Is R&B Dead?
We drop our two cents into the age-old debate surrounding the current R&B landscape—examining the genre from a British and American standpoint.
If you're an R&B fan, be honest: how many times have you scrolled Twitter or Instagram and seen some variation of 'if the love doesn't feel like 90s R&B, I don't want it,' if you're like us—probably quite a lot.
With dramatic vocal runs, shirtless, rainy declarations of love, extensive dance routines and futuristic visuals, it's safe to say the 1990s and early 2000s conjure up nostalgia for many.
It's all too easy to say R&B isn't dead, you just have to look for it. That said, with so much musical and aesthetic inspiration to pull from, fans and artists alike often ponder why the genre has seemingly disappeared from the mainstream whirlpool of chart success.
If we take things back 25 years, for example, R&B was reigning supreme. In 1997, the Top 40 Charts had Mariah Carey’s hip-hop-woven sixth studio album, Butterfly and Usher’s sophomore standout My Way. Equally, R&B cultists feasted on records such as Allure’s glossy self-titled debut, Erykah Badu’s ethereal Baduizm and Janet Jackson’s trip-hop-leaning The Velvet Rope.
If we really want to dive into the R&B cinematic universe, even obscure, independent releases such as Tina’s DJ Screw/dirty south-inspired debut Are U.Bout' It? found regional success stateside.
25 years later and many iterations of the iPod later, R&B is in a very different spot compared to its 1997 commercial heyday.
Somehow both forward-thinking and nostalgic all at once, R&B has gone through many revisions in its lifetime. Initially drawing on influences from blues, soul, and later classical hip-hop, too—the 2010s saw a major change for the genre.
Shifting towards a more introspective and melancholic sound the 2010s saw the emergence of what was coined alternative or indie R&B. Retaining similar themes of love, heartbreak and love lust—we saw the rise of new household names, such as Frank Ocean, The Weeknd and Miguel, within quick succession of one another.
Tracks like Ocean’s emotionally brittle and sombre "Thinking Of You" and "Novacane", The Weeknd’s "Wicked Games" and 6LACK’s "PRBLMS" helped anchor alt-R&B’s place in the music stratosphere. Also heavily championed on Tumblr, alt-R&B served as the soundtrack to gloomy mood boards, the revival of hipster culture and conversations of youth mental health.
The term alt-R&B has been widely criticised. In an interview with The Guardian, FKA twigs proclaimed:
“I don’t see anyone else doing that now. It’s got loud noises in there, the structures aren’t typical, it’s relentless. It’s like punk; fuck alternative R&B.”
It’s a story that repeats itself. Just earlier this year singer/songwriter Rachel Chinouriri expressed her frustration with being mislabelled as an R&B artist when her music is primarily indie-pop leaning.
On the flip side, you have artists like Ariana Grande, whose music often fringes or borrows from R&B but can still get away with being called pop. The conflating of R&B with other genres is nothing new. Recently, Mahalia spoke out against the BRIT Awards and their decision to merge pop and R&B under one award. The nominees included Adele, Ed Sheeran, Joy Crookes, and Griff, with Dua Lipa taking the award home.
Like Mahalia, Ella Mai also questioned the place of R&B in the UK. In 2018, Ella Mai went clear with her hit single "Boo'd Up". The track blew up in both the UK and the US, garnering endless praise for its nostalgic and wholesome feel. Mai was the first British act since 1992 artist to top the US R&B Singles Chart, too. Not bad for a Mitcham-bred artist.
To top things off, "Boo'd Up" was nominated at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards and the BRITs in 2019, winning best R&B song at the former.
Mai's stardom was a big deal, as it proved the demand for contemporary R&B in the US and UK. Ella Mai is an interesting case study. As much as she is British talent, her creative infrastructure was American. Under DJ Mustard's tutelage; and his label 10 Summers, we beg the question: would Ella Mai have had the same success with a UK team behind her?
In an interview with Bricks Magazine, singer and prolific songwriter RAYE revealed her SoundCloud-esque R&B demos were deemed unmarketable to UK audiences by her former label Polydor.
Despite all of this, there is definitely potential for R&B to return to the mainstream—especially in the UK.
Once again, the same argument of searching for R&B applies; in fact, there are tonnes to discover. From established acts like Jorja Smith, Cleo Sol or Sinéad Harnett—to artists like Pip Millett, JVCK JAMES, Bellah, Ojerime and more, who are all pioneering their sounds and growing loyal fanbases.
Enter FLO, a girl trio whose viral single, "Cardboard Box", further proves that the R&B bloodline is alive and well. Whilst some acts might have stop-start releases after going viral, each consecutive single FLO puts out gains more traction. From the silky, Destiny Child and Brandy-inspired "Feature Me" to the Kelis-riffing, pop stomper "Not My Job", it looks like FLO is here to stay.
Whilst most girl groups of the 2010s have been more pop-flavoured, FLO pushes a contemporary R&B sound that is equally nostalgic and fresh. Singles like "Immature" vocally draw inspiration from R&B greats of years gone by, and the zany, unkempt badassery of The Cheetah Girls.
Blending the old and the new in both their style and single rollout, their debut EP, The Lead, was released just four months after the success of "Cardboard Box" and "Immature", showing just how fantastic artists can be with the right team behind them.
So, we circle back around and ask: is R&B dead?
Not if Tems has anything to say about it. The Nigerian songstress is currently leading the charge with her tornado of Afro-R&B delight. After dropping two acclaimed EPs, Tems wowed after she was prominently sampled on Future and Drake's beloved "Wait 4 U" back in April.
Outside of her viral web of popularity, Tems has impressed R&B heads with gems such as the velvety, riddim-charged "Replay" and the soul-plunging "Free Mind" over the past 24 months.
There is no way we'd be talking about R&B's livelihood if it was really dead. It's true—R&B is not the mainstream powerhouse it was in the 90s and 2000s, but that's okay; trend cycles work in mysterious ways.
The fifteen years between 1991 and 2006 have been dubbed the golden years of R&B by fans. It has lent itself to numerous adaptions, interpretations and dissections by many creatives outside of the R&B sphere, and for that—R&B is not dead: it simply evolved.
On that note, we should celebrate the genre we hold so near and dear. We've put together a playlist of the best UK R&B streaming can offer. Enjoy.