It’s New Music Friday, which means Rated R&B is bringing you the most essential releases. From the traditional R&B that ...

For many decades, going as far back as the 1940s, artists from the world of R&B couldn’t really claim mainstream success until they’d crossed over to Top 40 radio and the pop charts. This century, it ...

Billboard chooses its top R&B albums of the year, featuring sets from SZA, Summer Walker, GIVEON and many more. There’s one thing you can say about 2025 musically: it was a very good year for R&B.

Welcome to The State of R&B, ESSENCE’s look at the past, present and future of rhythm and blues. In this piece, ESSENCE editor Rivéa Ruff reports on the blending of hip-hop and R&B. Since the ...

A group of young singer-songwriters have transformed the genre by looking backward, without getting stuck in the past. Here and below are seven of the many contemporary artists who are redefining and ...