Discussion: The New Wave of R&B Rate

MP2K

Over the course of two years we have seen a shift in the music industry, R&B is making a sudden "comeback" both on the charts and in terms of quality. I mean the last two #1's on the Billboard Hot 100 charts have been topped by R&B artists Pharrell and John Legend and Frank Ocean's Channel Orange WAS 2012.

There is no way you can say that R&B is dead when it is as fresh, if not the freshest and most diverse genre out there today.There are R&B/R&B influenced artists that are helping to keep the genre alive and interesting. Critics call them the "hipster", leftfield, innovative and new wave of R&B.

Discussions about the new state of R&B started in 2011 when The Weeknd`s free debut album gained critical acclaim. The new wave R&B artists are blurring the boundaries between “white” and “black” music bringing together dazzling lyrical virtuosity, vocal craft and electronic production becoming probably this years`s most intriguing phenomenon in music.

The trend bloomed in 2012 and the new wave artists such as The Weeknd, Frank Ocean, Miguel, Jessie Ware, and Solange Knowles have received rave reviews, hits, awards and recognition over the past two-three years. Even artists like Usher, Cassie, Dawn Richards and Jeremih have joined the wave at some point. But we're not here to rate them, we're here to rate the artists that are on the come up, the new batch of artists that are ready for their big breakthrough both commercially and critically. The ones that have been buzzing all year long, some even since the beginning of this decade, and 16 artists were chosen for us to determine who has the best of the best and sits high at the top of the tier.

We've had previous installments such as: The New Sound of USA, The New Sound of The UK part 1, part 2, part 3 & The New Wave of Pop

But now I would like to welcome you to The New Wave of R&B!

The artists that will be rated are all from different sub-genres of R&B, some you know and love very well, some you will get to know and love (or drag). We have alternative r&b (How To Dress Well, Autre Ne Veut, Kelela, SZA), dark r&b (Banks), avant-garde (Jessy Lanza), urban-contemporary (Jhené Aiko, Sevyn Streeter, Tinashe), soul-pop (Kimbra), electronic-soul (Quadron, Rhye, Blood Orange, Sampha), and experimental r&b (FKA twigs, James Blake).

You know the drill! You can help decide the winner of this rate by listening to the following 65 singles, rating each song individually on a scale of 1-10 and then PM'ing me your ballot by the deadline of Friday, June 13 [extension if needed].

The Singles (65)

PM Friendly / Playlist

Regina George

Your graphics are so artistic, it's a shame I can only appreciate them for two seconds

MP2K

Recap:
65. Sevyn Streeter - I Like It
64. Jessy Lanza - Kathy Lee
63. Kimbra - Come Into My Head
62. Tinashe - Chainless
61. sZa - Country
60. How To Dress Well - Ready For The World
59. Sevyn Streeter - nEXt
58. Kimbra - Good Intent
57. Jhené Aiko - 3:16AM
56. sZa - Time Travel Undone
55. Tinashe - Can't Say No
54. BANKS - Goddess
53. Sampha - Happens
52. BANKS - Fall Over
51. Rhye - 3 Days
50. Quadron - Pressure
49. Sampha - Without
48. James Blake - Limit to Your Love
47. Jhené Aiko - Bed Peace (feat. Childish Gambino)
46. Kimbra - 90's Music
45. James Blake - Overgrown
44. Quadron - Buster Keaton
43. BOK BOK - Melba's Call (feat. Kelela)
42. Blood Orange - Uncle ACE
41. Kimbra - Two Way Street
40. Tinashe - Ecstasy
39. How To Dress Well - Repeat Pleasure
38. Blood Orange - Sutphin Boulevard
37. Quadron - Favorite Star
36. sZa - Teen Spirit
35. Tinashe - Boss
34. Jessy Lanza - Keep Moving
33. Kelela - Go All Night
32. Jhené Aiko - The Worst
31. James Blake - The Wilhelm Scream
30. Blood Orange - Champagne Coast
29. Sampha - Too Much
28. How To Dress Well - Cold Nites
27. Kimbra - Settle Down
26. FKA twigs - Water Me
25. Autre Ne Veut - Ego Free Sex Free
24. BANKS - This is What it Feels Like
23. Kelela - The High
22. Quadron - Slippin'
21. Rhye - The Fall
20. Quadron - LFT
19. How To Dress Well - Words I Don't Remember
18. Kimbra - Cameo Lover
17. FKA twigs - FKA x inc. (feat. inc.)
16. Blood Orange - Chamakay
15. Sevyn Streeter - It Won't Stop (feat. Chris Brown)
14. BANKS - Warm Water
13. Kelela - Bank Head (feat. Kingdom)
12. James Blake - Life Round Here (feat. Chance The Rapper)
11. How To Dress Well - & It Was U
10. Quadron - Hey Love
09. BANKS - Waiting Game
08. Blood Orange - You're Not Good Enough
07. BANKS - Brain
06. Autre Ne Veut - Play By Play
05. Autre Ne Veut - Counting
04. SZA - Babylon (feat. Kendrick Lamar)
03. Rhye - Open
02. Tinashe - 2 On (feat. SchoolBoy Q)
01. James Blake - Retrograde

Artist Placement:
16. Jessy Lanza
15. Jhené Aiko
14. Sampha
13. Kimbra
12. FKA Twigs
11. Sevyn Streeter
10. Kelela
09. How To Dress Well
08. Quadron
07. Blood Orange
06. Banks
05. Autre Ne Veut
04. sZa
03. Rhye
02. Tinashe
01. James Blake

MP2K

Quote:

Originally posted by Regina George

Your graphics are so artistic, it's a shame I can only appreciate them for two seconds

Is this suppose to be shade, miss thing?

boy-in-stereo

This looks amazing! I wanna join in!

Brando

I will participate, though I don't understand why some artists have 2-3 songs, while others 6-7

MP2K

Quote:

Originally posted by Brando

I will participate, though I don't understand why some artists have 2-3 songs, while others 6-7

Some just only have 2-3 singles and others have more promo/singles. Like FKA Twigs for example, I could use more songs but she only has an EP, so she only has but so many to choose from.

If I'm missing something let me know so I can add but I'm not going over 6 or 7. I don't want to scare people with too many songs. And the songs have to be from 2010 and on (the new wave period).

Ewan Chaos

Yes.

Some greats that I know already (Quadron, Blood Orange) and a bunch of people I've been meaning to look into. This is gonna be good.

Brando

Quote:

Originally posted by MP2K

Some just only have 2-3 singles and others have more promo/singles. Like FKA Twigs for example, I could use more songs but she only has an EP, so she only has but so many to choose from.

If I'm missing something let me know so I can add but I'm not going over 6 or 7. I don't want to scare people with too many songs. And the songs have to be from 2010 and on (the new wave period).

Would actually be nice if you lowered it to 50 songs and cut some songs off those who have too many to even it out and make it easier to participate

Cherry Noir

Vulnerable paid dust

I'll listen over to a few songs and think about joining in since I know of a few g0rls.

madonnas

Some of these artists are good but some are the PITS. I'm not going easy on them (looking at you James Blake!)

MP2K

Quote:

Originally posted by Brando

Would actually be nice if you lowered it to 50 songs and cut some songs off those who have too many to even it out and make it easier to participate

That'll be hard to do, to narrow it down.

I'll see how Ace feels. Maybe I'll cut out 5 more songs and make it 65?

I think this is a manageable amount though. I've hosted an all male adult-contemporary rate with almost 90 songs and it had a decent turn out somehow. So you never know

.

MP2K

Quote:

Originally posted by Right Direction

Vulnerable paid dust

I'll listen over to a few songs and think about joining in since I know of a few g0rls.

If I take out Chainless would you kill me?

Cherry Noir

Quote:

Originally posted by MP2K

If I take out Chainless would you kill me?

I wouldn't be bothered I'm not too invested into any of these g0rls to be pressed.

Vulnerable was just a pre-2 On bop that I remember playing a few times.
So darkARTPOP

MP2K

Okay, I'm doing a few updates on the songs. There's a few promo, A/B-sides and deluxe/mixtape singles from some that will be taken out. Not everything will be even though, sorry, I can't help that.

Quadron and Kimbra will have their six singles in this rate though,as they are official.

Kang.

Where is Ciara?

Scandalous

sent

and yes, James Blake and Kimbra are the absolute PITS

Kelala, Quadron, & Rhye are extremely boring as well, i couldnt even make it through most of their songs...thanks for introducing me to Autra tho, id literally never heard of them at all before this, i use

hope Tinashe, FKA twigs, BANKS & Jhené slay this

BlueTimberwolf

Kimbra is not an R&B singer?

MP2K

honeymoonavenue, your rates.

Hope you uh, change your mind and give some of the girls a chance....

Blueberry Mary

Oh no I hate most of these people

2 On, It Won't Stop and Cameo Lover should be the top 3.