In Their Feelings

When I talked about Sy Smith in my 2024 record rundown, I noted that R&B women don't get nearly enough shine for what they do. This week's long dispatch is an attempt to rectify that.

Although R&B as a genre doesn't get quite enough recognition, this isn't to say that it has gone anywhere. Two of the biggest stars working right now—SZA and Beyoncé—are of the genre. In addition, they are doing innovative, interesting work. But, these two are not the entire genre.

Once you go past the surface, you find a bunch of dynamic artists making music. There are artists who hew closer to a traditional R&B sound like Muni Long and Marsha Ambrosius as well as ones who have continued on the path of integrating hip-hop into the genre such as Summer Walker.

If I were to talk about all of the artists in this space, this dispatch would be hundreds of pages long, and I don't have that kind of time—I do have a day job that isn't this. So, instead we're going to focus on some of my favorite artists working right now. I have already mentioned some of my favorites during the run of this newsletter. They include Erika de Casier, the aforementioned Sy Smith, Yaya Bey, Fabiana Palladino, Kali Uchis, Ravyn Lenae, Tinashe, and FKA Twigs. I can’t recommend these ladies high enough. So, in tribute to Women's History Month, I'm going to talk about a few more ladies doing quality work.

I'm going to start in my hometown of Washington, D.C., with Kelela. Signed to Warp Records, Kelela infuses R&B with the intensity and immediacy of electronic music. Her voice is lovely, fitting into—and never swamped by—the busier sonic landscape. Her songwriting is sharp and introspective and concedes nothing for radio airplay. She is one of the leading artists of the progressive R&B movement. Although she lives in LA now, she did release a remix album with a track by DC legends Rare Essence, so the city remains within her. She has two studio albums to her name: Take Me Apart and Raven. Both are excellent listens and worth your time. I prefer Raven, as I listened to it a lot when it came out in 2023.

Moving in a slightly more traditional direction, Snoh Aalegra is a singer operating out of LA. Her singing voice is smooth if not necessarily as ranging as other singers. This works to her advantage because she is easily able to create a groove. This is helped by the production, which references retro R&B sounds, the progressive R&B that arose in that city during the 1990s and 2000s (e.g., Sa-Ra), and the hip-hop sounds circulating both in the mainstream and on the underground. She’s got three albums to her name. I think the best place to start with her is TEMPORARY HIGHS IN THE VIOLET SKIES, her 2021 album. The standout tracks here are the duets that she did with Tyler, the Creator: “NEON PEACH” and “IN THE MOMENT.” They have a very good chemistry, and Tyler fits into Snoh’s world smoothly.

Next is Jazmine Sullivan. If you need someone to tell you what is what, you find Jazmine Sullivan. With a beautiful voice that easily conveys emotion and precise writing, Sullivan is one of the best working in the mainstream R&B space, where rap and R&B crossover. Like many of the women in this space, Sullivan is considering herself and her needs first. As shown on the single “Pick Up Your Feelings,” she hits the line “Boy, please, I don’t need you/Oh, memories, all that shit, you can keep it.” You can feel the scorn in her delivery. She’s a powerhouse, and you should start with Heaux Tales. Reality Show is also an excellent album, but Heaux Tales introduces her project and her sensibilities very well.

On Heaux Tales, you also hear Ari Lennox a couple of times. The two of them are well paired, complementing each other nicely. Lennox also has her own stellar discography. age/sex/location is a masterful display of Lennox’s perspective on her own agency and her sexual desire. On this album full of tales, Lennox’s voice is buoyed by a vibe that is reminiscent of Erykah Badu: soulful, grooving, and smooth. She’s a canny operator who is a highlight of the mainstream R&B scene. Hopefully, she’ll release a new album in the not-too-distant future.

The last two artists that I will talk about in this more mainstream/traditional R&B space are Victoria Monét and Jaz Karis. Monét, a writer in high demand and frequent collaborator with Ariana Grande, is more than able to stand on her own as an artist. She possesses a level of swagger in her songs that is amazing. She knows that she runs things; it’s your job to get on her level, not the other way around. Although she had been dropping EPs for a while, Monét released her two-part debut album Jaguar in 2020 (Part 1) and 2023 (Part 2). Riding on a solid bed of 70s grooves, she commands the space and demands your attention. I think she's plain phenomenal. If you want to see how awesome she is, check her out in this tribute to Usher at the 2024 BET Awards:

Karis, a British singer, works in a calm, mellow manner. Accompanied by jazzy, relaxed beats that are informed by Afrobeats among other things, her first album SAFE FLIGHT is an accomplished outing. Her writing is strong, and she has own perspective on affairs. As I was reading about this album, there was a reference to Sade, and that’s not off-base to me. Her voice has the same easy confidence as Ms. Adu. She’s not quite as elegant, but that's a benefit for Karis; she can make her own path that way, and I'm sure she will.

Moving into a more experimental/progressive space, the first act to discuss is Tirzah. While named after Tirzah Mastin, Tirzah is a trio featuring Mastin, Mica Levi, and Coby Sey. Their R&B is as informed by the club as it is by standard bearers such as Whitney Houston. Levi’s soundscapes are varied, ranging from looping and deep to noisy and gritty. In all situations, they offer an interesting counterpoint to Mastin’s lyrics about her life as a mother, her romantic affairs, and goings on around her. All three of her albums on Domino—Devotion, Colourgrade, and trip9love…???—are uniformly excellent, but if you are not familiar with her, Devotion is the place to start as it is the most easily accessible. It also has my favorite song from her on it: “Do You Know.”

While not as club driven as Tirzah, Dawn Richard is one of the most interesting R&B artists working right now. After getting free of Danity Kane, Richard has created some of the most boundary-pushing R&B in recent years. She uses her beautiful voice to put herself and her people first. In addition, her production shows that she can never be put into a box. For example, a couple of her recent albums have been collaborations with Spencer Zahn, a multi-instrumentalist. On these albums, Richard is the singer, but she is not always at the front. She finds ways to fit into the space and accent the sonic landscape Zahn creates, making a unified while rather than trying to hog the limelight. Given that all of her albums are different from one another and uniformly excellent, there is no specific place to recommend to start from. Pick one and have some fun.

The last lady I’ll talk about in this space is Jorja Smith. Hailing from Britain, Smith is a clever writer with an emotive voice that she can use across a variety of beats. Using her 2023 album falling or flying as an example, Smith works with sophisti-pop, modern hip-hop R&B, and garage as a template to talk about her life and feelings. Because she is so thoughtful, her music is very intimate and engaging. Smith’s presence is fascinating, and I’m glad she’s bringing it to the world through her music.

As you can see, R&B is healthy in the hands of these women. I’ve made a YouTube playlist that I will not embed because it makes reading the dispatch weird, but instead I'll provide you this lovely link to follow. After being in my feelings all week, I have no idea of what next week will hold. I have an idea, but we’ll see if it comes to fruition. In the meantime, have an excellent week, and I’ll see y’all next time.