For better or worse, the 2010s were a defining decade for R&B.
Y’all know the story: With hip-hop on the rise and eyes and ears turning away from soul, many of the game’s biggest hitmakers chased trends to find relevance. Gimmicks became commonplace. Traditional vocals became almost passe. And sadly, most listeners couldn’t even discern WHAT R&B was anymore.
But if you’re a fan of this site, you know great R&B never really left the building.
2019 exemplified that more than ever before. Over the past 12 months, we’ve enjoyed some incredibly good music – even though the names behind many of these hits might not ring a bell.
Allow us to put you on.
As always, I’ve teamed with my boys at YouKnowIGotSoul.com for our annual countdown of the year’s best R&B songs. All three of us nominated a batch of songs which were then combined into a master list. We ranked those songs and below are the final results.
This list might not be filled with known hitmakers (though several legends did return to prominence this year) but these are the faces that are reshaping R&B.
It’s always darkest before the dawn, right? Thanks to these talented men and women, R&B is set to shine in the next decade.
Honorable mentions:
Syleena Johnson – Woman
Lumi Trice – Same Way (featuring Musiq Soulchild)
Talea – RFY
The Hamiltones – Pieces
Tank – Do You (featuring Keith Sweat & Candice Boyd)
Ricardo Williams – Come Over (featuring Teedra Moses)
100) Chaka Khan – Hello Happiness
99) Sammie – Playlist
98) Eric Roberson – Leave It In
97) Deja Blue – Color You
96) Leah Jenea – Gold Ring
95) YK Oriris – Sensual
94) Heather Victoria – Sunbeams (featuring Raheem DeVaughn)
93) Summer Walker – Come Thru
92) Lyfe Jennings – Life This
91) Jacquees – Fact or Fiction
90) Layton Greene – Never Knew
89) Tao Soprano – What Ever Happened to Love
88) Kehlani – Butterfly
87) Tinashe – Story Of Us
86) Chante Moore – Fresh Love
85) Daron Jones – Pleasure
84) Calvin Richardson – Love You Tonight
83) Yuna – Castaway
82) DJ Mustard – Surface (featuring Ella Mai & Ty Dolla $ign)
81) Ciara – Trust Myself
80) Devon Culture – Fears
79) Ari Lennox – Shea Butter Baby (featuring J. Cole)
78) Gallant – Hips
77) Kehlani – Morning Glory
76) Raphael Saadiq – Something Keeps Calling
75) Tinashe – Save Room For Us
74) Lyfe Jennings – Look at Them Now
73) Elle Varner – Pour Me (featuring Wale)
72) Brian McKnight – Neva Get Enuf of U
71) Justine Skye – Maybe
70) LeToya Luckett – Feeling
69) Bria Jhane – Back Bone
68) Johnta Austin – Love Culture
67) Angie Stone – Gonna Have to Be You (featuring Jaheim)
66) Jordin Sparks & Elijah Blake – 90’s R&B
65) Gabrielle Lynn – Who Do You Love
64) Jacquees – Risk It All (featuring Tory Lanez)
63) Alicia Keys – Show Me Love (featuring Miguel)
62) Kissie Lee – All the Way In (featuring Keke Wyatt)
61) Sir – That’s Why I Love You (featuring Sabrina Claudio)
60) Jon B. – Priceless
59) Victoria Monet – Ass Like That
58) Rahsaan Patterson – Break It Down
57) Fabich – Can’t Even Be
56) Teyana Taylor – How Do You Want It? (featuring King Combs)
55) Louis York – No Regrets (featuring The Shindellas)
54) Amber Mark – Mixer
53) Raheem DeVaughn – KING
52) Chris Brown – Back to Love
51) Daron Jones – Summertime
50) Montell Jordan – When I’m Around You (featuring Lecrae)
49) Montell Jordan – Can’t Go to Bed Mad
48) Ro James – Last Time
47) Johnta Austin – Love Angel
46) Robin Thicke – That’s What Love Can Do
45) The Amours – All the Time
44) Chris Brown – Come Together (featuring H.E.R.)
43) JoJo – Sabotage
42) Chris Brown – Sorry Enough
41) Adrian Marcel – Slow Burn
40) Monica – Commitment
39) Ari Lennox – New Apartment
38) Shay Lia – Dangerous
37) Lucky Daye – Fly
36) Tinashe – Know Better
35) Snoh Aalegra – Love Like That
34) Queen Naija – Away From You
33) Arin Ray – Change (featuring Kehlani)
32) PJ Morton – Say So (featuring JoJo)
31) K. Michelle – The Rain
30) Raheem DeVaughn – Just Right
29) Anna Moore – Never Too Far
28) Lucky Daye – Real Games
27) Nicole Bus – Rain
26) Lucky Daye – Karma
25) Snoh Aalegra – Whoa
24) Lucky Daye – Call
23) Nicole Bus – You
22) Johnny Gill – Bed on Fire
21) Ari Lennox – BMO
20) Lion Babe – Get Into the Party Life
19) Lipstick Gypsy – Dammit (STRPD)
18) Kevin Ross – Thing Called Love
17) Lion Babe – Never Before
16) Lipstick Gypsy – Remind Me
15) Kelly Rowland – Don’t You Worry
14) VanJess – Addicted 2 (Keep Cool Remix)
13) The Bonfyre – Automatic
12) BJ the Chicago Kid – Feel the Vibe (featuring Anderson Paak)
11) Jung Key – My Girl (featuring Musiq Soulchild)
10) Snoh Aalegra – I Want You Around
9) Rahsaan Patterson – Sent From Heaven
8) Gallant – Sleep On It
7) Daniel Caesar – Love Again (featuring Brandy)
6) Robin Thicke – When You Love Somebody
5) H.E.R. – Racks (featuring YBN Cordae)
4) Fantasia – Enough
3) Louis York – Don’t You Forget
2) Usher – Don’t Waste My Time (featuring Ella Mai)
1) Jon B. – Understand (featuring Donell Jones)
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