R&B/Hip-Hop

Rising R&B star SAILORR said she makes music “bad b–ches can cry to.” And the pink bow-donning, doe-eyed singer proved it when she broke out at the end of last year with “POOKIE’S REQUIEM,” a post-breakup crash-out anthem that airs out her ex’s messiness and her own. Summer Walker slid on the remix, and Halle performed her own sick guitar cover. Throughout her artistry, SAILORR finds poignant ways to pay homage to her Vietnamese heritage, from her moniker referencing the Vietnamese sailors who fought in the Vietnam War and later fled to America, to her blackened grillz symbolizing the Southeast Asian beauty standard. With her debut EP on the way, SAILORR is set to make an even bigger splash this year.  – HERAN MAMO

WolfaceeJoey blends a mix of Jersey club, R&B and drill while pulling on elements of Drake and Travis Scott for his blend of what fans have dubbed “cutie patootie music.” Don’t like the elementary title fool you, as his artistry goes much deeper than surface-level fodder. The Staten Island native’s work ethic allows him to release music at a vociferous pace and smother the marketplace — like his hoops doppelganger, highly-touted defender Jrue Holiday. To start 2025, Joey set the bar high with his wide-ranging Cupid album – boasting collabs with New York peers A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and Bay Swag – and he’s already chomping at the bit to drop more heat. – MICHAEL SAPONARA

While he may be known for his basketball lineage, LiAngelo Ball shook up the hip-hop world in early 2025 by stepping out under his new rap moniker GELO. In the months since, his debut track “Tweaker” has infiltrated every corner of the internet — with its trunk-thumping 808s and earworm of a melody, the song pulls stylistically from past Louisiana greats like Big Tymers, while also paying homage to current Bayou State stars like YoungBoy Never Broke Again. The song’s already racked up 57 million Spotify streams, leading to a $13 million deal for him with Def Jam and Universal Music Group. GELO has since promised he’s got more gas in the tank, with more music expected this year from rap’s surprising new star. – MACKENZIE CUMMINGS-GRADY

After signing to Def Jam in 2023 off the strength of his 2022 debut project It’ll Be Fine, Chase Shakur spent 2024 laying the foundation for what should be a breakthrough year. The ATL-bred rapper-turned-R&B singer spent the past year dropping atmospheric standalone singles to supplement performances at SXSW and The Kid LAROI’s The First Time world tour. That grind gave way to his debut album, which arrived earlier this month (Feb. 7). Wonderlove — a surrealist, Tarantino-inspired rumination on modern love set to soundtrack a forthcoming tour – finds Shakur nailing his cinematic take on traditional R&B for Gen Z by incorporating notes of Miami bass, dancehall and Afrobeats, while still maintaining a sturdy gospel foundation. – KYLE DENIS

When it comes to Florida, there has to be something in the water — because, as of late, rising neophytes are finding ballooning success, ranging from newly minted Grammy winner Doechii to this month’s Billboard February Rookie of the Month, Sailorr. Like Sailorr, Isaiah Falls is giving Florida a reason to love again. Last year, the R&B stalwart deftly executed his debut project, Drugs n’ Lullabies. Anchored by his breakout hit, “Florida Baby,” Falls poured a majestic performance on his 12-track opus. With hints of Justin Timberlake seeping through his titillating three-peat of “Love Me Not,” “Honey” and “Candy,” Falls knows how to please his audience, and we’ve barely even entered Act 1 of his promising career. — CARL LAMARRE

Laila!, the surprise of 2024, has built a mighty high ladder for herself with her impressive debut Gap Year! — and with great power comes great responsibility. No pressure, though, as the singer, producer, and rapper out of Brooklyn has been destined for greatness when she was just a kid freestyling with her father Yasiin Bey and Jay Electronica in Puerto Rico. She also knows how to use the internet, and has gone viral multiple times with the songs “Like That!” and “Not My Problem” before even considering dropping a full-length LP. Hopefully, our Rookie of the Month for October 2024 will live out her dreams of producing for her favorite artists in 2025, but until then we’ll settle for some new and futuristic music from the “Baby Genius!” – ANGEL DIAZ

Alté artist Odeal is quickly capturing everyone’s hearts (and ears) with his soulful, stacked vocals and sentimental pen game. While the German-born, British Nigerian singer’s previous singles generated some buzz, like 2022’s “Coffee (Don’t Read Signs)” and 2023’s “Be Easy” with brazy, he picked up more steam with “Soh-Soh” from his sultry Afrofusion EP Sunday at Zuri’s. The scintillating dancefloor filler even had Ciara and SZA shimmying their hips. In November – a significant month that makes up the crux of his OVMBR brand – he released Lustropolis, a lush R&B EP about love lost featuring the buttery smooth slow jam “You’re Stuck,” featuring his LVRN labelmate Summer Walker. After posting up in the studio with Kaytranada, DJ Maphorisa and Jermaine Dupri at the beginning of 2025, Odeal is ready to curate the right vibes for every season.  – H.M.

New York City’s best-kept secret isn’t much of a secret anymore. Lexa Gates’ songwriting is as sharp as her signature black winged eyeliner. Though the Queens native picked up a SZA co-sign and has drawn comparisons to Mac Miller, she’s charting her own path. Whether it’s Gates’ candid twist on romance or hard-hitting bars that could make her an honorary member of Griselda, Lexa’s here to stay. Gates leaned into her Elite Vessel debut album’s aesthetic to the point she spent 12 hours in a glass box leading up to its arrival. But let her tell it, “Should I really be a douchebag? I’m indifferent, ha, you mad,” she opines on catalog standout “I Just Can’t Be Alone.” – M.S.

After gaining some steam with her 2024 single “eyes wide open,” East London crooner KWN kept the momentum going by linking with Kehlani for her song “Clothes Off.” The standout track off Kehlani’s While We Wait 2 mixtape accrued over five million streams on Spotify, and served as the perfect alley-oop for the release of KWN’s own song “Worst Behavior.” The single closed out 2024 with over six million streams, and in 2025 has already taken on new life thanks to a sultry remix from Kehlani herself. The remix — whose viral music video sported a steamy makeout session between the two R&B singers — has officially ushered in KWN as the next singer to watch. – M.C.G.

Tennessee native Samara Cyn surprised fans in 2024 with her rap- and R&B-infused debut album The Drive Home. Crazy to think that it was only in 2019 when she wrote her first song, telling the Voyage Phoenix that it took her a while to believe that her music was worth sharing with the masses. Well, we’re lucky that she did because her unique voice and penchant for versatile songwriting is hard not to ignore, as proven by “Chrome” and “Sinner.” We’ll now see what else the rapper and singer has up her sleeve, as she tries to continue injecting new and fresh things into the game. — A.D.

The U.K. continues to auspiciously birth R&B cats, with Nippa looking to forge his lane as the country’s next premier star. His tonality, reminiscent of Craig David and Chris Brown, is just the tip of the iceberg. His appetite for sticky hooks and melodic ear candy — whether he aligns himself with talents like Larry June (“Sugar”) or Odeal (“Take Me”), or opts for a solo expedition (“Pride”) — showcases his sheer versatility. Capable of filling up the boxscore with his seamless songwriting, cogent hooks and high replay value, Nippa is already closer to stardom than you think — C.L.

Few TikTok creators have translated that clout to genuine music-world cred like Zeddy Will has. Over the past few years, the 23-year-old New York content creator and rapper has parlayed his 6.9 million-strong TikTok following into buzzy hits (“Cha Cha,” “Freak You”) that made Billboard’s weekly Trending Up column, but he’s poised for a true watershed moment in 2025. Released last October, “Twerkin with Your Friends” has quickly grown into Zeddy’s latest hit, earning co-signs from Kai Cenat and NFL star Carrington Valentine. His coveted combination of humor, charm, charisma and an ear for catchy hooks and samples is sure to take him to staggering new career heights in 2025. – K.D.

Promising Afrobeats/R&B singer-songwriter Qing Madi started her career by writing songs for Nigerian stars before becoming one in her own right, with Wizkid and Ayra Starr singing her praises. She performed in the U.S. for the first time at the end of 2023 as part of BNXN’s tour before dropping her self-titled debut EP that featured her and the producer’s saucy standout collab “Ole,” which boldly introduced her melodic superpower and poignant lyricism about dealing with lovers and haters. Qing Madi later linked up with her Columbia labelmate Chlöe on the dreamy remix of “Vision” that was included in the EP’s deluxe version last year. But with her debut studio album I Am the Blueprint that arrived in January, Qing Madi confidently affirms her majesty while diving deeper into the intricate matters of the heart. – H.M.

Karri made a splash in The Bay with his breakout “3 AM in Oakland” in 2023. He quickly caught the ear of rap titans Drake and Lil Baby along with earning a co-sign from fellow Bay Area native Kehlani. The 21-year-old expanded on his moody “Lo N Slo” sound with his debut project Late Nite Slider Music to close out 2024 where “3 AM” sequel “Oakland Pt. 2” doubled-down to prove his R&B pocket wasn’t lightning in a bottle. Karri served as Billboard Hip Hop’s Rookie of the Month for January and the singer is only scratching the surface of welcoming the world across the Golden Gate Bridge. – M.S.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that a year ago, virtually no one knew who Jorjiana was. A single mom from Indiana, Jorjiana was hoping to gain any traction with her rap career. She was posting songs to SoundCloud and sharing freestyle clips to her Instagram account — an account that now boasts 270,000 followers, but a year ago had fewer than 5,000 — interspersed with quick peeks into her life.

Things changed on Nov. 4 of last year, when her On the Radar performances were published on YouTube. Rocking a BAPE hoodie and a slight nervousness, Jorjiana performed a freestyle and her most popular song, “ILBB2.” And then boom: There’s no such thing as an overnight success, but it did seem as if Jorjiana was a social media darling by the next day.

If you’ve never heard her rap, think if Whoa Vicky rapped like Karrahbooo. Her flow is plainspoken and a bit stilted, with the only inflections coming when she hypes herself up after a clever bar or when rattling off an adlib. While social media success doesn’t automatically equate to long-lasting success, Jorjiana seems to be on the right path. Most recently, she’s gotten a major cosign in the form of a verse from Glo-Rilla on the remix to “ILBB2.” If the hottest female MC in the game right now likes her, it’s safe to bet the wider rap world will, too. – DAMIEN SCOTT