Tag: Rnb

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Usher Is About To Wake Up RnB

Usher And RnB Are About To Wake Up
Usher. Image source: Getty Images.

Usher has been a staple of the RnB genre since the early 1990s, and now he’s continuing to cement his legacy.

In the caption of a TikTok posted this Friday (Mar 10), Usher says he’s on his way to “wake up RnB.” The “Climax” singer walks through his home in a lavish bathrobe and slippers in the video. The cheeky caption, of course, alludes to a slip in the quality of modern RnB music that many industry heavyweights have been commenting on lately.

Diddy Starts a Fire

The conversation was seemingly kicked off by P Diddy, who has produced for top RnB acts like Mary J Blige and Mariah Carey. Back in August last year, he held an IG live conversation with Blige, Kehlani, and Timberland to discuss the state of RnB. During this, he made a bold statement. “R&B is muthafuckin’ dead as of right now,” the New York mogul said.

He continued, “No, no, no. It’s a feeling. You gotta be able to sing for R&B, and then you gotta tell the truth. R&B is not a hustle. This shit is about feeling your vulnerability.” He went on to further explain what he feels is missing from the current RnB. “I don’t wanna hear all this bullshit […] It’s our fault for accepting anything less for anybody getting on a mic. I feel like there was a death of R&B singing, and I’m a part of bringing that shit back!”

It was a sentiment that garnered plenty of pushback from social media and musical peers alike. During the live, Timberland disagreed with Diddy’s take and sided with the artists of today. Although, when prompted, he struggled to list artists who can sing without auto-tune, which Diddy used to illustrate his point.

One singer that stood up vocally against the claims of RnB being dead is Chris Brown. As always, Chris spoke bluntly about his opposition to the idea of RnB being a dead genre. He posted a lengthy rant on his Instagram story laced with explicative, blaming the music industry for failing to promote talented singers.

“WHENS THE LAST TIME YOU HEARD A SLOW SONG ON THE RADIO???? NI**AS SAYING R&B IS DEAD… RESPECTFULLY SHUT UP,” he typed. “People now a days want fast food instead of a real meal… DONT BLAME THE REAL SINGERS OUT HERE BEKUZ WHAT CHANNELS DO PEOPLE HAVE TO SEE MUSIC VIDEOS BET DAMN SURE DONT NIETHER DOES MTV. AND THEN THE INDUSTRY BE FORCING SH*T ON THE PEOPLE WHEN THE REAL MUSIC LOVERS KNOW THAT SH*T IS GARBAGE.”

https://twitter.com/Dominic_zeus/status/1560875935435464706

Dupri And “Confessions 2”

However, despite all the pushback, Diddy isn’t the only famed producer that sees a decline in the genre. In a 2020 interview with BBC News, Jermaine Dupri said there is a “big gap” left to be filled by the return of RnB. In the interview, Dupri spoke highly of Usher’s upcoming project, “Confessions 2,” and placed his hope in the album to bring RnB back to relevancy.

“But if Usher can come back and we do what we gotta do with the album, and it pops off, somebody has to safeguard it and make sure that they say that it’s R&B,” Dupri added. “Because if they don’t, and it gets big, then it’s gonna trend to the left, and somebody’s gonna call it a pop album.”

In addition to this, Dupri revealed that the steady decrease in commercial success for RnB music is the reason why “Confessions 2” has been delayed. But with artists like summer Walker achieving a number-one billboard debut and selling over 160k album units with still over it, there may still be hope for RnB to take back some pop culture relevance.

Usher has been keeping busy in recent years, despite the lack of a new album. The 44-year-old has primarily been occupied with his Las Vegas residency. The viral “My Way” show is extremely successful, having a complete sold-out last year. In addition to this, 15 new dates have been added to Usher’s 2023 schedule.

Aside from his time in Las Vegas, Usher caught the attention of the internet with his Tiny Desk concert. The set included iconic hits like “You Make Me Wanna,” “U Don’t Have to Call,” and “Nice & Slow.” Fans old and new highly praised Usher’s amazing live vocals and musicality. The discussion even snowballed into a possible Superbowl performance and comparisons to other successful male acts, namely Chris Brown.

https://twitter.com/aj_igwe/status/1634564204094005248

https://twitter.com/MacD_Ug/status/1634479840815464449

https://twitter.com/paige_me0wster/status/1632087359318822912?s=20

There’s certainly something to back up his claim of waking up RnB.

Written by Dreema Carrington 

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FM Spotlight: Demi Grace Drops Music Video For The New “Grace” Single

Demi Grace Drops Music Video
Demi Grace. Image source: Instagram, @iamdemigrace.

Demi Grace isn’t missing a beat since her May drop. The R&B songstress released her music video for “Stay” this Wednesday (Feb 15).

Demi Grace Wants You to “Stay”

The video continues a story thread created in Demi Clinge’s previous video for “Clingy.” The scene is set with Demi’s male costar sneaking out of bed, leading to the “Calling Me’ singer somberly reflecting on last night.

This follows a notable trend of artists, particularly female artists, using their consecutive music videos as a larger-spanning storytelling medium. It is a technique that lends itself to R&B music, which often relies on the real-life experiences and stories of the artist singing on the record. Demi Grace is taking the term “visuals” to a different level with her music videos, and more is yet to come.

“Can you just stay (4x)

I looked on the other side, and let me tell you

I saw nothing greener

…You been living life, and I live mine but

I see your demeanor.” 

If you’re feeling a bit moody and down about love, “Stay” is the perfect single for you.

The Discography

“Stay” joins “Clingy,” “Alarm,” “Come Closer,” and “Calling Me” as Demi’s singles with an accompanying music video. Her newest album, “Blackcurrant,” also produced by Itstragicbaby, is a clever blend of classic RnB with some afrobeat notes. This is courtesy of Demi’s Nigerian British background, allowing her to easily navigate both genres.

Grace, also known as Grace Abidemi Ayorinde, is no stranger to the visual medium. Aside from her work as a recording artist, she also has experience with professional modeling. From Make Up Forever to Digicel, Grace’s face has represented several major brands. She even made history in 2017 by becoming the first model to represent Pantene with locs. However, that’s not the only time Demi Grace has been a trailblazer.

In addition to the Pantene feat, Demi became the first artist to sign to the Nigerian branch of Universal Music Group in 2017.

“Stay” and the other 9 tracks on “Blackcurrant” are now also available on all streaming services!

Related Stories:

Artist Spotlight: Demi Grace with Blackcurrant

DanDizzy Uses His Talents To Encourage Citizens To Vote In The Nigerian Elections

Written by Dreema Carrington 

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Beyonce’s New Album ‘Renaissance’ Tops Charts

beyonce

Beyonce’s long-anticipated album Renaissance made its debut on July 29. After one week, the numbers are in and they speak to the consistency of Queen Bey.

The Numbers For Beyonce’s Renaissance

The project debuted at No.1 on the Billboard 200, becoming the biggest week for a female artist in 2022. As a result, the album earned 332,000 equivalent units. Of that number, 190,000 were traditional album sales while 138,000 came from SEA units. In total, the album was streamed nearly 180 million times on-demand.

Beyonce’s Renaissance is her seventh solo No. 1 album on the Billboard 200, and is the first project by a female artist this year to take the spot. Only Harry Styles’ Harry’s House had a bigger sales week when it gathered 521,500 equivalent album units in May.

Renaissance actually exceeded projections, which had predicted the album earning between 275,000 and 315,000 units. Those numbers were driven by the largest streaming week of Queen Bey’s career, which would have been enough to earn her the top spot.

Beyonce also had the third biggest traditional sales week for an artist this year, trailing only Harry’s House and BTS’s Proof. Ahead of the album’s release, Beyonce sold out four boxed set editions through her webstore. This accounted for 136,000 units, 0r 72 percent of the album sales for the debut week.

How Renaissance differs from Bey’s other projects

Unlike Bey’s last two solo albums, Renaissance wasn’t a surprise release. The project was announced in June, with its first single “Break My Soul” dropping on June 20. In comparison, her two previous albums were both digital exclusives, with physical releases following later.

Also, unlike her last two albums, Renaissance was not introduced with any official music videos. Lemonade debuted with its eponymous film, while Beyonce was accompanied by 18 music videos. As of August 7, only lyric videos have been released for Renaissance.

On September 16, Renaissance will be released on vinyl to all retailers, with expanded packaging and the standard album cover.

Written by Olan Bryant

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Trey Songz Is Facing Sexual Assault Accusations Again From A New Woman

Image Source: Getty Images
Image Source: Getty Images

R&B legend Trey Songz keeps popping up in news outlets for one of the worst reasons. After already being accused of rape in a $20 million lawsuit, Trey is now being accused by another woman. Megan Johnson, the victim of these new accusations, claims that the incident took place in August 2013 at Connecticut’s Foxwoods Resort Casino. While things still have to go through the complete legal process, things do not look good for Trey Songz.  Another alleged victim accused the singer of the same disgusting crime months ago in Las Vegas. Additionally, KeKe had this to say about Trey in an old clip from an interview with The Breakfast Club:

 

Megan’s Johnsons Explanation Of Trey’s Assault

Megan Johnson & her lawyer revealed, explained & addressed this situation in a letter reaching TMZ. In the letter, there are details & video evidence of Trey Songz removing the victim’s bikini top during what he thought was a friend taking a picture. In reality, the friend took a video of his entire action & it’s now being used as evidence against Trey Songz. The lawyer continued addressing Trey directly by adding, “Ms. Johnson immediately pulled her top back on preparing herself for another assault, that you surely delivered. As if on cue, and with intended premeditation, you further terrorized and humiliated Ms. Johnson with your degrading chant, ‘T###### in The Open,’ ‘T###### in The Open.’”

 

Why It Took So Long To Speak Up

Like many other victims, Megan Johnson was “frozen in time” & traumatized from the alleged attack. It’s historically more difficult for victims to speak against famous & well-established celebrities due to the difference in status/power. With that said, these are still just accusations despite things leaning in the victims’ favor. Do you think Trey Songz committed these alleged acts? Read more of FM Hip-Hop’s featured articles today.

 

Written by: Oryah Brown | Instagram: @oryah.wav

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Ashanti Is Getting Her Own Star On The Hollywood Walk Of Fame

Ashanti is getting her own star this year
Ashanti
Ashanti performing at the 2021 Soul Train Awards. Aaron J. Thornton/WireImage

Ashanti will soon join the long list of public figures with their own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Actress Tichina Arnold and rapper Ja Rule will speak at the ceremony Thursday, April 7. The singer posted a celebratory tweet March 29, saying “Speechless. Humbled. Honored. Grateful. Thank you guys sooooooo much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” The tweet linked to a screenshot from Variety, posted to her Instagram account.

 

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A post shared by Ashanti (@ashanti)

It’s been almost two decades since the “Happy” singer debuted in the industry. Her career speeded toward success immediately after releasing her first album. Since then, she’s released six studio albums, and is featured on songs with some of the biggest names in the industry. Likewise, she appears on the official soundtrack for at least six movies. Some of these include “Johnson Family Vacation” and “The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz.” The Grammy-award winning artist also has several compilation albums under her belt. Saying her discography is an important 2000s staple, would be an understatement. The New York native is also the driving force behind Jennifer Lopez’s “Ain’t It Funny (remix),” which she wrote and sang on. In recent years, Jennifer Lopez received backlash over accusations that she barely sang any of her own songs.

What’s New With Ashanti?

Ashanti’s career has been long and fruitful, but she isn’t slowing down anytime soon. The singer has plans to put out a children’s book about a girl who learns to love her name. The book, aptly titled “My Name Is A Story,” is due for release in July. Last month, she also became the first Black woman to co-found a Web3 company. The singer is on tour this month, starting today (April 2), and will have dates through June. For someone with such a prolific career, this is a well-deserved honor.

Written by Kimberly Stelly | Instagram | Twitter

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Toni Braxton Sheds Light On Her Late Sister Traci

Toni Braxton Sheds Light On Her Late Sister Traci
Toni shares the memory of her sister Traci Braxton in an interview with Tamron Hall. Image source: David Livingston/Getty Images.

Toni Braxton gives her first interview with Tamron Hall following the passing of her sister Traci Braxton. After battling esophageal cancer, Traci passed away on March 12 at the age of 50-years-old. Toni shared a tribute on Instagram.

“She was a bright light, a wonderful daughter, an amazing sister, a loving mother, wife, grandmother, and a respected performer,” she said. “We will miss her dearly.”

The Interview

Toni expressed that her sister loves snowflakes, and there was heavy snowfall during the morning of her transition. The R&B singer writes, “Our angel is now a snowflake.” Often when a loved one passes on, people claim to see signs of them afterward. Toni shares with Hall that Traci’s favorite bird was the hummingbird. Recently, she reports seeing a hummingbird surrounding her.

“I saw a hummingbird the other day,” Toni says. “It kind of flew around me and suspended itself, and I was like, Traci? And it started bumping and going up and down. So that made me feel so much better. I feel like she was trying to say hello to me.”

Doctors did not believe Traci would surpass the winter holiday season. However, Traci was optimistic, and she received far more time than anticipated. Toni shares that the family was in attendance as Traci took her last breath. She reflects on spending as much time with her sister during her last days.

Moreover, Toni Braxton reminisces on Traci’s advice while filming her recent Lifetime special “Fallen Angels Murder Club.” She reflects on a memory of questioning her character’s sex appeal, and Traci responds joyously, confirming the role should be sexy.

Despite filming in Canada, the two kept in contact frequently. Therefore, both Toni and the Lifetime network dedicate the film to Traci’s legacy.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Toni tells Hall. “When I look at this project, I think of her with a smile on my face. We’re going to dedicate this film (Lifetime and I) to my sister Traci so she will always be with us no matter what.”

The Braxton Family

The Braxton family dynamic is strong and resilient. Speaking on behalf of the family, Toni expresses how grateful they are for having the time they did with their loved ones. Traci leaves behind her husband, Kevin Surratt, and son Kevin Surratt Jr.

Traci Braxton may no longer be here in the flesh. However, the human spirit is energy, and energy never dies. May she rest in peace.

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Written by Samaria Fuqua

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Jazmine Sullivan Drops Deluxe Edition Of ‘Heaux Tales, Mo’ Tales’ Featuring Issa Rae

Jazmine Sullivan
Source: Getty Images

On Feb. 11, 2022, Jazmine Sullivan dropped a deluxe version of her uber-popular Heaux Tales, Mo Tales album, titled Heaux Tales, Mo Tales: The Deluxe. 

The album arrived a little over a year after the original one was released in January 2021. It has a total of ten tracks and features an interlude from HBO’s Insecure star and co-writer, Issa Rae. 

Sullivan Earns Accolades for Heaux Tales, Mo Tales

Sullivan did such a stellar job with Heaux Tales, Mo Tales, that it earned her three pending Grammy nominations, including Best R&B album. The project spawned the hit fan-favorite songs “Pick Up Your Feelings” and “On It” featuring D.C. crooner Ari Lennox. It also debuted at no. 1 on the Top R&B Albums chart, and no. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart. In addition, Heaux Tales, Mo Tales won Album Of The Year at the 2021 BET Awards and the 2021 Soul Train Music Awards.

The Philly Artist Talks About The Overarching Theme Of Her Album

In an interview with Billboard last year, the Philadelphia R&B singer revealed the first song that led her to her latest album’s female empowerment theme.

“This project was different in that I was actually only writing pieces of songs at the time; I’d do maybe a verse or a hook, then I’d put it away and not think about it for a while. So I can’t really say there was one particular first song, but the first song that I loved once I completed it was ‘Lost Ones,'” she said. “My mom had encouraged me to keep writing and finish it. It’s very honest, very emotional and different in terms of my approach to writing and singing. Usually when I do a ballad, I kind of go all out with the vocal production. I was really worried because the song is bare in that aspect.”

Despite her worries, “Lost Ones” turned out to be an amazing track that garnered nearly three million views on Youtube.

Heaux Tales, Mo Tales: The Deluxe is available for streaming across all music platforms, including Apple Music and Spotify. 

Written by Amber Alexander

Twitter: Ambernofetari

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RnB Artist Dijon Duenas Could have Been a Rapper, if it wasn’t for LaKeith Stanfield

RnB artist Dijon Duenas could have been a rapper... if not for LaKeith Stanfield

Put on your tinfoil hats and get ready for some wild claims. Everybody reflects on their path in life and wonders how small changes could have impacted it. The effects from everyday choices and happenstance ripple outwards in a butterfly effect. Today, Dijon Duenas is a successful RnB singer, but things could have turned out very differently. Somewhere out there in the multiverse is a version of Dijon topping charts and spitting straight fire, as a full-fledged rapper. This wasn’t meant to be in our reality. Instead, lil Dijon found himself in a rap battle with LaKeith Stanfield in Jr. High. The thrashing he received forever marred his perception of himself as a rapper. According to himself, this directly leads to him pursuing a different musical career.

 

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A post shared by Dijon (@dijondijon_) 

Dijon Duenas’ Date with Destiny

The artist reminisced about his past in an interview with Pitchfork. Though some strange quirk of fate, both Dijon and Lakeith found themselves in the same Jr. High School. One day they duked it out at lunchtime, with their words instead of fists. The results of that conflict shattered Dijon’s perception of himself, “’He ruined me,’ Dijon says with a laugh. ‘He put the hit on my dream.’”

Sadly we don’t have any recordings of that battle, as entertaining as they would be. Nor was it the end for Dijon; he got knocked down but ricocheted off the ground. He transitioned into RnB, forming the duo Abhi/Dijon while in college. His most popular song, “The Dress,” has over seven million listens on Spotify.

Don’t Leave out LaKeith

There are two sides to every story. In the case of Dijon Duenas v Stanfield, LaKeith came out on top. Emboldened by his victory, LaKeith and his friends started their own record company… at 11 years old. Things changed however in High School when the then rapper discover a love of the theatre. He transitioned his performance skills to a different form of art and began pursuing a career. Today, the actor is famous for his roles in popular films such as Get Out and Straight Outta Compton, as well as his time playing Darius in the series Atlanta.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by LaKeith Stanfield (@lakeithstanfield3) 

But who knows? Maybe we would have gotten into RnB if he had just gone to a different middle school.

by Chris Colasurdo
@cfcolasurdo on Twitter

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Aaliyah’s New Song “Poison” Featuring The Weeknd Gets Mixed Reviews

Aaliyah and The Weeknd
Source: Getty

Aaliyah‘s music is timeless. Not only is Aaliyah’s music timeless but, her voice is timeless. As such, musicians have always done posthumous collaborations with her. Every time they do so, it sounds like she’s still alive. Even teenagers in 2021 are familiar with her sound and aesthetic. 

Thanks to Aaliyah’s uncle, Barry Hankerson, fans have access to her albums on all music platforms. That comes after only having access to most of her music through YouTube. He also promised that there will be a new album coming featuring artists such as Drake, Chris Brown, and Future. 

While fans await Aaliyah’s upcoming album, The Weeknd dropped a new song with her called “Poison.”

Click here to hear “Poison”:

“I’m so excited to share this new song by Aaliyah and the very talented The Weeknd,” said Barry Hankerson. “I wanted her adoring fans to get a special gift before the holidays and felt it was the perfect time to release a never-before-heard offering.” 

It’s also worth mentioning that Hankerson is the founder of the legendary Blackground Records. Aaliyah, among other iconic singers, was signed to the label.

Naturally, Aaliyah fans have a lot to say about “Poison.” Here is what they are saying on Twitter, for example: 

https://twitter.com/justicesoiam/status/1471772683889115138?s=20

https://twitter.com/callmedollar/status/1471835253362905094?s=20

Despite what critics say, fans are super excited to hear Aaliyah’s voice on something new.

The Weeknd sampled Aaliyah’s “Rock The Boat” earlier in his career on “What You Need.” The song appeared on his 2012 album Trilogy. Nine years later, he comes back with a legit collaboration that might just hit the billboard charts. 

Written by Amber Alexander
Twitter: Ambernofetari

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FM Spotlight

Independent Artist WONDR Is Making Noise With His Latest Singles

The North Carolina artist known as WONDR has been growing his brand in the music industry by being consistent, especially since COVID hit. He is dropping hit singles that are doing great in streaming numbers worldwide.

WONDR is a force to be reckoned with. Not only is he an independent RnB and HipHop artist, he also is in many other creative lanes. Model, businessman, and race car driver. He can clearly do it all and captivates his fans with how passionate he is about his craft and creativity.  “Being able to do different creative things is cool because they all connect with each other. Modeling helped me get more comfortable in front of the camera, which is helpful for music videos. And having to be about to tie modeling and racing into my brand was the goal.”

WONDR’s Music

One of his latest singles titled “Rich” is a vibe both lyrically and sound-wise. The single talks about being rich in love instead of in money or material things. The track also has a music video on YouTube with over 31k views,  and showcases not only not only his talented rhymes but also his love for NASCAR.

“The Rich music video was a 4-year manifestation that happened in 4 days. What I mean by that is, I’ve been wanting to film a music video at a racetrack since I started WONDR, but never really had a way to”, explains WONDR. “It wasn’t until Sunday, Aug 4th, that I came up with the idea of shooting with a race car and that maybe Facebook Marketplace had some stock cars for sale. I searched race cars for sale within 20 miles of downtown Raleigh and only one popped up, the one used in the video.”

“The Mood” is the follow up single to “Rich”. It explores how it feels to really wish your significant other is around, but they’re not, which causing you to miss them. WONDR expressed that being in a 4-year long-distance relationship really helped with the inspiration of the song.  The song dropped in early September. Although there isn’t any immediate intent to release a visual, fans can expect an EP coming soon.

WONDR is quickly becoming an artist to watch. He is an artist that people can relate to. With musical influences like Petey Pablo, 50 Cent, and other classic rock artists, along with his passion, it shows how much of an exciting artist he is proving to be. He is showing that he’s ready to put on for North Carolina.

Check out “Rich” video below

 

 

Writer- Kacee Marie|Instagram|Website