The year 2022 was a colorful time for R&B music and all of it’s hybrid forms. From the small stage to the stadium arena, artists at all career levels helped to tackle the popularized question: Is R&B Dead? This year’s music releases took vibrant, genre bendy arrangements: house-inspired, jazz-infused, hip-hop flavored, and psychedelic euphoria.
Robert Glasper returned with the third installment of his Black Radio series delivering jazz and hip hop melodies. Beyoncé fans found refuge with her disco/house themed Renaissance album. Already long celebrated for his work as a musician and producer, Steve Lacy’s “Bad Habit” catapulted him to higher levels, earning him multiple Grammy nominations. Drake took a stylistic departure for Honestly, Nevermind, offering a house/Baltimore club sound that had listeners initially confused. Staying on brand, Lizzo‘s Special was a playful, braggadocious pop/disco album that promoted positivity and women’s empowerment. Maverick City Music teamed up with Kirk Franklin for Kingdom One Book to shed light on injustices in the community. Moonchild’s Starfruit album was entirely dedicated to Black women. Babyface collaborated with the new generation of women artists on Girls Night Out.
Some albums were devoted to keeping R&B’s rich history alive while others pushed the genre into uncharted territories. Take a look below at some of the album releases you may have missed!
New Sounds of R&B
Amber Mark
Three Dimensions Deep
Ravyn Lenae
Hypnos
Emotional Oranges
The Juice, Vol. III
Dixson
004Daisy
Alex Isley
Marigold
Phony Ppl
Euphonyus
Veteran Players
Morris Day
Last Call
John Legend
Legend
The Isley Brothers
Make Me Say It Again, Girl
Eric Roberson
Lessons
Babyface
Girls Night Out
House/Dance
Beyoncé
Renaissance
Drake
Honestly, Nevermind
Honey Dijon
Black Girl Magic
Soulful Affirmations
Mary J. Blige
Good Morning Gorgeous
Lizzo
Special
Kehlani
Blue Water Road
Durand Bernarr
Wanderlust
Romance and Love
Tank
R&B Money
Ella Mai
Heart On My Sleeve
Ari Lennox
Age/Sex/Location
Lucky Daye
Candydrip
Syd
Broken Hearts Club
Wizkid
More Love, Less Ego
Sabrina Claudio
Based On A Feeling
Alternative R&B
Steve Lacy
Gemini Rights
Smino
Luv 4 Rent
Kyle
It’s Not So Bad
Jazzy & Dreamy
Moonchild
Starfruit
Robert Glasper
Black Radio III
Devin Morrison
Dream Lobby Vol. IV
Hip Hop Adjacent
Buddy
Superghetto
Jacquees
Sincerely For You
Chris Brown
Breezy
Tink
Pillow Talk
Kid Cudi
Entergalatic
Brent Faiyaz
Wasteland
Contemporary R&B
Ne-Yo
Self Explanatory
Alicia Keys
Keys II
Dram
What Had Happened Was
Arin Ray
Hello Poision
Giveon
Give or Take
PJ Morton
Watch The Sun
India Shawn
Before We Go Deeper
Uplifting the Community
Maverick City Music
Breathe
Maverick City Music
Kingdom One Book
Tank and the Bangas
Red Balloon