From 2018 to 2020, there has been a rise in emerging R&B artists slowly taking over mainstream music. Today, we highlight some of the best up & coming soul musicians who you should watch out for.
1. Daniel Caesar
Canadian singer & songwriter, Daniel Caesar has been gaining widespread attention with his song "Get You", which has amassed over 300 million streams on Spotify today. Caesar cites The Doors' Jim Morrison, Kanye West & John Mayer as some of his heaviest inspirations for his musical aesthetics. He has won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance with the song "Best Part feat. H.E.R".His debut album "Freudian" has been certified Gold by Music Canada & The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
2. Frank Ocean
Frank Ocean is an American singer-songwriter, who has been credited by music critics for his revitalising jazz and funk influenced R&B, as well as advancing the genre through his experimental approach. His compositions are often mid-tempo, featuring unconventional melodies, and occasionally have an experimental song structure. He has been characterised as an "avant-garde R&B artist" with themes of love, longing and misgivings.
3. Kali Uchis
Kali Uchis' debut studio album,Isolation, was released in 2018 to widespread acclaim. Music critics have defined her style as "genre-defying" as she utilises complex yet catchy bass rhythms heavily in her songs. She cites Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday as her musical influences due to her love for music of the 1960s, with its mix of early soul, R&B and doo-wop.
4. H.E.R
H.E.R rose to fame from 2017-2018 and was nominated for five Grammy Awards at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards in 2019, winning Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Album. She was signed to RCA under Sony at the age of 14 when she released a single in 2014 titled "Something to Prove" under her real name. Consisting mostly of contemporary R&B ballads, H.E.R's songs have been described as "downcast post-breakup material that sounded vulnerable and assured at once".
5. Chloe x Halle
Chloe x Halle is an American R&B duo composed of sisters Chloe and Halle Bailey. The sisters write and arrange all of their songs in their home studio, while teaching themselves music. Halle enjoys jazz and has been listening to Billie Holiday since she was a child. She also cited the singer as one of the major influences on her vocal performance. Chloe, on the other hand, being the primary producer, is inspired by artists such as Grimes, Missy Elliott and Tune-Yards.
Zoe is an avid fan of all kinds of music. Her primary instrument is the guitar but she is always passionately learning how to play other instruments such as the drums and keyboard. She is currently playing the bass guitar in a band and has been routinely involved in music since she was a child.
#r&b #r&bmusic #soulmusic #r&bartists #r&bmusicians #music #singapore #danielcaesar #kaliuchis #frankocean #jazz #funk #ballads