2019 in Music: R&B Projects That Deserved More
In general, 2019 was a lackluster year in music. When I tried to search for my favorite projects, or even projects that I cared to listen to frequently from 2019, it was seemingly impossible. Interestingly enough, they were all R&B albums. Multiple R&B stars saw success this year in terms of worldwide acclaim such as Summer Walker (Over It) and Tori Lanez (Chixtape 5). But this is not accurately represented at all in any of this year’s award shows so far, which to some are the holy grails in music and reflect the genre’s high points. Why is that? I ask myself the same question every day. Here are some of the best R&B gems of 2019 that I feel deserve more attention and are even better than some of the albums my timeline hyped. You are welcome in advance.
10. The Rebirth 2 – Eric Bellinger
Eric Bellinger has been killing the game for a minute now. I initially discovered him years ago after releasing his Eric B for President: Term 1 EP and have been a stan ever since. You may recognize his pen more than his voice, with writing credits on R&B favorites like “Lemme See” by Usher, “New Flame” by Chris Brown, and “Disrespectful” by Trey Songz. He even won a Grammy in 2011 for Chris Brown’s F.A.M.E. But his solo career has not reached similar achievements despite being arguably better than those hits. The Rebirth 2, a sequel to his 2013 studio album The Rebirth, is his best project yet. Fan favorites like “Remind Her” and “Drive By” are added to a collection of new songs that Billboard describes as “pure R&B infused with a touch of hip-hop’s gritty vibes”. Eric Bellinger perfectly blends catchy hooks with melody, songs that you cannot help but bop to. Now, I will warn you. The album is 32 songs long. Bellinger aimed to show a duality between two worlds with a two-disc album (16 songs each). He definitely delivered an experience that was worth the hour and 47 minutes.
Similar sounds: Tory Lanez, Jacquees, Chris Brown, Trey Songz
My favorite songs: “No Games” featuring Brittany B, “Apple Berry Nana”, “Freaky Deaky Interlude”, “Innocent”, “Repeat”, and “Not a Love Song” featuring Ma$e,.
9. “Ugh, Those Feels Again” – Snoh Aalegra
Snoh Aalegra is an R&B lover’s dream, the gem that deserves more but you don’t want to blow up because the general public will never see how great they are. A lot of us were first introduced to the sultry singer because of her debut album Feels. The mood and theme draw listeners into Snoh’s storytelling about relationships that she hopes never end, wishes worked out, or glad they didn’t. Without a doubt, you will find a song in her catalogue that relates to your current love life or lack there-of. R&B listeners soon fell in love with her deep, soulful voice. But we were not the only ones. The Swedish star was sampled by Drake in 2017 on the closing track to his mixtape More Life, “Do Not Disturb”. Although this was not my favorite project from Snoh, I cannot lie, this was a solid project. Songs like “Nothing to Me” and “Find Someone Like You” have been on constant rotation since I first pressed play on the album. In general, Snoh Aalegra deserves more of the public’s attention. She has arrived. She is undeniably talented. If she is the future of R&B, I am more than ecstatic.
Similar artists: Lalah Hathaway, Sabrina Claudio, H.E.R
Favorite Songs: “Nothing to Me”, “I Want You Around”, “Situationship”, “Find Someone Like You”, “Toronto”, and “I Didn’t Mean to Fall in Love”.
8. “PAUL” – PJ Morton
PJ Morton is an exceptional musician. As well as being an incredible songwriter, he has also played in multiple artists’ bands. His rap sheet ranges from India.Arie to Jermaine Dupri to Fred Hammond to Jagged Edge. He is definitely not flying under the radar, with two Grammy nominations from his 2017 album Gumbo. That very album is the reason I fell in love with PJ. His voice sounds extremely sweet and beautiful. It reminds you of everything good in the world. I struggle to even write this because his talent is truly indescribable. On this album, PJ floats over melodic tunes reflective of his vast instrumentation. His Jazmine Sullivan and Jojo features are only icing on the cake. Songs like “Yearning for your Love” sound like R&B classics that we know and love.
Similar Artists: Stevie Wonder, Musiq Soulchild
Favorite Songs: “Say So” featuring Jojo, “Built for Love” featuring Jazmine Sullivan, “MAGA?” featuring Angela Rye, “Yearning for Your Love”, and “Ready”.
7. “King of R&B” – Jacquees
Most people know the Atlanta native for his features on the shade room and his covers. His mixtapes are a staple in peak SoundCloud culture. 19 is actually one of my favorites from 2014 with hits like “Come Thru” and “Future Baby Mama”. Releases like “B.E.D.” and “Bounce” also helped catapult his career and ink a record deal with Cash Money Records. Jacquees’s unique voice is unforgettable – whether that is good or bad is subjective. For me, I can’t get enough of his effortless runs. And he delivered just that on this album. Even the title, King of R&B, is his effort of putting his money where his mouth is after claiming the title in 2018 and sparking debates all over social media. Although I would not call him the king, I cannot doubt his impact on R&B and SoundCloud culture. He is one of the biggest emerging male R&B artists right now, and he deserves a chance.
Similar Artists: Chris Brown, Tory Lanez
Favorite Songs: “King” featuring T.I., “Risk it All”, “Fact or Fiction”, “Out of the Ordinary”, and “Good Lovin”.
6. “Painted” – Lucky Daye
Whew, where to begin. Lucky Daye is my favorite emerging R&B star because of his immense potential. Like others on this list, he has songwriting credits for various artists: Keith Sweat, Keke Palmer, Ella Mai, Trey Songz, Ne-Yo, and Mary J. Blige to name a few. Since he first signed to RCA in 2018 Lucky Daye has released nothing but quality bops. Starting with his very first single, “Roll Some Mo”, which is the definition of Rhythm and Blues. He takes elements from swing & funk culture and couples them with the latest R&B/hip-hop style for the perfect sound. It is remarkable how he has branded himself, and he has the potential to go extremely far if he keeps this sound. Painted, which is impressively entirely written by Lucky, is a collection of previously released songs from his Eps I and II with a few added tracks. “Late Night”, “Roll Some Mo”, “Ready for Love” and “Karma” are some of the more notable hits on the album, but each song is a banger. Putting this album in your rotation as you take a drive will be one of the best decisions you will ever make.
Similar Artists: SiR, Arin Ray, Xavier Omar
Favorite Songs: “Concentrate”, “Love You Too Much”, “Late Night”, “Karma”, “Real Games”, and “Misunderstood”.
5. “To Myself” – Baby Rose
I was first introduced to Baby Rose as an opener for Ari Lennox’s Shea Butter Baby tour in early 2019. I instantly felt a wave of emotions – sadness, shock, fear, bliss, the list goes on. That is what she does to you. Her beautifully deep and ominous tone coupled with sensational songwriting tugs at your heart strings. You cannot simply listen to one song and form an opinion on her music. You have to think about her voice, and really take it in. She makes music that you have to close your eyes and feel – not hear. As someone who has seen her live multiple times in the last year, this makes concerts even more of an experience. With her debut album, Baby Rose includes favorites like “All to Myself” and introduces us to her newest creations. My favorite song of 2019, “Mortal”, is one of those creations. Each song is just as beautiful as the next. This level of songwriting is just… wow. She has cosigns from all of our favorite artists, from SZA to J. Cole. She was even featured on Dreamville’s grammy nominated collaborative album Revenge of the Dreamers III. This girl is honestly the future of alternative R&B. If you did not know Baby Rose in 2019, please prepare yourself. Because 2020 is her year.
Similar Artists: Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, H.E.R
Favorite Songs: “Mortal”, “Borderline”, “Sold Out”, “All to Myself”, “Ragrets”, and “Show You”.
4. “While We Wait” – Kehlani
Kehlani is not new to R&B, nor does she need an explanation. Mixtapes like “You Should Be Here”, which was nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album despite not actually being an album, and “Cloud 19” gave her the title as the Queen of Mixtapes to some people. Many publications named Cloud 19 as the most overlooked and underappreciated project of 2014. In 2015, she topped that with a new title – The Artist to Watch. She spent the next few years expanding her audience and working with numerous artists. She returned at the top of the year in 2017 with SweetSexySavage, one of the greatest R&B albums of that year. She stayed true to her Oakland roots while introducing fans to her multiple styles. The album showed her range in terms of songwriting and musicality. The mother of SoundCloud culture released this mixtape in early 2019 as a holdover for fans as they wait for her second studio album. I mean, the opening track features legend Musiq Soulchild. I was immediately sold. It gets no better than that. Other songs like “Nunya” featuring Dom Kennedy and “Nights Like This” featuring Ty Dolla $ign were instantly fan favorites. I believe the true quality lies in the deep cuts of the album, those easily glanced over. “Love Language”, “Too Deep”, and “Feels” being some of those deep cuts. Some may not agree with this because I’m learning that Kehlani has the type of voice that you either love or hate. Thank god I’m able to appreciate the amazing artist she is.
Similar Artists: Tinashe, Mila J, Sevyn Streeter, Kiana Lede, Victoria Monet
Favorite Songs: “Feels”, “Love Language”, “Footsteps” featuring Musiq Soulchild, and “Too Deep”.
3. “Voicemails” – Tink
Tink is another SoundCloud gem that I feel never got the chance to be the star she deserved to be. We first found Tink on her Winter’s Diary sequence, with notable hits “Bonnie & Clyde” and “Treat Me Like Somebody”. In 2012, she released everyone’s favorite song, “Don’t Tell Nobody” featuring Jeremih. After singing to Timbaland’s Mosley Music Group in 2014, her career took a seemingly screeching halt. She was forgotten by some people when SoundCloud’s hype died down. Her debut album was initially supposed to release in 2015, but due to label issues it was delayed. They would not let her release new material to her fans, so she was forced to release numerous mixtapes. Her relationship with Timbaland was also rocky at the time, as most of her music was with him. In 2017, Tink was able to leave the label, but she was forced to leave the rights to all of the songs she recorded during those years with Mosley. This was no problem for her as she released her 2018 mixtape entitled Pain & Pleasure. This project reminded me just why I fell in love with her. Songs like “Get You Home” and “M.I.A” helped remind the public as well. She released her seventh mixtape, Voicemails, in 2019. This mixtape feels the closest to an album to me, which gives me hope for her next release. Every song on the project is relatable. Every song on the project could be a single. She tells a story with this mixtape by staying on theme with voicemail recordings as interludes sprinkled throughout. This is by far one of the best projects of 2019.
Similar Artists: Summer Walker, Ann Marie, Ella Mai, Sevyn Streeter, Natasha Mosley
Favorite Songs: “Soon as U Walk In”, “Ride It” featuring Dej Loaf, “I Need Ur Love”, “Bad Side”, “No Hesitation (Do the Most)”, and “Stabbed in the Back”.
2. “Shea Butter Baby” – Ari Lennox
Queen of Dreamville, Ari Lennox first sang her way into her hearts with her debut EP Pho in 2016. She was signed to Dreamville in 2015 and featured on their Revenge of the Dreamers II compilation album later that year. Standout track “Backseat” featuring Cozz is most peoples’ introduction to Ari. Her voice is unlike anything you have ever heard before or can put your finger on. Since her early projects she has developed a soulful sound that she carried onto her debut album, Shea Butter Baby. Shea Butter Baby is the second-best debut album from a female R&B artist this decade. She truly encompassed soul and packaged it with the perfect visuals. This is one of the first albums that I have heard in a while that has absolutely zero skips. Her talent is apparent, live and in-studio. Everything about her rollout for this album was perfect, just like the album. This project launched her career and showed the general public what she was capable of. Black women everywhere cannot get enough of this ode to them and their beautiful skin. And after one listen, you will understand exactly why.
Similar Artists: SZA, Jhene Aiko, Summer Walker, Solange, Snoh Aalegra.
Favorite Songs: “BMO”, “Static”, “New Apartment”, “Chicago Boy”, “Facetime”, and “I Been”.
1. “Chasing Summer” – SiR
This is the album that inspired it all. SiR is one of Top Dawg Entertainment’s artists, which houses SZA, Kendrick Lamar, and SchoolBoy Q among others. He began as a songwriter with his brother and Cousin Tiffany Gouche (also fire). So far, he has written for R&B legends like Jaheim, Tyrese, Anita Baker, Jill Scott, Stevie Wonder, and Ginuwine. He released his debut album November in 2018 after singing to TDE in 2017. To be honest, outside of “D’Evils”, I completely glanced over the album. But in 2019, boy did he slap me in the face. Chasing Summer is the best R&B album of 2019, and this is not even remotely up for debate. “That’s Why I Love You” featuring Sabrina Claudio and “Hair Down” featuring Kendrick Lamar initially drew me into the album. The rest is history. It is nearly impossible to narrow down my favorite songs from this album. It is just as impossible to try to come up with a grand description of this album, and why it is so great. Every song is beautiful in its’ own way. SiR needs nothing but a simple melody to tell a story that you cannot get out of your brain. His voice is mesmerizing. His instrumentation is infectious. This album is love.
Similar Artists: Miguel, Anderson .Paak, Masego
Favorite Songs: “John Redcorn”, “You Can’t Save Me”, “Fire”, “Lucy’s Love” featuring Lil Wayne, “Touch Down”, and “The Recipe”.
To see more of my 2019 favorites, check out my newest playlist available on Apple Music.