Male R&B is an endangered species on the brink of extinction. In the mainstream

[tremonthustler1]

They've just been replaced by all these "rappers" who sing. We've lowered the bar for emotive lyrics and relegated anyone who wants to Wanya their way to greatness to shyt like American Idol and America's Got Talent and all that.

 

[Mindfield333]

I’ll agree that there aren’t as many male voices in R&B… but if you haven’t heard Gold diggers sound… you aren’t a fan of r&b for real

 

[CrimsonTider]

SiR don't count?

But I've been saying this for what feels like almost a decade now. Even Bryson Tiller was cap, it was a decentish album in a drought both that year and in the genre.

Brent Fiyaz, Khalid and 6lack are there but largely unacknowledged

Tiller was a 1 album wonder that for whatever reason couldn’t keep the momentum

is Khalid R&B and where is he? Brent would be bigger if he was signed to a major I think

6lack is weird because he’s has a lot money put into his career but he has maybe 2 songs that people would know

No mention of Lucky Daye?

I wouldn’t call him mainstream but he did have a couple songs that made noise. He should be bigger tho.

They've just been replaced by all these "rappers" who sing. We've lowered the bar for emotive lyrics and relegated anyone who wants to Wanya their way to greatness to shyt like American Idol and America's Got Talent and all that.

this is part of it and then something happened around 2012-2013 where rappers realized that they didn’t need singers on their hooks to make their songs crossover

this is ultimately what put the ceiling on R&B as whole. It severely limited the genre ability to cross over and reach new fans

 

[Wacky D]

mainstream r&b nowadays is basically a bunch of aaliyahs and ushers. this is who younger cats were fed as goats the past 15 years and they ultimately saw that as the way to go. Nobody had a problem with it tho and called me a hater.

 

[Mastamimd]

No mention of Lucky Daye?

Came in to say this

He didn't chart high but he did get a Grammy nom, I think SiR did too

 

[Mastamimd]

Chasing Summer peaked at 64...you might be on to something

 

[010101]

the right blend of vocals & being culturally in tune is missing*

 

[FappleMeOff]

The R&B you’re looking for won’t sell in the mainstream. You gotta go to the underground or “on the brink” mainstream artists for that

 

[Ironman]

It’s not that they’re too cool


It’s hard to be motivated to create something that there isn’t a market for

I listen to the breaking R&B playlist on AM all the time and it’s about 75% female artist

They are too cool and don't give a damn about love or building a genuine relationship.

 

[SchoolboyC]

Her
SZA
Ella Mai
Kehlani
Summer
Jasmzine Sullivan
Queen Naija
Ari Lennox
Jhene
Chloe x Halle
Snoh
Kiana Lede

and I’m sure I’m missing a few. All these artist are mainstream and have songs that reach past their, become hits and make billboard

I’m confused on how you can say that Anderson Paak, Brent Faiyaz, Sir & Miguel aren’t mainstream but Kehlani, Kiana Lede, Ari Lennox & Jasmine Sullivan are

Exactly what are the standards for mainstream to you?

 

[I love Latina women]

This is nothing new

R&B ain't been shyt in a long ass time, like since the mid 2000's and even then it had fallen off.

Early 2000's was sort of the last time some good to decent R&B music was being created

 

[CrimsonTider]

I’m confused on how you can say that Anderson Paak, Brent Faiyaz, Sir & Miguel aren’t mainstream but Kehlani, Kiana Lede, Ari Lennox & Jasmine Sullivan are

Exactly what are the standards for mainstream to you?

What are the last songs those males artist had that people know?

This is nothing new

R&B ain't been shyt in a long ass time, like since the mid 2000's and even then it had fallen off.

Early 2000's was sort of the last time of some good to decent R&B music being created

00s had male R&B stars tho

 

[I love Latina women]

00s had male R&B stars tho

True but you know what else happened?

Any and everybody who wanted to sing, was given the opportunity to sing without even having much or any talent at all.

See, in the 90's and even early 2000's, you had brothers who could sing and write too, they still might not even be popular or be a star because there was a lot more competition and the bar was set high.

What's deemed great songwriting and producing today, is not what was deemed great songwriting and producing in the 90's and even some of the early 2000's.

This shyt today is so lackluster simple, it comes off like a damn comedy sketch. The shyt just seems like a parody of R&B now.

 

[Excellenceofelegance]

who is turning down an opportunity collaborate with Drake


None of those people are mainstream


Female R&B is thriving in the mainstream and underground

You’re okay with EVERYBODY being put on by drake ,some artists gotta Make it on there own , that drake method is a fast burner and not always friendly to new artists

 

[SchoolboyC]

What are the last songs those males artist had that people know?


00s had male R&B stars tho

Are we basing off what people we know are listening to or audiences in general?

And in any event I’m not arguing that those male artists are mainstream (though Paak may be now with the Bruno stimulus), I’m saying that some of those women aren’t either.

I love Ari’s music but her shyt doesn’t sell like that. Her album’s been out for over 2.5 years and still hasn’t gone gold, she’s never even had a song crack the Hot 100, never got a Grammy nom, never headlined one of those huge festivals. Unless the standard for mainstream is being posted on The Shade Room and performing at the BET Awards, I don’t see how she gets that label.

Jasmine Sullivan has basically been the face of the “Supremely talented but overlooked Black female singer” category her whole career. Snoh Aalegra & Kiana Lede’s music isn’t moving the needle like that either.

I would say that SZA, Summer, HER & Jhene are mainstream. Jury is still out on Ella Mai, I think she might be a one album wonder like Tiller.