In the end, {the summertime} is right here! Now that we’ve lastly made it to June, the R&B and hip-hop worlds are gearing up for what many hope would be the summer time that we actually return to the power of a pre-COVID time.
Final weekend (June 1-2), the Roots Picnic took over Philadelphia, PA, with two days of stellar performances, together with memorable units from R&B icons like Babyface, Jill Scott and Fantasia, in addition to ascendant hip-hop stars corresponding to Sexyy Pink and Smino (and even rising nation hitmaker Shaboozey). Headlined by Scott, Nas and Lil Wayne (with The Roots, Trombone Shorty and PJ Morton), Roots Picnic nailed the difficult balancing act that’s catering to a few completely different generations of R&B/hip-hop performers and shoppers.
It’s a stability that Scorching 97’s 2024 Summer time Jam (June 2) struggled to attain, with Methodology Man and Redman — each of whom carried out at Roots Picnic the day prior — feeling the burn of the generational hole onstage.
“Not our crowd in any respect,” Methodology Man wrote in a remark beneath Scorching 97’s Instagram publish highlighting his and Redman’s set. “Thanks once more, New York and the entire tri-state (that confirmed as much as the occasion) plus Pete and Ebro. I received love for you guys. However by no means once more… at this level the era hole is simply too extensive for me. #nevercomingback.”
Exterior of the competition circuit, Rihanna made historical past as the feminine artist with essentially the most RIAA Diamond-certified singles, Ye was sued by a former assistant for sexual harassment, breach of contract and wrongful termination, and Eminem dropped “Houdini” — which featured a poorly acquired jab at Megan Thee Stallion.
With Recent Picks, Billboard goals to focus on a number of the greatest and most attention-grabbing new sounds throughout R&B and hip-hop — from Ray Emmanuel’s spectacular “Baybayyy” to alternatives from Tanerélle’s attractive new EP. You’ll want to take a look at this week’s Recent Picks in our Spotify playlist beneath.
Freshest Discover: Tanerélle, “Blink”
What higher option to announce your signing to Republic Information than with a stunning new EP? Atlanta multi-hyphenate Tanerélle’s Electrical Honey EP is a powerful assortment of songs that builds on the atmospheric basis of 2021’s “Nothing With out You,” which earned a extremely coveted synch on Issa Rae’s acclaimed HBO present Insecure. With its heavy bass, neo-soul prospers and electro-R&B breakdowns, “Blink” is each a simple standout on the venture, and a timeless story of getting misplaced in a lovelorn dreamworld whereas the world round you retains transferring. “Goals I can’t clarify/ Because the partitions are closing/ Goals I can’t clarify/ As my cerebellum sinks/ Because the world round me blinks,” she croons within the refrain.
Maeta, “DJ Acquired Me”
After topping Grownup R&B Airplay with “By way of the Night time,” singer-songwriter Maeta has returned with a brand new Kaytranda-produced bop. Gone are the luxurious, ethereal orchestrations of her After I Hear Your Identify LP. On this new joint, the Roc Nation singer’s soulful vocals float over Kaytranda’s slinky synths, making a sultry, infectious world through which she flips Indeep’s post-disco traditional “Final Night time a DJ Saved My Life.” “Who’s answerable for me?/ Can’t management my physique/ However preserve that on repeat/ And all people’s watchin’/ However that’s okay wit’ me/ I didn’t even get a warnin’/ I be up till the mornin,’” she croons. After giving us a cuffing season anthem, Maeta is clearly prepared to show up the warmth this summer time.
Josh Levi, “One thing Extra”
After snagging a buzzy hit with “Birthday Dance,” Josh Levi returns together with his first piece of authentic music in a yr. “After I don’t have the strains/ However you’re in my thoughts/ May you hear me speaking to you, child/ From the within/ Child, inform me how deep/ Are you prepared to dive,” he croons over the synthy Louie Lastic-helmed beat. If “Birthday Dance” exalted the extra sensual moments of romantic encounters, “One thing Extra” finds Levi actually craving for one thing extra. Positive, that sensuality remains to be there — “Say it together with your physique, child/ You don’t gotta inform me twice,” he croons — but it surely’s tempered with unabashed vulnerability. He solely desires one particular particular person, even when which means simply laying there with them within the silence.
Byron Juane & Daisha McBride, “I Need You Now”
Hailing from North Carolina, rising R&B crooner Byron Juane has been steadily making a reputation for himself in R&B circles. For his horny new single, “I Need You Now,” Juane tapped Knoxville, TN singer-rapper Daisha McBride to show the joint right into a steamy duet. Juane kicks off the affair as sizzling and as heavy as he can: “Invite me to your oasis/ I’m tryna swim in it/ I received some plans for you tonight/ You bout to beg for it,” he coos over a melody harking back to The-Dream‘s mid-late-2000s solo materials. McBride’s raspy rap-sung cadence is a stable complement to Juane’s riff-laden vocals, but it surely’s the shades of queerness that contour her verse that elevate the observe into an anthem of need for all.
Ray Emmanuel, “Baybayyy”
Ray Emmanuel gained recognition as an early teen boasting lyrical brilliance past his years. Nonetheless solely 19, the North Carolina native is discovering his voice and coming into his personal. The J. Cole-inspired MC delivered his first single of 2024 with the triumphant “Baybayyy.” Sampling a sped-up model of the late Billy Butler and Infinity’s soulful “Hung Up on You,” Ray shrewdly lets the backing “child”s end off his bars. Whereas ladies are chasing him down as of late, he’s nonetheless received his eye on the prize: “One of many greats, that’s true/ The No. 1 spot, I’ma take that too,” he proclaims. After ruffling hip-hop’s feathers 2023’s “F*CK RAPPERS,” Emmanuel exhibits off his dexterity relating to placing information collectively — and he’s received loads of extra warmth within the stash down the road.
Kanii, “MIA”
The rising DMV-bred singer-songwriter appears to be like to warmth up the dancefloor simply in time for the summer time. “MIA” continues Kanii’s profitable methods whereas making a reputation for himself within the R&B panorama. The 18-year-old’s ethereal vocals float over electro-pop synths that sound like they may’ve been a canvas for The Weeknd on Starboy. Kanii additionally launched an eerie visible to face alongside the addictive single, which finds him kidnapped and dropped off with a romantic curiosity at an deserted lodge that mirrors one thing in Stranger Issues’ Upside Down world. After unleashing a pair of EPs final yr, the “I Know” artist is well-equipped for his rising stardom heading into an anticipated major-label debut album.