2005: The Last Classic Year For R&B

[JustCKing]

Inspired by Jamie Foxx's Unpredictable thread.

Looking back, 2005 really was the last time R&B had fire dropping left and right. The newcomers were killing it, the vets were dropping some of the best music of their careers, and even some old school were still impactful. Chris Brown, Keyshia Cole, Raheem Devaughn and Trey Songz all dropped debut albums that year. Mariah came back strong and dominated. "We Belong Together", "Shake It Off", and "Don't Forget About Us" were everywhere. Amerie had a smash with "One Thing". Bobby V and Omarion dropped their solo debuts and "Slow Down" and "O" were killing it. R. Kelly had people anticipating the next chapter of "Trapped In The Closet". Charlie Wilson had "Charlie, Last Name Wilson". 112 even had a comeback. Alicia Keys had "Unbreakable". Mary J Blige and Jamie Foxx closed the year with Breakthrough and Unpredictable respectively.

 

[Wild self]

I agree. 2006 was when T Pain dropped with autotune, and life itself changed for the worse.

 

[$cam-U-Well_Jack$on]

I don't disagree. That Neyo album dropped then too.

 

[the elastic]

This needs a YouTube video

 

[trillanova]

I would say 2011 was the last year

 

[WhenWeWereKings]

I know some of these albums were released in 04 but the singles were released in 05.

 

[How Sway?]

2010/2011

 

[JustCKing]

I would say 2011 was the last year

2010/2011

I don't know about those years, I'd say 2012/2013 were much stronger. We haven't really seen the kind of breakout artists that debuted in 2005, the balance, or the variety.

 

[JustCKing]

Upping. I was about to make this thread again until this came up in the search.

 

[African Peasant]

I don't really like that era of RnB (mid 2000's) but I have to admit the genre was still poppin'

But the sound was getting more and more bland/poppish

A few years later, Usher will drop some horrendous europop bullshyt

 

[I love Latina women]

It’s crazy how now we’re nostalgic for some of that era because it’s gotten way worse since then

I don’t even consider what these nikkas do today as r&b

Auto tune really just diluted r&b because it became this crutch that no talent having ass people could use to make trendy “music”

 

[straightcash]

Late 2000s was good too. A lot of the older legends was putting out albums until the early 2010s.

 

[Groundworks]

Anthony Hamilton also dropped 'Aint nobody worrying' that year too.

 

[Mastamimd]

I agree. 2006 was when T Pain dropped with autotune, and life itself changed for the worse.

Sad thing about it is not only did he have hits, he could actually sing