Browsing Tag

rnb

Dupree and Niche Redefined Old-School R&B with ‘Wait’

Posted on 20 March 2025

Dupree and Niche brought R&B right back to its golden era with Wait, exploring uncharted paths towards the sanctity of nostalgia. The dual-layered harmonies effortlessly synergise, spilling arcane chemistry into the dreamy atmosphere, while the luxe, kaleidoscopic haze of the production leaves inklings of modernism lingering in the mix. When the rap verses land, hip-hop’s timeless conviction takes hold, broadsiding you with impassioned bars that breathe new life into the track. If you know that loving means being prepared to wait, Wait is the ultimate love story you’ll want to lock into.

Dupree has never been one to stand still. As a singer, actor, dancer, and host, he is dedicated to disrupting reality through entertainment that transcends the mundane. Raised between the close-knit South Chicago suburbs and the vibrant pulse of the inner city, he embodies a deeply embedded hustler’s mentality and a strong connection to Black culture and identity. Music has always been his anchor—his mother encouraged him to join the church choir at six, where he first found his voice. From there, he took every chance to perform, whether in school plays or community productions, shaping an artistry influenced by Aaliyah, Beyoncé, and Usher.

Fusing R&B with House, Urban Pop, and Neo Soul, Dupree channels authenticity as though it’s as natural as breathing. With Wait making waves globally, he’s setting the stage for a fresh run of R&B singles and his debut EP; you will want him on your radar sooner or later.

Wait is available to stream on all major 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

Jerrelle’s ‘Bluetooth’ Links Emotion to Strategy in a Hypnotic RnB Trap Pop Hit

Posted on 12 March 2025

You’ll have no problem connecting with Bluetooth, Jerrelle’s latest RnB trap pop single that ensnares with the beat and pulls you in deeper through his cultivated approach to lyrical storytelling. The track is a calculated and cultivated interplay of emotion and strategy, where every verse keeps you locked in.

As the single progresses, the full picture manifests through polished electro hooks and Jerrelle’s charismatically sharp vocal presence, which remains unflinchingly magnetic throughout the track. Adding an almost mind-bending dynamic is a carnivalesque polyphonic melody that cavorts around the bass-swathed beats, injecting unpredictability into the rhythm while the lyrics cut through with an awareness of modern connection as a game of moves and counter-moves. Who said romance was dead?

Jerrelle’s ability to hold the reins between vulnerability and control mirrors his diverse influences, spanning from Lauryn Hill to Brent Faiyaz. There’s a quiet intensity in his delivery, a balance of smoothness and sharp edges, reinforcing the complexity of human interaction that Bluetooth lays bare.

Bluetooth is available now on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Richie Gathu & PrimRose’s ‘Toxic’ Dances on the Razor’s Edge of Destruction

Posted on 9 March 2025

Following a wavy prelude laced with saturated disquietude, Toxic by Richie Gathu featuring PrimRose ensues with an artfully moody, reverberant beat, trip-hop-esque syncopation, and neo-classical keys that add an ornate touch of grace. PrimRose’s seraphically affecting vocals become the centrefold of the alt-RnB vignette as they pull all the thematically aesthetic layers together in this exhibition of how deep toxic dynamics cut.

When Gathu’s vocals come into the mix, the dramatic stylistic shift veers into a far more soulful pantheon, sharpening the track’s emotional depth. The cinematic narrative that unfolds between the two collaborators proves that nothing is fair in love and war, and nothing is ever black and white in matters of the heart.

Toxic doesn’t romanticise toxicity; it lays it bare, making every reverberation feel like an echo of something unresolved. You’ll be thrown across the entire emotional spectrum while the RnB revelation is in session and come away with the affirmation that the only right that matters in games of the heart is doing what’s right for you.

Toxic is available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify, now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

JohnnyTheWidower’s ‘My Lady is Gone’ Rains Soul into the Blues

Posted on 8 March 2025
Broken Piano by Johnny The Widower aka The Solar Guy

JohnnyTheWidower, AKA The Solar Guy, doesn’t just touch on loss in My Lady is Gone—he lets it simmer, steeping every note in raw feeling without letting the weight drag the groove down. The Brooklyn-based songwriter, producer, and engineer channels blues, R&B, and afrobeat into a smoky, jazz-kissed atmosphere that feels less like a structured composition and more like a session that caught fire in real time.

With a cohesiveness that gives the impression of a seasoned band rather than a solo project, the track makes space for fluidity without sacrificing precision. The instrumentation carries the kind of ease that can only come from instinct, stripping back the years to a time when music was created for catharsis, not marketability. It’s indulgent without excess, hitting that rare sweet spot where musicianship and emotion are balanced without tipping too far in either direction.

For those tired of surface-level soundscapes, JohnnyTheWidower delivers oceanic depths, leading listeners further out before hitting them with a visceral crescendo in the outro. It’s impossible to walk away unaffected.

 My Lady is Gone is available to stream on all major platforms, including Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ivana June Redefines Heartache By Exploring the Hypnotic Intersections of RnB, Bossa Nova & Indie in ‘Around’

Posted on 8 March 2025

Ivana June refined the entire London RnB scene in the space of three sensuously stylised minutes with her latest single, Around. With contemporary indie sensibilities, a deep reverence for soul, and a voice that leaves no celestial beguile to be desired, the hypnotic indulgence transcends sound as it euphonically reverberates through you, allowing accordance to creep into every corner of your psyche. If this was the 17th century, she’d be burned at the stake for the alchemy which breathes through the cathartic tempo.

As her most emotionally intimate release to date, Around captures the cognitive dissonance of heartbreak—the push and pull between the joy someone once brought and the pain they left behind. Through soft and supple harmonies, June commands sonic subjugation, lulling listeners into an ethereal, lush-with-wavy-saturated-reverb bittersweet reverie of a remedy.

Blending her love for groove, jazz, and storytelling, Around intertwines Bossa Nova rhythms with warm RnB and soul melodies, dreamy guitar lines, and raw yet gentle vocals. Co-produced alongside Pete Anderson, the track is infused with the influences of Cleo Sol, The Marías, and Amy Winehouse. A self-taught multi-instrumentalist with a gift for evocative lyricism, June has been lighting up London’s live scene with her band, set to perform Around at her headline show at 91 Living Room on March 14th.

If any newcomer has what it takes to steal the spotlight away from 2025’s biggest stars, our money is on Ivana June. This is just the beginning. Stream the single on Spotify from March 7th.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Matté Takes the Plunge into Alt-RnB with ‘Deep End’

Posted on 7 March 2025

While many figureheads in RnB are unafraid to chip away at the mould with their sonic signature, Matté came in like a wrecking ball of innovation with his latest single, ‘Deep End’. From the outset, the saturated distortion sets a tone that’s anything but conventional, before the bassline groove threads itself beneath his honeyed-to-the-nines vocal lines. The warmth in the production is unparalleled, giving the track an almost exotically luxe feel as the instrumentals move with unrestrained expression.

Fragments of funk, indie, and soul slot seamlessly into the mosaic of alt-RnB that seduces the senses, proving Matté has no interest in blending into the background. His refusal to play by the rulebook extends beyond the sonics—his lyricism pulls no punches when it comes to romance, either. In an era where detachment often dominates the genre, he stands apart as a rare diehard romantic, unafraid to go all in and wear his heart on his harmonies.

Now based in Los Angeles, the Atlanta-born artist is building a legacy by melding smooth melodies with raw emotion. ‘Deep End’ cements that reputation further, as he lets his storytelling and unique blueprint do all the talking. For those tired of the same recycled formulas, this is a reminder that RnB still has space for innovators.

‘Deep End’ is available to stream on all major platforms, including Apple Music and Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Bronx-based RnB Visionary, BRIEL the Artist, Pulled Listeners Into the Haze of Infatuation with ‘THE BLINDS’

Posted on 4 March 2025

After stepping back from the airwaves following his 2023 debut, QUESTIONS, BRIEL the Artist returns with THE BLINDS, proving just how much sharper his sonic signature has become. The Bronx-based avant-gardist of R&B innovation layers smooth harmonies over syncopated beats and oscillating synth lines that warp into a kaleidoscope of soul. The Lo-Fi production doesn’t soften the impact—it amplifies the emotion, pulling you into a hypnotic immersion where BRIEL lets the leash off his expression, letting it run wild and free in this rich, introspective soundscape.

The track dives headfirst into the push and pull of new attraction—the thrill, the uncertainty, and the way assumptions take the reins before reality has a chance to catch up. Using the metaphor of closed blinds, BRIEL reflects on how we get lost in our own mental stories instead of letting relationships unfold naturally. The lyrical honesty latches onto the ears, while the fluid instrumental textures make sure the hook stays planted deep.

With plans to take THE BLINDS to the stage across New York City, along with upcoming film projects and new releases, BRIEL is clearly playing the long game.

For those ready to get lost in the highs and lows of love, THE BLINDS is now available on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Young Jay Channels the Tides of Romance in His Tropic RnB Trap Pop Fusion, ‘Her Ocean’

Posted on 2 March 2025

Young Jay’s latest single, Her Ocean, is as sonically oceanic as the title—it moves with the same tranquil yet powerful force. Fusing pop, RnB, and trap, the independent artist found his space in the contemporary landscape with a track that radiates warmth and intimacy. There’s a sultry undercurrent, but the real strength lies in the sincerity of his lyricism. While others lean on excess, Young Jay proves that restraint and poetic depth leave a far stronger impression.

After stepping away from music for a year following the passing of his great-grandmother, Lillie Mae Jones Manning, Young Jay resurfaces with a song that feels like both a reflection and a return. Her Ocean is far from surface-level sentimentality—it’s a testament to the kind of romance that refuses to drown in modern trends. With a vocal delivery that rolls in like a tide, carrying both tenderness and intensity, he captures the equilibrium between admiration and longing, bringing a tactile emotional depth to the track.

The production lingers in the same atmospheric space, conjuring images of golden-hour heat and slow-motion devotion. The melody doesn’t overpower; it guides, letting the lyrical honesty take centre stage.

Her Ocean is available now on all major streaming platforms, including YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Aric B. Sinks into the Shadows of Lost Love with ‘ALWAYS U’

Posted on 27 February 2025

There’s no rough to take with the smooth in this hazy dream of an old-school soul serenade. ‘ALWAYS U’, taken from Aric B.’s hotly anticipated LP, THINGS NEVER SAID, is a love song unafraid of its own vulnerability. Mellifluous layers of nostalgia meld around the teasing tempo of the beats, while reverb-soaked synths spill into every corner of the track, enveloping Aric B.’s voice in an atmosphere thick with longing and regret.

Unlike the polished bravado often found in R&B heartbreak anthems, Aric B. doesn’t play the victim here. He paints himself as a less-than-perfect protagonist, taking full accountability for the love that slipped away. That candid honesty makes every lyric cut deeper as he mourns the one that got away with no ego left to shield him. As the track swells towards its multi-layered harmonic crescendo, Aric B. broadens his vocal range with a skill that reflects the depth of his talent.

The Decatur-born singer, songwriter, and producer has been shaping his sound since childhood, influenced by gospel roots and an extensive career spanning jazz, pop, and soul. From singing at Fenway Park to collaborating with Grammy-winning producers behind icons like Beyoncé and Alicia Keys, Aric B. has spent years refining his voice—both literally and artistically. ALWAYS U is proof that he’s arrived at a sound that is unmistakably his own.

The single is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast