Browsing Tag

RnB Soul

Jamal Plummer has revived the smooth 90s RnB style with “Higher”

Posted on 28 August 2020

Jamal Plummer has revived the smooth 90s RnB-style with their standout single “Higher”. If your playlists are lacking in inspirational urban aural gems, there’s plenty of resolving optimistic soul found in the radio-ready release.

The amorously accordant single captures that all too rare feeling of absolute contentment. Not just contentment within a romantic relationship but harnessing that passion and pouring it into every area of your life. If Higher doesn’t compel you to approach life with a rejuvenated sense of purpose and ambition, I don’t know what will.

You can check out Jamal Plummer’s single Higher for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

RnB artist Aliza Li takes us right back to the Old School with “7th Grade Complex”

Posted on 27 August 2020

Aliza Li has breezed onto the airwaves with her fresh new NeoSoul drop 7th Grade Complex featuring Dessy. Some people may leave high school behind, but the mentality is too hard for some to shake. Aliza Li’s new track perfectly captures the frustration which manifests when dealing with a lack of maturity.

Aliza Li’s soulfully sumptuous stripped-back feat of NeoSoul offers warm glistering tones, blissfully resolving vocals and a compelling lyrical narrative which will keep you hooked from the first verse right up to the last. Dessy’s vocals perfectly round off the track, adding a little vocal bite to the smooth accordance which Aliza Li easily delivers with her notable talent.

You can check out 7th Grade Complex for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

London-based RnB artist Eleazar has made a soulfully empowering debut with “Karma”

Posted on 26 August 2020

If there is anything sweeter than karmic justice, it’s breaking RnB artist Eleazar’s 2020 debut single “Karma”.

The London-based artist ensured that there was a modernistic melodic feel to the light, warm and dexterous soundscape while making sure that she paid ode to the roots of Soul. The deeply narrative lyrics serve up plenty of relatable sentiments for anyone who has ever experienced someone rolling into your life as a hot mess, treated you like dirt and expected you to fix them. The verses run without a hint of negative emotion, just pure faith in Karma and empowered conviction. It’s a soulful invitation to let go of the anger and trust the process of karmic justice.

You can check out Eleazar’s single Karma for yourselves via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Shxnnon invites you to get in touch with your emotions with “Feelings”

Posted on 23 August 2020

If you’re a fan of RnB Soul classics but wish they were more fitting for contemporary and confusing times, hit play on breaking artist Shxnnon’s recently released single “Feelings”.

With her 5th single, Shxnnon ensured that Feelings pertained the heart-warmingly resolving effects of classic Soul while offering a colossal amount of stylistic appeal.

Switching between synth notes which are doused with lush reverb and delicately intricate piano keys allowed the past and future of Soul to converge in the deeply evocative hit which gives you a candid view into Shxnnon’s frustration, optimism and passion. It practically begs for repeat attention through sheer authenticity.

Feelings is available to stream on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Damian Eskridge – “Somebody Else”: Soulful West-Coast R&B

Posted on 21 August 2020

Damien ‘the artist formally known as Prmise’ Eskridge’s soulful take on West-Coast R&B in Somebody Else tells the story of a lyin’ and cheatin’ behind-closed-doors affair – “You can be my mistress, baby/ I can be your Mister”. It’s got some groove and melody behind the unapologetically sexual lyrics, the low-down sultry vocals of collaborator Nijahe (“I can say I’m at the movies/you can say you’re at the mall”) adding grit and grind counterpoint to Eskridge’s more silky-smooth delivery.

There’s plenty of space in the track, a little high-end boost giving clarity to the vocals, T-Pain style, between some nice minimalist 808-style hi-hats and handclaps, and yeah, it’s chilled and laid-back, dirty and seductive all at once; pretty much perfect old-school R&B.

You can hear ‘Somebody Else” here.

Review by Alex Holmes

Henry – You Don’t Need to Know: Smoothly Sentimental RnB Soul

Posted on 29 July 2020
https://soundcloud.com/henrymbata/you-dont-need-to-know

“You Don’t Need to Know” is the smooth new soulful jam from up and coming Dublin RnB artist Henry. Elements of the past and the future accessibly combine in the soothingly sentimental soundscape.

The tempo may be low, but the level of evocative appeal is off the charts in the stylistic and slick mix which perfectly accommodates Henry’s soft and sensuously harmonious RnB Pop vocals.

Ireland may not be known for its massive RnB scene, but that may be set to change now that Henry is dropping his accordantly soul-soothing hits on the airwaves. He’s irrefutably one to watch. Up and coming RnB artists who can truly revive the genre and make it ooze contemporary appeal are worth their weight in aural gold.

You can check out You Don’t Need to Know for yourselves via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Chay CEO – Take You Down: Seductively Soulful RnB

Posted on 29 July 2020

If up and coming RnB Soul artist Chay CEO has evaded your radar, we’ve got the perfect track to introduce you to her seductively alluring style.

“Take You Down” is just one of the singles on the artist’s 2019 5-track EP “Therapy Session”. Each track tackles a different emotion which romantic relationships can invoke. Take You Down efficaciously captures the lust which can manifest as relationships are blossoming. If there’s any contemporary RnB single with the power to put you in the mood, it’s Take You Down.

Perceptibly, Chay CEO found the perfect balance of amorous romanticism and sexually-empowered attitude which makes it all too easy to get hooked into the soulful mix.

You can check out Chay CEO’s single Take You Down for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

In the wake of George Floyd’s Death, RnB Soul artist Brent Williams asks the devastating question of “What If It Was Me” in their latest single

Posted on 24 July 2020
https://music.apple.com/ca/album/what-if-it-was-me/1522186448?i=1522186449

RnB Soul artist Brent Williams’ latest single “What If It Was Me” asks a sobering question which has been on the minds of black people for generations. Not just after George Floyd’s murder.

While I’ve heard innumerable justified aggressive attacks on systematic racial oppression lately, Brent Williams took a more soulful approach to point out the devastating reality for every black person living in fear.

Hopefully, their release can help the narrowminded realise the utter absurdity in racial prejudice. On the flip side, I can only imagine how many people fighting the same battle as Brent Williams will find invaluable resonance in this single. It may be a downtempo ambient RnB hit, but that doesn’t prevent What If It Was Me from hitting excruciatingly hard.

You can check out What If It Was Me which dropped on July 10th by heading over to Apple Music.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

SLSTRSS has released her fiercely empowering Neo-Soul single “Better”

Posted on 19 July 2020

Up and coming Neo-Soul artist SLSTRSS dropped the music video for her seminal single Better on July 4th. Prepare to be galvanized.

We’re all feeling a little caged and frustrated at the state of the world right now, SLSTRSS latest single offers you an inspirationally powerful different outlook. Refusing to deal with the world as it is doesn’t have to mean resigning in apathy, as SLSTRSS poignantly alludes, we can simply start to be better.

Despite the smooth soulful production, Better is definitely one of the most hard-hitting tracks I’ve heard this year. If you’re looking for an empowering aural pick me up, look no further.

You can check out the official video to SLSTRSS’ latest single by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Donnell Isaac injected plenty of soul into the airwaves with their latest single “I Didn’t Know”

Posted on 18 July 2020
https://soundcloud.com/donnellisaac/i-didnt-know/s-GhIKMGONtfz

Donnell Isaac went right back to the roots of Soul with his modern, stylish Jazz-infused revival track “I Didn’t Know”. The sense of nostalgia is strong, but the contemporary production of the captivatingly groove-filled soul soother makes Donnell Isaac’s sound anything but archaic.

Only after hearing Donnell Isaac’s single did it occur to me how two dimensional so many RnB tracks are. There’s a smorgasbord of emotion in I Didn’t Know, and none of them will fail to resonate. The unfiltered passion, the lovelorn torment, the shimmering optimism, all hit equally as hard, but the warm easy tones will comfort the blow.

You can check out Donnell Isaac’s latest single I Didn’t Know for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast