2022 has been another amazing year for music, but one specific genre has particularly stuck out to me this year: R&B. This year, the R&B genre elevated to new heights with an unprecedented amount of releases and absurd increase in production. What is crazy to me is the fact we are only in September and there is still more to come! R&B also had a cultural takeover on the internet, especially with TikTok songs like “Lost” by Frank Ocean, “Dead Man Walking” by Brent Faiyaz, and “03’ Bonnie & Clyde” by Jay-Z & Beyonce. With big artists like Drake taking a shift away from R&B, other artists are able to have more presence in the genre. Below is a curated playlist consisting of ten of my favorite releases of the year.

Jenevieve, “Love Quotes”

“I don’t need some-body to hold,” no you don’t! “Love Quotes” the lead single of her new Rendezvous-EP is a falling out of love story with a previous partner. There is something specific about women in R&B that makes the genre ten times better. Jenevieve is a perfect example of this. It is no surprise that her success preceded her hit single in 2020 “Baby Powder.” This EP is a display of her undeniable talent.

Chase Young, “Forever”

“I thought that the pain was over,” Chase… I was thinking the same thing. I recently stumbled across the British R&B singer, and have streamed this song probably 100 times this week. This heartbreaking song speaks for itself. For my readers going through it, this track is for you. One specific element of “Forever” is the classic throwback 2000’s R&B drum beat throughout this track, reminding me of some Omarion.

Ari Lennox (feat, Lucky Daye), “Boy Bye”

Ari and Daye’s back and forth on this track is a chef’s kiss to music. “Boy Bye” is off of Ari Lennox’s recent album A/S/L. This track is one of my favorites as the dynamic duo went into the studio and went back and forth with the banter. Some of my favorite lines include “Those lines belong in 1995/Them toes just bussin’ out them slides ba-da-da/She said I looked better with her eyes close”-- hilarious. Ari’s new album is going to be an R&B classic, and this song is one of my favorites off the album.

Quincy Griffith, “Overtime”

Toronto’s newest R&B artist, Quincy Griffith,” debuted his first single: “Overtime.” Quincy’s silky smooth vocals are the biggest draw to his music as they will melt your face off. He combines many influences of the Toronto sound (Drake, PartyNextDoor, and Tory Lanez) with artists like Michael Buble and Brent Faiyaz to form a new contemporary R&B sound. His lyricism is easy to relate to and his production complements his to-die-for vocals. As he continues his emergence on the scene, Quincy Griffith is one artist you want to jump on early before the bandwagon comes.

Brent Faiyaz, “Rolling Stone”

You cannot mention R&B without talking about Brent Faiyaz as he continues to push the sound of R&B to new heights. “Rolling Stone” off of his 2022 album Wasteland pushes the narrative of this album's overarching storyline of relationships. The line “I’m a Rolling Stone” is used for multiple reasons: for avoiding certain relationships and a possible play on fame, comparing himself to the Rolling Stones. This song is beautiful, encompasses his new album Wasteland, and is a personal favorite of mine.

Arin Ray, “Gold”

Arin Ray is fresh off his 2022 album release Hello Poison. His single “Gold” is the perfect F*** you song to that one who you have yearned to for so long. “Goddamn, she don’t know what she means to me/They say I got the Midas touch,” Arin Ray’s catchy lyrics are perfect Instagram captions to cap off your summer relationships. The production by Johan Lenox on this track helps drive the song and complements Ray’s beautiful falsetto. Personally one of my favorites of the year!

Jordan Hawkins, “Super Power”

Do you have a significant other that has a certain hold over you? This is the song for you. Jordan Hawkins is unlike any other, combining a classic R&B with gobsmacking vocals that will swoon you away; his harmonies on this track are unreal. This is the ultimate modern power ballad, encompassed by a heavy distorted guitar solo enabling your superpower. It’s a 10/10 track. Be sure to check out his Colors performance of this song.

Chase Shakur, “Too Far Close”

“Too Far Close” is a musical experience through Chase’s mystical vocals and transcendent production. This single was highly anticipated this year from Chase’s marketing success over TikTok, which the numbers followed suit. Let me know on my twitter what you think of this track, especially the lyrics!

JON VINYL, Avry, “Favours”

Anybody got a spare box of tissues? After this song, I am all out. This song captures the frustrating image that a lot of individuals go through with the intricacy of relationships. This line “I’ll do favors for you when I’m on the clock” shows the difficulty of relationships, and the struggle of differences through mixed messages. Featuring Canadian artist Avry allows the two to combine their vocals in perfect harmony to fall in love with the message in their song “Favours.”

Sabrina Claudio, “Better Version”

This album, this artist, and this track need to be talked about more this year. “Better Version” is an ode to a previous partner who was perfect in her eyes--until underneath that perfect image his true colors came out. The 2022 album Based On A Feeling takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions and this song is a personal favorite. Sabrina Claudio is currently on tour in North America for this album, and I’ll be at her show this Saturday, September 19th at History in Toronto.

Provided below is a Spotify playlist with these recommendations! I hope you enjoy them as much as I did, and keep an eye out for some new tracks to be added to finish the year.

Written By Jacob Cooper

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