The past decade has been a tough time to be an R&B fan. It seems that as Rap has reached atmospheric heights, the once mighty genre of R&B continues to slide – in both popularity and quality. It’s no secret that we’re massively biased towards R&B and Soul music. And as 'stans' of the genre, we are skeptical by the evolution that, R&B in particular, has made from the ‘90’s heyday to its current state in 2022.
Some say R&B barely exists anymore, others say its time has passed. Skepticism around the state of R&B originally coincided with a shift in the genre and a transition in the platforms where it was primarily consumed. So it drives the question, what’s the state of play? Can R&B / Soul in 2022 be said to be thriving or is it ‘dead’? Well, R&B isn’t dead. It’s going through an identity crisis.
Let's take a deep dive on R&B through the decades and a look at how it’s doing today. Is the genre thriving, dying or dead?
On Wednesday (Aug. 17), Diddy took to Twitter to tweet a question. “Who killed R&B?” he asked. Half of Black Twitter responded with the standard answer: “It’s not dead,” or something to that degree while the others simply blamed him. R&B was once considered a cash cow, but a series of transformations over the years has altered the public image of the genre. Since the 80s, it’s probably fair to say there’s been more focus on the ‘rhythm’, rather than the ‘blues’ aspect of the genre. But the genre has not held back. It has fervently continued to evolve. R&B today expresses itself through a range of contemporary-influenced sounds, whilst still pulling from the tradition and sound of Soul.
When we look back at the careers of some of R&B’s biggest legends, most of them didn’t have the resources for formal training. Instead, they honed their skills in one of two places – church or school choirs. Vocal inflections. Harmonizing. Riffs and runs. These important elements were taught in those humble training grounds. Unfortunately, many young vocalists are simply relying on raw talent or mimicking their favorite singers without proper context or understanding. Add to that sad fact that vocal coaching seems to be an unnecessary luxury among some labels and it’s clear that many of today’s biggest stars are basically learning to sing on the job.
It’s probably fair to say there’s been more focus on the ‘rhythm’, rather than the ‘blues’ aspect of the genre.
What’s even more curious – and, honestly, quite sad – is that R&B excellence has essentially taken a backseat due to the dominance of its much more popular play cousin.
The Rise of Hip-Hop
Hip-Hop and R&B were once intertwined, but now the lines between the genres are often blurred. DJs would often play the percussive breaks in funk and soul records for MCs to rhyme over, essentially creating the blueprint that rap follows today. By the end of the 2000s, the lines began to blur even more. Spurred on by the recent success of T-Pain, hip-hop artists began using vocal sweeting to record their own vocals. The merging of hip-hop and R&B made both genres more exciting in the 90s and 2000s, but the partnership is no longer mutually beneficial, especially with rap becoming so melodic. R&B singers often have to collaborate with guest rappers to generate interest, but with the exception of Ty Dolla $ign and a few others, their hook services aren’t as sought-after as they were in the past. Rappers with melodic chops often handle chorus duties themselves or get another rapper to do so.
Singing was no longer seen as a unique talent reserved for elite vocalists, it was basically a production effect anyone could do with the right tools. That DIY mentality may be good for efficiency, not so much for quality.
Mislabeling
Mislabeling plays a major part in shaping the “R&B is dead” narrative. Labels haven’t prioritized the genre much in the past decade, perhaps because they believe it’s no longer profitable. There’s a myth that R&B doesn’t sell, and artists signed to labels are often encouraged to submit music that classifies as R&B under other genres. Mislabeling is the product of a vicious cycle. R&B stars hardly ever remain associated with the genre once they crossover, which leads many to think there are limitations to making and identifying with R&B music. The mislabeling—whether it’s engineered by record labels or artists—is often a strategic way to escape the stigma that’s attached to R&B. There’s a belief that R&B doesn’t allow for much artistic growth outside of the genre. R&B has changed. It’s become a bit of a sponge that absorbs adjacent genres like hip-hop, pop, electronic, alternative, and indie.
Mislabeling plays a major part in shaping the “R&B is dead” narrative. Labels haven’t prioritized the genre much in the past decade, perhaps because they believe it’s no longer profitable.
Let’s be frank – younger audiences won’t support an album that doesn’t sound like what they’re used to. Also, the industry hates risks, they aren’t going out of their way to push a project that runs counter to the current sound.
R&B once shared space with rap on popular radio stations like New York’s Hot 97, Los Angeles’ Power 106, or television shows like BET’s 106 & Park. Now, it’s struggling to get attention on the same platforms. There’s already a limited amount of real estate dedicated to actual singers.
R&B has changed. It’s become a bit of a sponge that absorbs adjacent genres like hip-hop, pop, electronic, alternative, and indie.
The New Era
It's often said that every 10 years or so, the musical audience turns over, with new fans being introduced to each genre. For previous generations of music fans, we’ve seen change before – this was nothing new. Many assumed this would be yet another fad that would eventually run its course before a new style took over. We saw it with crunk, we saw it hyphy, we saw it with New Jack Swing, disco, Miami bass and countless more.
But what made this era different is that with hip-hop’s rising dominance, labels took notice and devised a game plan. From production to cadence to song length, they took what worked in this era and devised a fool-proof formula for success. It’s a plug and play scenario – any artist could be dropped into this format for a quick and easy hit.
If a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound? If an incredible R&B singer drops an album yet doesn’t get the push it deserves, does it even exist? In the ears of the world at large, it doesn’t.
Where does that leave R&B? Struggling to catch up.
As eyes and ears began to pull away from traditional R&B sounds, both R&B veterans and young neophytes, quickly reformatted themselves in an effort to remain relevant. In order to stay current, you had to sound current.
Those sounds? Electronic, pitchy vocals; dark, brooding beats; rap-like cadences in the place of traditional harmonies.
And for that new generation of fans we mentioned earlier? These sounds were not a passing fad, this was how music was SUPPOSED to sound because, basically, it was all they knew. Traditional R&B was slowly phased off of playlists as some of R&B’s biggest stars – including Usher, Beyonce, Trey Songz, Chris Brown and embraced trap to maintain relevance. Your favorite singers are now your little sister’s favorite rappers. For a whole generation of fans, auto-tuned crooning BECAME R&B.
“You gotta muthaf*ckin make a n***a dick hard or a woman’s vagina wet. You gotta cry. You gotta be able to get your girl back. I don’t wanna hear all this bullshit […] It’s our fault for accepting anything less for anybody getting on a mic. I feel like there was a death of R&B singing, and I’m a part of bringing that shit back! I ain’t feelin’ no emotions.” - Diddy
The identity of R&B and mislabeling aren’t the only issues holding the genre back, though. There are opportunities to strengthen parts of the ecosystem that could potentially put an end to the “R&B is dead” whispers.
The 'Soulution'
When it comes down to it, R&B as we knew it has been phased out. The R&B audience is currently fragmented. Young artists with raw talent aren’t receiving the training they need to become better. Pristine vocals are seen as favorable when your favorite rapper can pretty much do them with a computer program. The talented singers we do have left just aren’t receiving the exposure their hip-hop-leaning peers receive. And young audiences haven’t been exposed to enough good R&B to differentiate good from the bad. A big part of the base consists of traditionalists and alternative listeners who aren’t aligned on the definition of R&B. But it’s crucial to unite all fans, artists, and influencers of the genre under one umbrella to show the full scope and strength of R&B. And its resurgence over the past five years coincides with the rise of a powerful new medium: streaming.
I know, I know, I miss the days when you could turn on the TV and be presented with great R&B, served up on a silver platter held by various 106 & Park hosts on the Top 10 Countdown --- But those days are long gone.
When we get the numbers to shift, true talent will once again become fashionable and the industry will be forced to change direction.
YOU are the change in R&B you seek.
There’s never been a better time to amplify Black voices, and what better way to do so than to make sure a Black genre is appreciated for its full worth.
Jazmine Sullivan. Ari Lennox. Lucky Daye. Alex Isley. H.E.R. PJ Morton. Kevin Ross. Tiana Major9. Mac Ayres. Charlie Wilson.
Those names are among the best R&B offerings of 2022 so far. Most of them didn’t receive a fraction of the hype they deserved. But if we want to keep R&B alive, they deserve our support.
We have to take control of the narrative, and the responsibility falls on everyone who cares to push R&B forward. Still, labeling may be the most crucial piece of the puzzle. As long as R&B is submitted under other genres, the “R&B is dead narrative” will persist. If you’re a music executive, don’t try to persuade artists to distance themselves from R&B because you think it doesn’t sell. It’s simply not true. And if you're an artist, don’t think of R&B as being restrictive. It doesn’t have to be, especially in a time where so many genres blend together.
If all of R&B music is submitted under the proper banner moving forward, the numbers will reflect what R&B truly is: one of the biggest, most influential genres in music today. So no, you can’t place the downfall of R&B on one person or thing. But you can definitely place it’s revival on one person – you.
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