2023 was yet another thrilling year in R&B. Seasoned artists like Musiq Soulchild, Janelle Monáe and Chris Brown proved why they remain in the game.
Singer-songwriters Victoria Monét, Leon Thomas, and Kenyon Dixon delivered quality projects, making it no wonder why artists like Ariana Grande (Monét), Drake (Thomas) and Tyrese (Dixon) have worked with them in the past.
Alt-R&B acts such as Sampha, Black Pumas and SZA, whose 2022 album SOS still dominates the charts, helped stretch the genre further.
Below are the R&B albums we’re anticipating in 2024. (Note: Release dates may change at any time.)
Eric Bellinger, The Rebirth 3 (Feb. 9)
If you’re scrolling through Eric Bellinger’s discography on a streaming platform, you’ll notice he’s keen on installments. After completing his Born II Sing trilogy in 2013, Bellinger launched The Rebirth series in 2014. Unlike his Cuffing Season and Eric B for President series, which received follow-ups months after their release, The Rebirth installments have been released five years apart. The Rebirth 3 will follow 2019’s The Rebirth 2. It will include “All For Me” and Bellinger’s latest single, “La Perla.”
Bellinger told Rated R&B that the latter bedroom jam reflects where he is as an artist with “the refreshing sonics.” He added, “The two-step with your hands up that you didn’t even realize you went into when the song came on. The catchy yet potent melodies. I had to take it back to The Rebirth (Part 1) when I trusted myself and went with my own intuition. As we grow, we tend to overthink at times. But when you let the music lead, you always succeed.”
Usher, Coming Home (Feb. 9)
Usher undoubtedly has one of the most anticipated albums of 2024. Luckily, we won’t have to wait much longer. The R&B king’s ninth studio album, Coming Home, will arrive two days ahead of his headling Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show. Usher has been working on Coming Home, originally titled Confessions 2, for at least the last five years. On the 15th anniversary of his groundbreaking album Confessions, Usher went to social media to hint at a sequel.
In a since-deleted Instagram post, Usher shared a photo of him in a pondering stance next to a whiteboard with Confessions 2 written on it. “Dis what yall want,” he wrote in the caption. He capped 2019 with the Ella Mai-assisted “Don’t Waste My Time,” which reached No. 1 at R&B radio. Following his next No. 1 hit, “Bad Habits,” in 2020, Usher officially launched his new era in March 2023 with “GLU.” Arriving a year after confirming his new album won’t be titled Confessions 2, the bedroom jam scored the R&B superstar yet another No. 1 at radio. Coming Home, a 20-track offering, will include “Good Good” with Summer Walker and 21 Savage, “Risk It All” featuring H.E.R. and “Standing Next to You (Usher Remix)” with Jung Kook. It will mark Usher’s first album since 2016’s Hard II Love, which debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200.
serpentwithfeet, GRIP (Feb. 16)
Alt-R&B artist serpentwithfeet launched his GRIP era in October with his pulsating banger “Damn Gloves” featuring Ty Dolla $ign and Yanga YaYa. He returned in January with the sensual “Safe Word,” which he described as a “song about the beauty of trust that’s been earned and the wonder that follows when partners explore each other with care.” GRIP, a 10-track set, will include additional features from Mick Jenkins and Orion Sun. According to press materials, “GRIP celebrates and fosters the spirit and magic of Black queer nightlife while also honoring the communities that are nurtured within the walls of these intimate spaces and the monumental impact that they have on the lives of many people on the margins.” The album is the follow-up to 2021’s DEACON.
Jon B., Waiting On You (Feb. 23)
R&B veteran Jon B. is gearing up to release his first album in over a decade. Waiting On You will include his Donell Jones-assisted single “Understand” and the title track featuring Tank. Speaking on the latter song, Jon B. explained: “‘Waiting on You’ describes the feeling of anticipating love in your life; the seasons of waiting. No matter the timing, even when it seems like it’s taking forever, you have to be patient for your partner in life. Not giving up makes it all worth the wait.” Waiting On You will feature additional appearances from soul songbird Alex Isley and rapper Rick Ross.
Tyla, TYLA (March 22)
After making a splash with her breakout hit “Water,” Tyla is gearing up to make her formal introduction with her self-titled debut album. The South African singer explained to Apple Music’s Zane Lowe the significance behind the project’s title. “I want people to get to know my name and get to know my sound because my first project is going to be Tyla in music form. So, I felt like self-titled would’ve been the best way to go.” In addition to the platinum-selling single, also nominated for a Grammy, TYLA will include the previously shared tracks “On and On,” “Truth or Dare” and “Butterflies.” After dropping her album, Tyla will embark on her headlining tour in Europe and North America.
Andra Day, Cassandra (May 10)
Andra Day has achieved new heights since Cheers to the Fall (2015), which includes her now triple platinum single “Rise Up.” The singer and actress starred as Billie Holiday in the 2021 film The United States vs. Billie Holiday. Her role scored her a historic Golden Globe win (Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama), a Grammy award (Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media for The United States vs. Billie Holiday), a BET award (Best Actress), and an Oscar nomination (Best Actress). Additionally, her contribution to the Netflix original We The People landed her a Children’s and Family Emmy for Outstanding Short Form Program.
This spring, Day will release her third album, Cassandra, according to her label Warner Records. The upcoming project, titled after her full first name, will include her new soul-stirring ballad “Where Do We Go.” The song, released Jan. 19, comes before her performance at Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday, Feb. 11, where she will sing “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” While there aren’t many details about Cassandra, the album has been described as her “most personal body of work to date.”
Normani, Dopamine (June 14)
Normani’s long-awaited solo debut album, Dopamine, will finally arrive on June 14. The album’s release comes six years after announcing her solo deal with Keep Cool and RCA Records. Dopamine will include the first single “1:59” featuring Gunna and the fan-favorite bop “Candy Paint.”
Lalah Hathaway, Vantablack (June 14)
In the fall of 2023, Lalah Hathaway announced her new deal with SoNo Recording Group (SRG/ILS) and Virgin Music. Hathaway’s new album, Vantablack, will include the singles “So In Love,” “Mood For You” featuring MC Lyte and “I AM.” The 16-track album will also include features from Michael McDonald, WILLOW, Common, Rapsody, Phonte, and Gerald Albright.
“Vantablack was always the name of the project,” explained Hathaway. “The word itself has so much weight on it, I was really unsure of how to approach the idea of writing the song.”
She added, “At the time, what I thought were conflicting perspectives, actually began to shape the concept of not only this album but also how I saw myself. I started reframing how I saw color, in terms of being the Blackest I’ve ever been, and even though I’m steeped in who I am, it doesn’t exclude the other things that make up the sum of me. Similar to how all the music around me informs the Black music that I create. So it’s all a melting pot, and this song truly exemplifies that.”
Vantablack is the follow-up to Hathaway’s 2017 album, honestly. The Grammy-nominated album was reissued in 2018 with a deluxe edition featuring alternative mixes and remixes of select tracks.
J Valentine, Conversations With Women (TBA)
J Valentine has been in his musical bag as of late. The singer, songwriter, podcast host and music exec has written for everyone from *NYSNC (“Celebrity”) and Mario (“How Could You”) to Omarion (“I’m Tryna”) and Keyshia Cole (“Tired of Doing Me”), to name a few. Valentine, co-host of the R&B Money podcast with Tank, also sings on their No. 1 hit “Slow.” To get full context on Valentine’s resumé, it would take at least four hours like his R&B Money interview. His discography includes a few mixtapes and singles. However, he has yet to release a proper studio album – until now. Valentine’s upcoming debut album, Conversations With Women, will include his singles “Thank Me for That” and “Before the Streets.” Given those solid tracks, plus all the other songs he’s been involved with in his career, we are certainly in for a treat.
Louis York, Songs With Friends (TBA)
It’s been nearly five years since Louis York, the duo composed of Claude Kelly and Chuck Harmony, released their genre-bending debut album, American Griots. Their follow-up, Songs With Friends, will include duets with their musical pals and previous collaborators. In March 2023, they launched their new era with “Heaven Bound,” a divine duet with pop-soul singer Jessie J. They followed up later that summer with their Billboard-charting single “Alone A Lot” with Anthony Hamilton. Most recently, the pair released the Tamia-featured “Three Little Words,” a beautiful ode to falling in love, with Tamia.
Mary J. Blige (TBA)
The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul recently confirmed that she has a new project on the way, though she didn’t call it an album. In an interview with V-103’s Big Tigger, Blige teased a new body of work slated to arrive this summer. “I’m working on a project,” she said. “Something nice for my fans.” Blige noted that “Gone Forever,” featuring Remy Ma and DJ Khaled, will appear on the project. It’s worth noting the song first appeared on Good Morning Gorgeous, her Grammy-nominated album released in 2022. It’s unclear if her current No. 1 hit “Still Believe in Love,” featuring Vado, will be included on the untitled project.
Maxwell, blacksummers’NIGHT (TBA)
This year marks the 15th anniversary of BLACKsummers’night, the first installment of the soul singer’s trilogy. When the album dropped in 2009, it marked Maxwell’s first release in eight years following 2001’s Now. At the time, it was the longest fans waited for a Maxwell album. By now, we’re all accustomed to his relaxed release frequency. He rightfully moves at his own pace, while treating us to a single here and there. Ironically, it’s been eight years since his last outing, blackSUMMERs’night (2016). NIGHT was originally scheduled to release in 2019, with 2018’s “Shame” as the lead single.
Maxwell eventually parted ways with his longtime label Columbia Records, and announced a partnership deal with BMG through his Musze imprint in November 2021. He kept the momentum going, releasing his bedroom banger “OFF” that month. Upon the song’s release, Maxwell confirmed NIGHT would arrive in 2022. Last July, Maxwell seemingly shared a status update on social media, hinting that it’s still in the works. “That _NIGHT music takes time; she dressing,” he wrote in a since-deleted post on X (formerly Twitter). There aren’t many details about NIGHT at this time. However, we’re still crossing our fingers that the album arrives in July like the other two installments. We’ll see. (Note: Maxwell has not shared a release date. We’re simply anticipating the release month based on his prior projects.)
Syleena Johnson, Legacy (TBA)
Grammy-nominated singer Syleena Johnson will pay homage to her late father and soul singer Syl Johnson on Legacy. Johnson’s father, who passed away in 2022, was known for his highly sampled classics like 1967’s “Different Strokes,” referenced by Kanye West, Wu-Tang Clan, Cypress Hill and more. Legacy will include the lead single “Monsters in the Closet,” a raw track about Johnson’s experience with anxiety and triggers while navigating the entertainment industry. In the song, she also opens up about processing her father’s death: “It’s eating me inside / And I can’t hide how it has hurt me and my family.” Legacy will mark Johnson’s first album since 2020’s Woman, which was reissued with a deluxe edition (The Making of a Woman) in 2021.
Miguel, VISCERA (TBA)
Miguel had a pretty eventful year in 2023. For starters, his 2011 single “Sure Thing” went viral on TikTok, which led to a boost in streams and radio airplay. The self-penned tune re-entered the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at No. 11, becoming his highest-charting single. “Sure Thing” also reached No. 1 at pop radio. In the midst of the song’s resurgence, Miguel debuted his new single “Give It To Me” in April, followed by “Number 9,” featuring Lil Yachty, in August.
Later in the year, Miguel hosted The Viscera Experience, where he previewed songs from his upcoming fifth album. Photos and videos of the performance went viral, with Miguel performing his unreleased song “Rope” while suspended from ropes that pierced through his skin. Miguel told Office Magazine in a 2023 interview about the album’s title: “Viscera, which is physiologically everything in the middle — your guts. When you have a visceral reaction, it’s one that you can’t avoid. It’s unavoidable, it’s instinctual, it’s guttural, and the intention of that album was to make an experience that captured the violent and beautiful nature of change.” VISCERA will serve as the follow-up to Miguel’s 2017 album, War & Leisure, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top R&B Albums chart.
