP, with ‘Before I Leave’

Posted on 20 April 2021

Dara Blaxx is a 25 year old British Nigerian singer-songwriter who discovered her voice at the tender age of sixteen; and wow, what a voice. Soulful, sultry, and powerfully seductive, Dara has all the smoky, late-night elements of soul, Motown, blues, and jazz rolled up into one beautiful vocal performance. There’s elements of Sade, Joss Stone, and Dina Carroll in the timbre of her lower register, for sure, but also older classics like Etta James, Betty Wright, and Brenda Holloway.

‘Before I Leave’ is a beautifully performed tale of love and loss, and the indecision around staying or leaving; deep trap-soul beats and groove, a real R&B feel, added to the emotional vocal, make ‘Before I Leave’ – from Blaxx’s debut 6-track EP ‘Arrythmia’ – an absolute powerhouse soul track. Already hitting playlists on BBC Music Introducing in the West Midlands and in the Solent, this deserves to be all over daytime radio this summer. It’s beautiful.

You can hear ‘Before I Leave’, and the rest of the “Arrhythmia” EP, on Soundcloud. Follow Dara Blaxx on Facebook.

Review by Alex Holmes.