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The Beginning
It all started in the 20th century, with the great migration in the US when African American families began moving to urban centres across the Northeast and Midwest. This movement helped bring African American music styles to the spotlight, ushering in a blend of multiple genres. Soon, this new music started to spread across the nation and was known as “race music” – a term later changed to rhythm and blues, or R&B. -
The 40's
Precursors of rhythm and blues sprouted in the ‘20s and ‘30s with jazz and blues setting the roots for what would evolve into classic R&B, including the electric guitar, piano, and saxophone. But it wasn’t until the 1940’s that the name “rhythm and blues” replaced “race music” as a term for all African American music. -
Rhythm and Music
At the end of World War II in the late ‘40s, a new wave of music was emerging. People began to call it “race music,” but some considered it a derogatory term. In response, Jerry Wexler from Billboard created the term “rhythm and blues” to describe all African American music. -
1950's & 60's
As rock and roll emerged, R&B took a separate path. For some time, people often considered them to be the same genre, with the only difference being that rock and roll was made by and for white people only. From the late ‘40s to ‘60s, R&B was considered the most popular music genre, but was often mixed and mistaken with rock and roll because of the predominant use of the guitar and drums. -
The genesis of R&B: 1970-80
Following rhythm and blues’ relentless evolution, a new transformation takes the genre by storm in the ‘80s. This time, adopting a variety of genres and blending them with styles like jazz, funk, pop, hip-hop, and electronic elements. Musicians experimented extensively with this new blending of sounds, from which new subgenres like alternative and progressive R&B were born. -
The early 90's
With the growth of hip-hop culture, younger audiences started to turn to hip-hop. The rebellious and outspoken character of rappers proved more appealing to younger generations than the romantic R&B artists on the dance floors of the previous decade. With hip-hop’s increasing success over rhythm and blues, many established R&B artists incorporated the hip-hop style into their own productions and were constantly featuring rappers in their songs or combining the new R&B trend with their sounds. -
Sucession
Following the successful fusion between hip-hop and R&B in the ‘90s, the turn of the century marked the genre’s commercial pinnacle with hits from Usher, Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake’s debut solo album, and Mariah Carey’s song of the decade: “We Belong Together”. -
Hot R&B singles
The R&B singles chart in America became known as 'Hot R&B singles' in October of that year, after eight years of being called the 'Hot Black Singles'. The significance and root of this racial label are clear; R&B was considered a genre listened to specifically by black people. R&B's transcendence beyond racial lines in the present shows that there has been a clear, and much-welcomed, shift in the way in which society tries to label everything. -
1995: Big Changes, Popular people.
In 1995, Mariah Carey, who was the most popular mainstream singer of the time thanks to her pop ballads, gained more creative control over her artistry and opted to produce more R&B-oriented music. The executives at her record company were very wary of her transitioning into full R&B as it wasn't considered commercially bankable at the time. -
New Start
At the beginning of the 00s, R&B traded in the slow jams and chill vibes of the late '90s for funkier and more upbeat sounds with faster tempos. Some 90's artists like Aliyah and Mariah Carey were able to embrace the change for a new era that kicked off with dance-infused R&B tracks like Ciara with '1,2 Step' and Christ Brown with 'Run It!'. This is also when the debut of Rihanna appeared. -
Prime Time
The early 2000s was the prime time of R&B. R&B is defined as a kind of pop music with a soulful vocal style featuring improvisation. This style of music encompasses countless emotions from infatuation to heartbreak and even redemption. Early 2000’s R&B is the type of music that describes love in its purest form. Most popular songs from that time are about the pursuit of someone. -
New Sounds
In the 21st century R&B artists increasingly cross genre and stylistic boundaries such as Keyshia Cole’s eclectic “I Changed My Mind” (2005) and Fantasia’s “I’m Not That Type” (2006). These songs carry the sensibilities of gospel, neo soul, and hip-hop. Artists also continue to evolve these traditions, tapping the modern gospel and hip-hop traditions. -
Embrace
In the 2010s, contemporary R&B fully embraced modern electronic trends from auto-tune to EDM influences. Artists like Usher and Chris Brown blended R&B vocals with electronic dance beats and production. The rise of alternative R&B also provided a darker flipside to mainstream trend -
2010's artist breakthrough
When discussing when R&B started heading towards the trends that would define the 2010s, many fans will start at the release of Kanye West's 808's & Heartbreak and Lil Wayne's "Lollipop". From where it trickles into Drake'es rise followed by other names breaking through with mixtapes. -
Present Day
Today, R&B encompasses a wide range of styles and influences, from the smooth, soulful sounds of the 1960s to the more modern, hip hop-influenced styles of the present day. Despite its evolution, R&B remains a popular and influential genre, with many contemporary artists drawing inspiration from its rich history.