Welcome to This Week in R&B, your weekly catch-up on everything happening in the genre we love. From the albums worth spending time with to the industry moves you might’ve missed, consider this your one-stop shop for staying in the know.
This week, Lucky Daye is making some noise with a new album, Snoh Aalegra is finally back to getting us in our feels, and NAO is finding inspiration in the changing seasons. Elsewhere, B2K is getting the band back together (again), Tank is rewriting the record books, and Eric Benét is making a case for keeping the human touch in music.
Let’s get into it.
Lucky Daye Is Living ALOUD!
Lucky Daye has never been an artist particularly interested in playing by R&B’s rules, but his latest album, ALOUD!, might be his boldest declaration of creative freedom yet. Released October 16, the 15-track project marks his first album with Warner Records following his time at RCA/Keep Cool, and brings out collaborators including Leon Thomas, Muni Long, Akeem Ali, and Pusha T. Inspired in part by time spent in Brazil, the project finds Lucky continuing to stretch the boundaries of his sound while leaning further into the confidence that’s defined his recent work.
For an artist who has spent years earning his place among contemporary R&B’s most celebrated voices, ALOUD! feels less concerned with proving his talent and more interested in exploring what he can do with it.
Our current favorite track: “Down.”
Snoh Aalegra Is Back. Finally.
If you’re anything like us, you’ve probably spent a good portion of the past few years revisiting - Ugh, those feels again and Temporary Highs in the Violet Skies. Thankfully, the wait for new Snoh Aalegra music is over. The Swedish-Iranian singer returned October 15 with “Karma,” a delicate, 80s soul/rock tinged single produced by Josh Grant and co-written with Joel Compass.
The record explores the complicated nature of romantic connections, especially the kind that seems destined to find its way back into our lives despite past mistakes. It’s a fitting return for an artist whose music has always found beauty in emotional complexity. No album has been officially announced yet, but we are getting more new music this week!
NAO Has a Soundtrack for Every Season
Leave it to NAO to make the changing seasons sound so good. The British singer released Autumn, a 10-track project that marks the start of A Soulful Suite, an ambitious four-part series inspired by the year's seasons. Created alongside longtime collaborator Dave Okumu, Autumn finds NAO reconnecting with her jazz influences while exploring themes of transition, reflection, and personal growth.
B2K Is Back At It Again
Somebody check on the millennials, because B2K is officially preparing to release their first album in more than two decades! The beloved R&B group announced Eclipse, arriving November 6, alongside their latest single, “Lil Freak.” Drawing inspiration from Atlanta bass music, the track offers a contemporary twist on the group’s signature playful energy, following their earlier comeback single, “Mileage.”
Nostalgia is doing a lot of heavy lifting in today’s music landscape, but there’s something particularly interesting about a group like B2K trying to create a new musical identity after so much time apart. We recently caught up with the veteran boy band. Check out what they had to say in our interview.
Tank Is Still Collecting No. 1s
At this point, we might need to start calling Tank the king of Adult R&B radio. The singer recently earned his 12th No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart with “Yes,” surpassing Charlie Wilson to become the male artist with the most chart-toppers in the chart’s history. The milestone follows the success of “Control,” another No. 1 from his latest project, EXPERIENCE.