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 column, we’ve received plenty of music and news from the genre’s artists.
Usher took over the Super Bowl for a spectacular halftime show that featured appearances from Alicia Keys, Lil Jon, Ludacris, and HER which came days after he announced his Past Present Future Tour. Beyoncé announced her Cécred line of hair care products and Tinashe stopped by the NPR Tiny Desk to perform her hits and deep cut records. Elsewhere, there’s a new Beyoncé wax figure, Leon Bridges covered Bob Marley’s “One Love,” and Dixson released a video for “Friends.”
Here are some more releases on the new music front that you should check out:
Usher — Coming Home
Usher returned home for his first solo album since 2016. Coming Home arrived complete with 20 track sand appearances from Summer Walker, 21 Savage, HER, Latto, The-Dream, Burna Boy, Pheelz, and Jung Kook for a body of work that pulls from the best of Usher’s past to the present as a promise of good days to come in the future. “Coming Home is an ode to going back to your roots, whatever or wherever that may be,” Usher said about the album. “I’m Coming Home to where I’m comfortable in being exactly who I am right now.”
Tori Kelly – “High Water”
This spring, Tori Kelly will release her fifth album TORI., a project that delivers the full picture of a woman coming into her own. The rollout for it initially began with her 2023 EP tori and it continues with her resilient new single “High Water.” Speaking about the new single in a press release, Kelly said, “Now my hope is that [“high water”] will uplift others in whatever they might be going through and encourage them to keep going.”
T-Pain — “Dreaming”
T-Pain is in a bit of a resurgence at the moment and it’s in large part due to the success of his On Top of The Covers (Live From The Sun Rose) project. Coming off that, the beloved singer returns with the soaring “Dreaming” as his first release of 2024. T-Pain was inspired to release the song thanks to “all this new-found and rekindled T-Pain love all over the place,” so hopefully that means more is on the way.
Eric Bellinger — “Gang Slide” Feat. Mozzy
On March 1, Eric Bellinger will celebrate the 10th anniversary of The Rebirth with the release of the third installation, The Rebirth 3: The Party & The After Party. The latest single from that project pairs Bellinger with Mozzy as both artists share their desires to meet with a woman who they deeply desire a night with despite only interacting with them through Facetime.
Honey Bxby — “Fkn Him Too”
Everybody loves to watch some drama now and then and New Jersey singer Honey Bxby provides that with her new single “Fkn Him Too.” Led by a sample of SWV’s “I’m So Into You,” Honey Bxby boasts about sleeping with another woman’s man and makes it clear that she and the other woman in the question are sharing this man. Think of SZA’s “The Weekend,” but blunter and unapologetic.
Ye Ali — Ye Ali & Chill 3
For his first project in a couple of years, Ye Ali returns with a new installment in the Ye Ali & Chill series. The third installment delivers five songs in a highly collaborative effort thanks to appearances from Kenyon Dixon, Lyfe Harris, Dcmbr, Bleulilbaby, RyFy, and Arianna Reid. It’s that late-night music perfect for your romantic efforts, whatever they may be.
Taylor Belle — “Love Letters To Myself”
With Valentine’s Day just days away, LA singer Taylor Belle is making sure her listeners prioritize self-love over that from someone else with her new single. “Love Letters To Myself” captures the journey that brought Belle to this revelation while reflecting on the events that brought her to this point. All of it is driven by a chorus where she sings, “I’m writing love letters to myself, before I give them to anyone else.”
Eli Derby — “Her Type”
For his first release since his departure from LVRN, singer Eli Derby returns in a boastful mood with his new single “Her Type.” It’s a record he uses to show how perfect of a partner he is to the special woman in his life. His ability to treat her well, treat her to special gifts, and impress her with his ambitions are all things that play a role in him being “her type.”
Äyanna — “Girlfriend (London Girls Mix)” Feat. Tamera & Mnelia
LVRN signee Äyanna ended her 2023 year with the release of her In A Perfect World and now the East London and Jamaica native is back with a special remix of one of the project’s highlight songs. “Girlfriend” receives a “London Girls Mix” with new features from Mnelia and Tamera with the two girls adding a verse each to the song directed at a partner they want to make things official
Langston Bleu — “Fool’s Gold”
With Love Is A Luxury on the way, Atlanta singer Langston Bleu returns with the project’s second single “Fool’s Gold.” Co-written with country singer Brittney Spencer, the song captures the moment Bleu reached a breaking point with a lover. Questions about her intentions and disappointment about their relationship going to waste are the foundation of the song, and in the end, Langston walks away with a whole new outlook on the woman he once called his own.
Sakura — “California”
It appears that 2024 will be the year that Atlanta singer Sakura treats fans to new music and even a new project. Her return starts with her new single “California,” Sakura’s first release since her 2021 project Don’t Overthink It. The ethereal single finds Sakura admitting to being jealous of California and wishing that she could loved by her partner just as much as the West Coast state.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. .
