R&B

“Everything always starts from a voice note for me,” Alex Vaughn tells Rated R&B about her songwriting approach that only calls for a piano and a cell phone with a voice recorder. It’s a cathartic experience for Vaughn that doesn’t always have much intent behind it except to allow her to pour her emotions and

About a year ago, Ogi, a rising vocalist of Nigerian descent, was at a crossroads, or what she describes to Rated R&B as an “existential crisis.” For as long as she can remember, she had a goal to enroll in law school after attaining her undergraduate degree. But, Ogi didn’t pursue that trajectory after graduating

Things are about to heat up on the West Coast. Summer Walker has partnered with Live Nation Urban to curate a unique live experience dubbed A Hot Summer Night in LA. The one-night event will take place on June 24 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. Named Billboard Women in Music’s 2022 Chartbreaker recipient,

Eric Bellinger can now throw a diamond in the sky. The Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter has announced his new publishing agreement with Roc Nation. The extent of the deal has not been disclosed at this time. Still, Bellinger joins the roster of songwriters and producers such as Joelle James, Jahlil Beats, and Aleicia Nicole, among many others.

Mary J. Blige has reissued her 14th album, Good Morning Gorgeous, with a deluxe version. Good Morning Gorgeous (Deluxe) includes four new tracks, including the recently released “Good Morning Gorgeous (Remix)” featuring H.E.R. The original version peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Adult R&B Airplay chart and scored Blige her first entry on the Billboard Hot

As promised, Yuna continues to churn out installments in her five-part album series. Y2 is the second installment of her Y5 project, and it includes three new tracks.  The opener, “Girl U Used 2 Know,” is the ultimate payback anthem for women who’ve left a bad relationship and want their ex to get a taste

It’s 2003 again, and Mahalia is responsible for flipping the switch on the time machine. The rising singer has released the new song, “In The Club,” which will instantly put you in the mind of 50 Cent’s major crossover hit “In Da Club.” Mahalia’s latest isn’t as boisterous as the hip-hop mogul’s breakout single. Instead,

[embedded content] Seattle-based singer-songwriter Dante Riverz released his latest single and music video “Real Freak” on April 22. The music video was directed by NuWavRecords with the music produced by the artist, Dante Riverz and Tonik and featuring a female lead played by Yellow. “Real Freak” opens with a hypnotic, eclectic electronic (almost piano-like) musical

Tamar Braxton is getting out in front of the crowd again with a series of show dates. On April 30 and May 1, the Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter will play back-to-back shows at Bethesda Blues and Jazz in Bethesda, Maryland.  Braxton will then perform additional dates in May and June, most of which will be festivals and

[embedded content] Christian and Gospel musical sensation, Lawrence Hancock will be releasing his 8th album, “Don’t Stop Caring” on April 29, 2022. Lawrence Hancock (who is also a Christian Bishop) is a Stellar Award Nominated Artist and member of the Recording Academy. His music label is Bishop Lawrence Hancock. Album cover art for “Don’t Stop

Sometimes the truth hurts, and a lie feels comforting. The latter seems to be the case for Givēon in his new song “Lie Again.” Over a bluesy production, which he co-created with Don Mills, Givēon begs his lover to fill his head with sweet lies in order to avoid accepting the bitter truth of their

CeeLo Green will honor the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, with a special tribute tour, Soul Brotha #100.  Green will celebrate Brown with a 75-minute set of 27 songs from his extensive catalog. He also curated an elaborate wardrobe that reflects Brown’s signature style. “I’ve always felt deeply connected to James Brown on a musical level

[embedded content] Since its April 15 release on YouTube, Eluozo’s new music video “One in a Million (Remix)” official summer love song has already reached almost 8,400 views in just a few days. Work on this visually stunning music video was completed in August last year but the singer/songwriter delayed release and promotion because of

Falling in love can be scary, especially if you’ve experienced heartbreak in the past. In any case, one must give themselves permission to be vulnerable and open their heart. Jade Novah sings about the rewarding feeling of letting love rule on her new single “Lost in You,” which she co-wrote with her husband Devin Johnson. 

R&B superstar Chris Brown and rap sensation Lil Baby have announced their co-headlining One of Them Ones Tour, presented by Rolling Loud. The 27-city tour kicks off on July 15 in Raleigh, North Carolina. From there, Breezy and Lil Baby will hit major cities across North America, including Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., New York City, Toronto, Atlanta, and Los Angeles,

[embedded content] One of the newest hip hop artists on the block is Los-Angeles-based rapper, Airplane James, who’s been making a splash in music circles of late. HotNewHipHop (HNHH) noted that Airplane James has had a “relentless run” over the last two years where he completed work on three full-length projects since 2020 including “This

[embedded content] Rising indie-artist and R&B sensation, Saneit debuted her highly anticipated music video “Prove Me Wrong” on YouTube on April 18, 2022 – receiving almost 11,000 views in five days post-release. The music video “Prove Me Wrong” was produced by Rozart (@rowesay) and directed by Maurice Jackson of @monomedia_llc. The music video was completely

There isn’t a direct path to breaking into the music industry. In some cases, it’s a matter of being in the right place at the right time and connecting with someone who can get you through the door. Then there are cases such as LAYA’s where you have to build your door to walk through.

Most modern video game titles have a relationship with music that is akin to that of a Hollywood movie blockbuster. Soundtracks are often used in gaming to set emotion and drive plotlines, much the same as in the movies. In some cases, songs have become so closely associated with games on which they feature, that

Jazmine Sullivan’s comeback has been pretty much unstoppable. The Grammy-winning singer/songwriter has gained seven new certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Her 2008 debut album, Fearless, is now certified platinum with more than one million equivalent units sold. It marks Sullivan’s first platinum-selling album to date. Fearless, nominated for Best Contemporary R&B Album at the