R&B is far from dead. Before you debate me, just know that I don’t play about my R&B! It could be the fact that I grew up in a Black Baptist church (I’m convinced that most soul singers learned to sing in church, I haven’t been proven wrong yet) but my love for soul music hits different. Since I was a kid, while my friends were listening to the Backstreet Boys, I was listening to Joe, Ginuwine, and Glen Lewis! As an adult who still loves the genre just as much as I did growing up, it amazes me this “R&B is dead rhetoric” when there’s so much incredible music out there that you just have to explore for yourself. R&B music is an extension of Black love — it showcases how we feel about each other, the love we share, and the highs, lows, and deep emotions of it all. In honor of Black Music Month, Black Love is highlighting R&B artists who are not only revitalizing the genre but reinventing it and making their mark. 

Kevin Ross 

Kevin Ross’s music feels like everything R&B used to be and can become at the same time. An accomplished singer, songwriter, producer, and performer, the “Sweet Release” singer is charting his course on his own terms. He elevates R&B through eloquent song craft, rich sonic architecture, and downright traffic-stopping vocals. Since launching his career in 2016, he has quietly risen to the forefront of the culture with over 100 million streams and counting, #1 Billboard entries on the Adult R&B Songs Chart, and countless sold-out shows!

Alex Isley 

Alex Isley has earned her own space in the industry and is shining as the next generation of Isley talent. The daughter of Ernie Isley of the Isley Brothers, she brings the smooth vocals in her bloodline to her music with songs like “Good & Plenty,” “Such A Thing,” and “Under the Moon.” Isley describes her music as R&B with Hip-Hop and Jazz influences. Her collaborative music with Jack Dine is guaranteed to put you in your feels with each experience, including their most recent joint album, “Marigold.”

PJ Morton 

You can’t discuss R&B and not mention PJ Morton. The New Orleans native is a rare talent known for his musical ability as not only a singer but a keyboardist, producer, singer, and songwriter. Morton is an uncommonly versatile keyboardist and songwriter for not just R&B songs but also legendary gospel songs like “Let Go” by DeWayne Woods. His gospel roots come from his father and fellow recording artist Bishop Paul Morton of Full Gospel Baptist Church. The four-time Grammy Award-winning singer is best known for his album “Gumbo” and cover of the Bee Gee’s “How Deep is Your Love.” His most recent album, “Watch the Sun” written in the pandemic, has been quoted by Morton as some of his best work to date. 

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Coco Jones 

In case you missed The 2023 BET Awards, allow me to put you on THE Coco Jones! While the #1 single singer may have won Best New Artist on culture’s biggest night, she’s not new to the entertainment industry by any means! Jones entered the industry by acting as a recurring guest on Disney’s musical sketch comedy, “So Random!,” and, in 2012, as the golden-voiced love interest in the network’s TV movie, “Let It Shine.” She’s stayed busy since, flexing her range across titles that span adventure romps, intense dramas, holiday fare, and comedy horror (Netflix’s “Vampires vs. the Bronx”). But singing has remained close to her heart since those early years. While her music career has just begun to take off with her single “ICU” and EP “What Didn’t Tell You,” trust me — there’s no stopping Coco Jones!

Durrand Bernarr

Durrand Bernarr, affectionately known as everybody’s favorite cousin on they daddy’s side, is a singer with powerhouse vocals and witty lyrical storytelling. Durand has had the opportunity to sit under, collaborate, and learn from some of music’s leading legends and contributors such as Earth, Wind & Fire, Producer Yonni, The Internet,  Adam Blackstone, Tweet, Erykah Badu and more! In 2020, Bernarr made huge waves with his self-titled album “DUR&,” which debuted at the #1 spot on the Apple Music R&B charts. Featuring collaborations with the likes of Ari Lennox, KAYTRANADA, Anna Wise, & bassist, “Buddah” Foster Jr., “DUR&” is as playful, witty and sonically imaginative as it is packed with infectious hooks and just plain GOOD singing. In the words of Lena Waithe, who named Bernarr as one of her favorite singers, “Durrand Bernarr is an amazing artist that kills it all the time.”

Alex Vaughn 

Alexa, play “Mirage” by Alex Vaughn! Vaughn’s evocative R&B songs are written with richness, honesty, and a desire always to keep evolving. Spotify credits her unquenchable thirst for growth as what’s powered the Maryland singer/songwriter as she’s released singles like “Mirage,” a hypnotizing reflection on a toxic situationship, her first release since signing with LVRN/Interscope in 2021. Since then, she’s continued to push herself. Her new project, “The Hurtbook,” seamlessly juxtaposes her classically trained musicianship with the raw expression she’s developed as she digs deep. 

Giveon 

You know you’re onto something when your comment section is filled with folks begging for the next album! Giveon first made a splash on the scene with his 2020 collaboration with Drake on the single “Chicago Freestyle.” Following that, he released EPs, “Take Time” and “When It’s All Said and Done,” which was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album! Following the Grammy nom in 2022, he released his debut studio album, “Give or Take!”