10 Modern Takes on the R&B Slow Jam
R&B is sounding awfully good these days. Frank Ocean’s infectious debut Channel Orangeand the return of standard-bearer D’Angelo have shown that the genre is creatively alive. But a slow-burning renaissance of sorts has been happening for years. The experimentation bubbling underground from acts like Ocean and The Weeknd has even seeped into the mainstream, giving Top 40 music a much-needed dose of innovation.
To give you a feel for what exactly “new R&B” might sound like, we’ve selected 10 fantastic modern takes on the R&B slow jam. Let your hair down, suspend your squeamishness for seduction, and have a listen.
1. Frank Ocean – “Thinking Bout You”
Like much of Channel Orange, structurally “Thinking Bout You” is straight R&B. But check out all the beautiful trappings, and you’ll see why Frank Ocean’s carrying the torch for creativity in the genre right now. That bass. Those heartwrenching string arrangements. All that that messy, distanced longing. It all comes together in feather-light, falsetto-ed chorus.
2. Rhye – “Open”
Very little is known about this European buzz band called Rhye. After soaking in these silky vocals and lovely violins, we hope that gets fixed in a hurry.
3. The Weeknd – “Rolling Stone”
When all the hype surrounding Abel Tesfaye and his manicured mystery settled, all the Internet had left was a set of dark, sleazy R&B songs. If loving the oozing debauchery of “Rolling Stone” is wrong, we don’t wanna be right.
4. Miguel – “Adorn”
This one comes off Miguel’s Art Dealer Chic EP Vol. 1, the first in a series of mixtapes the crooner released after he got a little too artsy for his record label. “Adorn” is an immaculate piece that channels old-school Prince.