As a radio format that prized legacy artists plays more acts in their 20s and 30s, staples of the genre face intense competition. By Elias Leight In March, the singer Maeta hit No. 1 on Billboard’s ...

Billboard's special salute to Black Music Month continues its rollout with the next 25 artists on our all-time top 75 list. What a difference 10 years can make. That was the last time Billboard ...

Host Erykah Badu attends the 2016 Soul Train Music Awards at the Orleans Arena on November 6, 2016 in Las Vegas. The combination of rhythm and blues spurred the development of the culture and genre ...

Before crossing over into the more commercial “contemporary” sound of keyboards, synths, and the bass-and-drum pop of the 1980s with the likes of Stephanie Mills, Debarge, and Al B. Sure, 1970s R&B ...

R&B music has a rich history filled with soulful melodies and powerful voices. While the genre is often associated with African-American artists, several white female singers have significantly ...

Welcome to The State of R&B, ESSENCE’s look at the past, present and future of rhythm and blues. In this piece, writer Jaelani Turner-Williams addresses claims that today’s R&B is too sexual. R&B’s ...

The 1970s was an interesting time in regard to how the masses chose to label music genres. During this decade, R&B was used as an all-encompassing term to group the styles of soul, funk, and disco.

For many decades, going as far back as the 1940s, artists from the world of R&B couldn’t really claim mainstream success until they’d crossed over to Top 40 radio and the pop charts. This century, it ...

Long live the king. This week, Jacquees anointed himself the undisputed ruler of R&B— and all hell broke loose. “I just wanna let everybody know that I’m the king of R&B right now, for this generation ...