Since the genre of R&B started it has been an important staple in music, giving us some of the most important artists of all time. In the past, the genre was home to names like Marvin Gaye, Whitney Houston, Destiny’s Child, D'angelo and so much more. While artists like Brent Faiyaz, SZA, Giveon and Summer Walker hold the mantle now, here are six R&B artists to keep your eyes on in the coming year.
6. Devin Morrison
If you are a fan of the classic 90’s R&B sound Devin Morrison is your guy. The Orlando based artist uses the popular neo-soul sound in many of his songs including gospel and jazz as his inspiration. He has an inviting voice that is paired with the classic 90’s early 2000’s R&B.
Tempest is a fairly new artist with only a handful of music released on streaming services. Even so, it is clear she has a unique sound. Hailing from the Long Beach area she is slowly creating a name for herself as fans await for her first real project.
4. Fana Hues
If you are a fan of Tyler the Creator’s “Call Me if You Get Lost” you must be somewhat familiar with the wonderful Fana Hues. Being featured on the hit song “Sweet/ I Thought You Wanted To Dance” she was given the spotlight she deserved. She already has the project “Hues” that was released back in 2020.
Shawn has already been recognized by plenty of recognized artists including Anderson .Paak and Unknown Mortal Orchestra, who were both on her last project. Hearing her voice feels as though your eardrums are getting a massage. Out of all the artists on this list this is my dark horse to pick! She may not become a superstar but her name will be getting called much more with the interstellar sound she puts out.
Even though the artist D’angelo is not dead, it feels as if he died and was reincarnated as Phabo. Innovating the old school neo-soul sound into his own helped him in the release of his album “Soulquarius” which is one of my favorite albums of this year. With his smooth flow and delivery, he is the Smino of R&B.
Sunni is filled with pure talent and is able to convert this to a groovy sort of swagger. His soft voice is paired with amazing production that is similar to artists like Free Nationals, Jungle, or Unknown Mortal Orchestra. The next project he releases has the potential to reach Arlo Parks “Collapsed in Sunbeams” acclaim
With our year coming to a close, it’s fun to look back on the great year in music we had. Now, we must look into the future and I think you’ll be seeing a lot more of the artists from this list.
