For the record, we're leaving "R&B is dead" rhetoric in 2022.
Leon Thomas
Leon Thomas may be familiar to many for his early roles in Broadway or as Andre Harris on Nickelodeon series Victorious - for which he received a NAACP Image Award nomination. But the highly talented actor, producer, songwriter, singer is finally shifting his gears towards being an R&B recording artist.
In 2022 Thomas announced his signing to Motown Records and began releasing a slew of singles leading up to his debut album Electric Dusk due in 2023, including "Love Jones (feat. Ty Dolla $ign)", "X-Rated (feat. Benny The Butcher)", and most recently, his standout record, "Breaking Point" which is garnering the attention of R&B enthusiasts and fans.
“We kind of put something together that was reminiscent of D’Angelo and some of the early 2000s neo-soul that I respect and love. There’s so many different aspects of this song lyrically that kind of play into the ‘why’ behind the production style that I used for it. I needed people to really feel what my heart was going through in this tug-of-war moment," he said recently in an interview for Rated R&B. The captivating tune certainly captured 2000s neo-soul as intended, as he showcased incredible vocal ability that wasn't as present on his former releases of 2022.
Thomas has written for countless stars across R&B and Hip-Hop including Ariana Grande, Deborah Cox, Drake, Babyface, Toni Braxton, Kehlani, Giveon, 6LACK, most recent fan favorite "Snooze" featured on SZA's latest offering S.O.S., and so many more.
We're all rooting for Leon's transition from actor to singer, and his debut album is shaping up to potentially be one of the best of 2023 if it sounds anything like "Breaking Point".
Hear more: "Breaking Point" [single]
Coco Jones
Multi-hyphenate emerging superstar Coco Jones took the industry by a storm last year with the rollout of her debut EP as a new Def Jam Recordings signee, What I Didn't Tell You, alongside her lead role in Peacock's The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reimagining, Bel-Air, portraying Hilary Banks. She also impressively landed a feature on Babyface's new album Girls Night Out, with "Simple" - now featured on the deluxe version of her EP, and recently earned a ‘Best New Artist’ nomination at the 2022 BET Soul Train Awards.
Coco is as talented as she is stunning, and undeniably yields the "It Girl" quality that the R&B scene has been missing for some time (in my opinion). Her latest single "ICU" recently went to urban radio and it is arguably one of the best releases of 2022 across all genres (fingers crossed on a top 10 single). She flexes her range and gorgeous raspy vocal tone, over a composition brimming with passion and yearning.
Named Pandora's R&B Artist to Watch for 2023, Coco Jones will certainly have a long, successful career if she continues on the path that she's currently on and is an artist to keep on your radar.
Hear more: What I Didn't Tell You (Deluxe) [album]
Phabo
Fresh off his first headlining Hows My Driving tour, the release of his latest EP Before I Let Her Go, and 2 brand new singles to kick off the new year with "Step 2 Me" & "Lions & Cowards", it doesn't look like R&B heart throb Phabo is slowing up any time soon. The best part? Every single song hits.
Yielding writing credits for his work alongside Kehlani, Jean Deaux, Kyle Dion, Jahkoy, Tempest and more, his consistently stellar penmanship in combination with his silky vocals is surely what sets him apart from his peers. Daniel Brissett of Rated R&B praises him for inserting a “refreshing energy in the male R&B sector that hasn’t been exhibited since the early 2000s.”
The man sold out the majority of his shows on tour, his debut album Soulquarius is a classic riddled with features from Destin Conrad, Alex Vaughn, Mntra, and Rexx Life Raj, and he has a new album loading in the clip. He is undeniably an artist to watch for 2023.
Hear more: Before I Let Her Go [ep]
FLO
British girl group FLO hailing from London consisting of members Jorja Douglas, Renée Downer, and Stella Quaresma are here to stay and they are not a fluke. I'm personally super proud to be able to say I gave them their first US editorial cover support on Pandora's Women in R&B station when they dropped their first single "Cardboard Box".
Since their first single release in March, the young women have consistently gone viral across social media platforms for their incredible live performances. FLO followed up their viral success with the July 2022 release of their debut EP, The Lead and things have been WAY up since then. With the success of the EP, they were able to land a performance for the first time on Jimmy Kimmel Live and made their first Uk television debut on Later... with Jools Holland shortly after. In December, they became the first female group to top BBC's Annual Sound of... poll and win the Brit Rising Star at the Brit Awards in the same year. The icing on the cake? They just announced that they'll be performing at Sol Blume festival in April, and at London's Wireless Fest in July.
The future is bright for FLO and it's safe to say that girl groups are back and here to stay. We're all excited for what's to come in 2023 for Jorja, Stella and Renée.
Hear more: The Lead [ep]
Alex Vaughn
Dreamville songstress Ari Lennox's Age/Sex/Location tour is underway and fans may be asking, "who is Alex Vaughn?" If you're not sure who she is by now, her music will certainly have you in a headlock by the end of the year.
I personally stumbled on the rising star a few years back when a video of her surfaced my tiwtter timeline. She was at the piano singing an original tune with those unforgettable vocals, and I remember my friend saying, "this Alex Vaughn girl really got it." Fast forward a few years and her dedication to the craft clearly paid off and will continue to drive her further and further along in her path to superstardom.
Newly signed to LVRN, a brand new EP out featuring fan-favorite standout singles "Mirage" and "So Be It", and now on tour opening for one of the biggest R&B acts in the world, Vaughn is clearly here to stay and ready to own 2023 - she is certainly one to watch.
Hear more: The Hurtbook [ep]
Naomi Sharon
OVO SOUND kicked off 2023 with the announcement of their new signing, Naomi Sharon, making her the first woman to join the roster (an impressive feat within itself). The announcement was followed by a double single release with "Celestial" and "Another Life" - both sonically stunning introductory records for the emerging artist.
For many, the Dutch R&B songstress is a new face to the scene, but Naomi is certainly true to this, not new. She began releasing singles back in 2019, all of which performed extremely well with fans on Spotify and landed extensive editorial support.
Naomi's dreamy, velvet vocals, reminiscent of the timeless Sade Adu and Snoh Aalegra, are captivating and enchanting. Considering that the singer has yet to release an EP or album, it's likely that something is bubbling on the horizon and will take R&B fans and the industry by a storm when it falls upon our ears. Naomi Sharon is here and she is definitely one to watch for 2023.
Hear more: Another Life [2-track ep]
Zay Johnny
Texas native Zay Johnny is new to the R&B scene, and 4-for-4 with his standout rollout of singles leading up to his 2023 project (no date has been announced yet). Zay made his introduction with his single "Merry Me" which immediately grabbed my attention upon release. I was intrigued by how crisp and potent his sound was... is. He followed up the single with my personal favorite record, "Ride" which featured the sultry vocals of Dee Gatti over Larce Blake production, and it's been up for him since.
There's moments within each of his records where he sounds like Ty Dolla $ign's hip-hop leaning protégé with his raspy tone and sharp pronunciation - but as you continue listening his tone and range drastically shifts from gospel influenced with amazing runs, to hard hitting melodic rapping VERY much in key (don't get it twisted). His highly controlled vocal ability paired with his penmanship and openness to working with other talented songwriters makes him a standout among his peers, and with a new album coming this year he is certainly one to watch.
Hear more: "Ride (feat. Dee Gatti)" [single]
Jordan Ward
Jordan Ward kicked off his career in entertainment as a professional dancer - having shared stages with Beyoncé and Janet Jackson before he made his introduction to music as an artist. He released his first EP A Peak at the Summit, featuring his debut single "Lalaland". He followed up the EP with a slew of high streaming hip-hop leaning singles "Holdin Me Back" and "Okok (Hibachi)" leading up to his first full length, Valley Hopefuls.
In 2021, he released his third body of work Remain Calm featuring fan favorite "Lil Baby Crush", in which it became evident he began experimenting with the R&B/alternative sound and creating records that showcased his vocal range and R&B elements. And now, with his latest release "WHITE CROCS", Jordan has enlisted R&B crooner Ryan Trey for his first offering of 2023 (and second single leading up to his new album expected in March).
He's opening on tour for Smino and JID (who are the PERFECT match for his genre-bending sound), and he just announced his new album FORWARD drops March 3rd. “FORWARD, not only pushing our sound and creativity, but pushing to evolve and break cycles,” Ward says of the album title. “FOR WARD, a dedication to my family and our future. FOUR-WARD, my fourth project, but also a FOREWORD in my story being the debut album!”
Very wise moves Mr. Ward. It's definitely Jordan's moment as his sound feels more polished than ever and it's evident that he's perfected the hip-hop influenced alt-soul sound he was experimenting with early on. Jordan Ward is an artist that should be on your radar for 2023.
Hear more: "WHITE CROCS (feat. Ryan Trey)" [single]
Isaia Huron
Nashville-based, South Carolina native Isaia Huron surfaced circa 2020 and captured the hearts of fans off the strength of his vast musical ability. I personally remember seeing videos of him at the piano playing beautiful melodies he self-composed accompanied by his impressive vocals going viral on twitter; those clips were enough to make me a fan.
Huron's most recent EP, Cerulean Tapes was a captivating display of range and creativity as the 4-track body of work was all covers of popular hits over the years including: Floetry's "Say Yes", Miguel's "Adorn", Aaliyah's "One in a Million", and Drake's "Teenage Fever" (which Drake recently co-signed on Instagram). However, what was remarkable about this project was how incredible each track was - while they were song covers, they were all completely reimagined with exceptional new production and unrecognizable aside from the fact that we all knew the lyrics. His tone, penmanship and musicality make him a standout among his class, and while he is a sleeper pick, it seems that new music is finally on the horizon. Isaia Huron is undeniably one to watch for 2023.
Hear more: Cerulean Tapes [ep]
Kelz
Hailing from Brooklyn, NY, 16-year-old Kelz solidified his presence with a huge splash with the release of his debut single & video for "Sinner". His polished sound - a unique blend of dancehall, R&B and drill elements - immediately caught the attention of Pharrell, Cole Bennett, Jack Harlow and more right out the gate.
He's only got 4 records out thus far (all very well received), but his sound is fresh, invigorating and promising, while maintaining an image that is still very true and authentic to his New York stomping grounds. Definitely looking forward to what this young star his in store for 2023 and beyond.
Hear more: "Good 2 Me" [single]
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