Sometimes the best new R&B can be hard to find, but there are plenty of great rhythm-and-blues tunes to get into if you have the time to sift through the hundreds of newly released songs every week. So that R&B heads can focus on listening to what they really love in its true form, we’ll be offering a digest of the best new R&B songs that fans of the genre should hear every Friday.
Since the last update of this weekly R&B and Afrobeats column, we’ve received plenty of music and news from the genre’s artists. Chlöe announced her debut album In Pieces and shared its lead single “Pray It Away” while Daniel Caesar returned with “Do You Like Me.” Ari Lennox shared a steamy video for “Waste My Time” while Kehlani, Brent Faiyaz, Chlöe, and more signed on for the Sol Blume 2023 Festival. Elsewhere, Ella Mai announced a deluxe edition of Heart On Sleeve ahead of her North American tour and SZA’s SOS registered a seventh straight week at No. 1 on the albums chart.
Here are some more releases on the new music front that you should check out:
Chlöe — “Pray It Away”
Chloe finally arrived with an update about her highly-anticipated solo debut album. In Pieces will arrive in March, and she kicks off its rollout with “Pray It Away.” It’s a pain-stricken ballad that Chloe uses to express her pain and maturity following a tough breakup. She could wish the worst on her former partner, but she knows it’s better to pray about it.
Daniel Caesar — “Do You Like Me?”
There’s a pretty good chance that Daniel Caesar’s third album arrives this year. After the release of “Please Do Not Lean” with BadBadNotGood, Caesar returns with “Do You Like Me.” The seductive number finds Caesar on a quest to discover whether he and his partner share the same feelings about each other.
Popcaan — Great Is He
A little over two years after Fixtape, Popcaan is back with his fifth album Great Is He. Through 17 songs, the Jamaican dancehall star shares records with Toni-Ann Signh, Burna Boy, Drake, and Chronic Law for an album that strikes as triumphant and glorious.
Eric Bellinger — “Decide”
On February 10, singer Eric Bellinger and producer Hitmaka will release their joint project, 1-800-Hit-Eazy: Line 2, the sequel to their 2021 effort 1-800-Hit-Eazy. Ahead of its release, the duo returns with their latest single “Decide,” a record Bellinger uses to win back a girl who he believes settled for less with another man.
Mannywellz — “Ouu Ahh”
Months after releasing his Unwanted EP, the follow-up to Mirage, a project highlighted by “Peaace” with Tems and “So Good,” Nigerian singer Mannywellz is back with more tunes. He checks in with “Ouu Ahh,” an exotic yet creeping record that presents a balance that truly satisfies the ear.
Boy Spyce — “Folake”
Nigerian afrobeats singer Boy Spyce released his debut self-titled EP last year. Afterward, he teamed with his Mavins record label, a group that includes Ayra Starr, Rema, Magixx, and more, for their joint project Chapter X. Now, Spyce is back with his latest single, “Folake,” and it’s simply the perfect record you could ask from him.
Pheelz — “Stand By You”
Nigerian singer Pheelz will release his Pheelz Good EP next month. Led by stellar collaborations that include the smash hit “Finesse” with BNXN fka Buju and “Electricity” with Davido, Pheelz is now showing off his solo talents with “Stand By You,” a sweet that Pheelz uses to express his commitment to his love interest.
The WRLDFMS Tony Williams — “UBUBU”
The WRLDFMS Tony Williams kicked off 2023 with the release “UBUBU.” Williams describes it as a track that “represents the confidence that it takes to be you, in a world that celebrates imitation and riding someone else’s wave.”
Zeina — “Whatever”
Egyptian-Lebanese singer Zeina checked in with “Whatever,” her first offering since 2023. The record touches on the bad experiences she’s had in friendship and the ways she was able to move on and recover. “Sometimes after you remove the ‘I love you so much glasses,’ even in regards to friends, you realize how much you’ve been done wrong,” she says about the song.
WanMor — “Mine”
Signed to 300 Entertainment and Mary J. Blige’s new label Beautiful Life Productions, R&B group WanMor are back with their new single “Mine.” The bouncy record balances a throwback R&B feel with the confidence of today’s R&B acts. “‘Mine’ is about our feelings for the girl we always wanted,” the group said about the song. “Being impressed by her in every way and wanting to tell everybody.”
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. .
