10 Essential R&B Albums to Listen To

R&B is my favourite genre of music bar none. I love how smooth the singers' vocals are, the typically soft and often jazzy instrumentals, the range in subject matter from a beautiful song about love and trust to a hate-filled song where the artist wants vengeance against someone that has wronged them and especially the variety of moods this genre can fit into. There is a song of album for every emotion a human can feel and I think that is the sign of a beautiful genre. I have listened to so much R&B, Soul, Neo-Soul, whatever sub-genre you can list I could probably provide at least an album that fits the description. So here are 10 albums I believe someone getting into the genre MUST listen to. There will be some amazing albums left out of this list however my main focus was getting good representation from multiple styles and sounds rather than the absolute best of the best.

D'Angelo at Brixton Academy, July 2000 (Photo by Andy Paradise for Alamy)

1. 'Voodoo' by D'Angelo - While I believe his 2014 effort 'Black Messiah' to be his magnum opus, this album is by far the better for people new to the genre. This album is Neo-Soul at it's absolute finest. This record takes some splendid hip-hop style production from some all-time great producers such as J Dilla and DJ Premier, and combines it with D'Angelo's angelic vocals to create a warm, sensual and spacious masterpiece.

2. 'Songs In The Key Of Life' by Stevie Wonder - This album is the epitome of joy in music. For an album released almost 50 years ago it still sounds so clean and polished as if it were to be released this decade. Stevie's vocals are beautiful as always and his writing is so uplifting which makes this the quintessential album for any music listener to experience, not just for R&B/Soul fans.

3. 'Love Deluxe' by Sade - This record might be my favourite iteration of Soul music over Jazz production. The band absolutely outdid themselves on this record, however the star of it is obviously Sade. Her vocals are so smooth across the entire album which perfectly compliments the production, and lyrically it doesn't slack either. It has a wonderful blend of classic love songs and social commentary.

4. 'Blonde' by Frank Ocean - If 'Songs In The Key Of Life' is the epitome of joy in R&B, then I feel comfortable saying this album is the epitome of melancholy. Eventhough this album is sonically ethereal, the real selling point is Frank's lyricism and subject matter. Touching on his drug use, sexuality, various relationships and relating all of it to his emotional state throughout the years and how he's grew from those experiences is a beautiful journey to embark on. The intricate lyricism combined with the wide range of production and Frank's fantastic vocals make this one of the greatest musical experiences ever.

   
   

   

   Frank Ocean at Panorama Music Festival 2017 (Photo by Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)

   
   

5. 'What's Going On' by Marvin Gaye - Another record released around half a century ago that is stands the test of time. A lush vocalist providing an album that's a fantastic listen when you want to relax and when you feel like analysing music. Marvin presents social commentary in such a relaxing way to the point where your average music listener would not even pay attention to what he is discussing. The production is also near flawless with every track flowing wonderfully. Although you can definitely hear the age on this record it adds to it's timelessness.

6. 'The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill' by Lauryn Hill - The greatest album to seamlessly blend R&B and Hip-Hop. This record is a conscious classic, and with it being Lauryn's only ever solo album makes it even more special. This record has multiple songs that could be in consideration for the greatest songs I have ever heard. The production is not overwhelming on the Soul cuts which matches Lauryn's soft singing voice beautifully, however when Lauryn decides to start rapping she has this really boastful confidence which is always equalised but the bouncy Hip-Hop instrumentals.

7. 'Freudian' by Daniel Caesar - This may include some bias due to Daniel being my all time favourite artist, however he is for a reason. He has a fantastic voice and is a really talented writer. This record accurately depicts the stages of a relationship up until heartbreak. The instrumentation across it is warm and encapsulating and Daniel's voice is perfect over it.

8. 'CTRL' by SZA - A very good standard for modern day R&B. SZA's voice is super unique but in the best possible way. She can hit unbelievable notes yet can also make a really slow and mellow song work like a charm. Her subject matter can be very very toxic as established in songs like 'The Weekend' and 'Drew Barrymore' which is something new listeners will come to expect from modern day R&B but SZA displays it in such a soothing way which makes this an amazing listen.

   
   
   
   

   

   SZA at Rogers Arena, March 2023 (Photo by Andrew Chin/Getty Images)

   
   

9. 'Confessions' by Usher - From what is confessed on this album he may not be the greatest lover, but Usher is a damn good musician. This is classic 2000's R&B at its peak. Usher's voice is super smooth and recognisable, it is such a great time when any song from here is played. Just an absolute classic album of the genre.

10. 'House of Balloons' by The Weeknd - The final album on this list and a great example of some ambient, alternative R&B. Although quite vulgar in it's lyrics, this album is made such an engaging listen due to The Weeknd's vocal delivery over the dark and brooding production. Early Weeknd music has such a mysterious vibe to it that makes his projects so captivating.