Music » Contemporary R&B Music

Perhaps R. Kelly's brushes with the law have caused him to turn down his love light, since his seventh album Chocolate Factory takes scrupulous pains to show an idealized high-minded face of love, eschewing his usual steamy cocktail of raunchy lust and replacing it with a sweet, winsome romanticism. "I'll Never Leave," is a wistful valentine, while "The Heart of a Woman," is embarrassingly empathetic to the plight of the feminine kind and is hardly the kind of fare that one expects from Marvin Gaye's heir apparent. Despite his real life racy escapades, Kelly is at his best musically when he's an unrepentant bad boy but he doesn't even show any grit until "Been Around the World," his confessional duet with a rasping Ja Rule, the fretful bluesy "You Made Me Love You," and "Ignition," a paean to parking. Despite "Ignition"'s first line, "Girl, please let me stick my key in your ignition, babe" it's rather tame by the standards Kelly has set on his earlier discs. "Chocolate Factory" also includes 6 bonus tracks from Loveland the album that was slated for a 2002 release, but was ostensibly shelved after it was rampantly bootlegged on the Internet. Despite the disc's soft focus, Kelly is at the height of his vocal powers, and once he weans himself from the gooey sentimentality and returns to his persona of a smooth seductive operator he'll once again be an artist to be reckoned with. --Jaan Uhelszki

During one of the "interludes" on My Life, Keith Murray is rapping about "Grab your cranium for my ultimatum," when someone in the studio control booth asks producer Chucky Thompson, "Hey, Chuck, put on some of that smooth [stuff]." Murray disappears; the dreamy synth chords of Blige's title track emerge, and her sultry voice moans with a combination of weary loneliness and unslaked desire. The ballad which follows is "smooth" but never slick, for the singer's sinuous, extended notes confess the blues even as they yearn for something better. It's tempting to see this little scenario--the rapper being turned off in favor of the soul diva--as a repudiation of hip-hop in favor of old-fashioned R&B. An honest listen to this album, however, makes such an interpretation impossible. Blige does no actual rapping herself on her long-awaited second outing, but the sound of "My Life" would have been impossible without hip-hop. The results confirm the promise of Blige's '92 debut; she is the premier soul diva of the hip-hop generation. --Geoffrey Himes

Release Date: 1996-10-15, Audio CD, Sony

Japanese special edition of this classic original album re-released on CD and packaged in a 12 x 12 inch album sized LP replica sleeve with all the original artwork and tracks. Universal. 2005.

Release Date: 1995-03-21, Audio CD, Capitol

Tina Turner's phenomenal reclamation of her stardom is perfectly chronicled on Simply the Best. With the exception of the Phil Spector epic "River Deep, Mountain High," everything included here comes from 1983 on. Turner's iconic voice and bluesy earnestness surface on a cover of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together." She brings a moody sensuality to "I Can't Stand the Rain." Equally adept at rock, soul, gospel, and R&B, Turner makes ordinary songs such as "Typical Male" and "Private Dancer" into extraordinary recordings. There are actually better Tina albums than Simply the Best, but it stands as a useful compilation of her comeback hits. --Steve Gdula

Breaking singer Toni Braxton's heart is just not advisable. Whether she's writing about her own anguish or interpreting someone else's, Braxton has a way of cutting straight to the soul. It's why her signature hit, "Un-Break my Heart," was a smash, and why More Than a Woman is such a terrific album. She's angry, and she's skilled enough in R&B, pop, and soul to madly exorcise those demons. The soaring and sassy he-done-me-wrong lament "Lies, Lies, Lies"--its chorus powered by thickly layered vocals--is utterly irresistible. "Give It Back" similarly scolds a cad caught stepping out on our gal. Braxton also finds success in happiness: the lilting, Spanish-flavored "Me & My Boyfriend" is a joyful ode to being together, while the swooning, synth-juiced "Tell Me"--despite its soft, innocuous exterior--finds Braxton seducing a lover by checking off her attributes (hard body, wearing a thong) while offering a private dance. Braxton's husky voice continues to make hairs stand on end. Though she's not busting down any stylistic doors on More Than a Woman, loyalists will find plenty to praise. --Kim Hughes

Possessor of one of contemporary music's most instantly recognizable voices, Aaron Neville has a recording career that spans nearly 40 years. While he started out as a bona fide purveyor of New Orleans-flavored R&B in the '60s, Neville has added his distinctive styling to pop fare in more recent years. Miraculously, even though he's recorded a diverse range of material--from Hoagy Carmichael's "Stardust" to a cover of the Originals' classic "The Bells"--Neville has lost none of his innate soulfulness. At last, there's a complete compilation that is a glorious testament to his skills as a vocal master. Thankfully, the original version of "Tell It Like It Is," Neville's 1967 R&B standard, is included here alongside his very first charted hit, 1960's "Over You." Neville's smash duet with Linda Ronstadt, "Don't Know Much" (1989), is naturally a standout, but equally impressive are tracks culled from the vocal stylist's four non-Christmas albums for A&M: "Don't Take Away My Heaven," a Louisiana workout of Chuck Berry's "You Never Can Tell"; the infectious "Angola Bound"; a beautiful reading of the Stylistics' "Betcha By Golly Wow"; and, as a bonus, a brilliant reading of Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come," recorded with his brothers for the 1989 "Yellow Moon." An essential collection and a reminder of Neville's undeniable artistry. --David Nathan

These days, R&B girls are a dime a dozen, but Ashanti Douglas is a step ahead of the pack. Youthful appeal and a pleasantly dreamy voice complement the 21-year-old singer/songwriter's ability to pen her own radio-friendly verses. However, Ashanti's young'un status shows itself through her treatment of the usual R&B-girl subject matter: love standing strong, love gone bad, and the search for love of self. Songs like "Foolish," "Happy," and "Baby" are as simple and agreeable as their one-word titles suggest, while "Call," "Movies," and "Over" take a slightly more earthy approach. Ashanti is definitely R&B for the under-30 set, and as such it's bouncy and playful. This debut, as is to be expected of a Murder Inc. release, features a strong hip-hop element, including two duets with Irv Gotti's golden child, Ja Rule, and the sampling of a controversial Notorious B.I.G. composition in "Unfoolish." The kids should love it. --Rebecca LevineShe Has Worked with Some of the Biggest Names in Pop: Ja Rule, Big Pun, J-lo, Fat Joe... Now, She is the First R&B Signing of the Infamous Murder Inc. Record Label. Ja Rule Has Helped Position her for Multi Platinum Success. This European Edition Includes Four Tracks Not on the Us Version: 'fight (Over Skit)', 'shi Shi (Skit)', 'dreams' and 'thank You'.

Eric Benét is a significant contender in the line of young soul men (Maxwell, D'Angelo, Kenny Lattimore) who combine thoughtful lyricism, an old school R&B feel, and smooth sensuality. One listen to Benét's second solo album, and there's no doubt about it: the Milwaukee native has all the elements to become a major star. The vocal and lyrical influence of Stevie Wonder is evident on "Lamentation," "Why You Follow Me," and the emotive ballad "Come As You Are," while Wyclef Jean's contribution, "Loving Your Best Friend," is one of the disc's highlights. Still, Benét is very much his own man on cuts like "When You Think of Me" (featuring '70s jazz-funk pioneer Roy Ayers) and the heart-wrenching slow jam "Love the Hurt Away." --David Nathan