R&B/Hip-Hop

After capping off her blockbuster 2023 with three victories at the 2024 Grammys, Victoria took her foot ever-so-slightly off the gas – and still remained consistently present throughout the past year. Her Grammy wins translated to her first Adult R&B Airplay chart-topper in “On My Mama,” as well as a pair of triumphs at the 2024 BET Awards, where she brought her acclaimed “Alright” music video to life and paid tribute to Usher alongside Teyana Taylor. In 2024, Monét also graced the Coachella, Lollapalooza, Essence Fest and Outside Lands stages for the very first time. By autumn, she’d launched a deluxe edition of Jaguar II – featuring collaborations with Usher and Thundercat – with a sultry accompanying Playboy cover shoot, cementing her as one of contemporary R&B’s biggest sex symbols. – KYLE DENIS

Summer Walker has reached the stage of her career where she now embodies that beloved Hov bar from Ye’s 2004 debut album College Dropout: “When you hot, I’m hot/ And when your feet cold, mine is sizzling.” Even when the multi-platinum singer/songwriter isn’t super active, she still manages to be top of mind with R&B fans. In addition to her numerous guest features — including Odeal’s “You’re Stuck” and Sailorr’s “POOKIE’s REQUIEM” — Walker dropped “Heart of a Woman,” the lead single from her upcoming third studio album, Finally Over It. “Heart” was first released with a lyric video featuring Love Island’s Serena Page and Kordell Beckham, before being followed up with a proper video starring herself and NLE Choppa. The Tavaras Jordan-produced single peaked at No. 14 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts and became her 36th Hot 100 entry. Safe to say she’s just starting to heat up. – DAMIEN SCOTT

After a blistering rookie campaign that consisted of multiple Grammy nominations — and an eventual win for her ring-the-alarm hit “ICU” — along with another successful season of the Peacock hit series, Bel-Air, Coco Jones dodged the sophomore slump with an impressive 2024. Jones extended her reach on the features front, aligning herself with burgeoning Afrobeats star Ayra Starr on “Woman Commando” and lending her vocal chops to Teddy Swims’ 2025 sleeper “She Got It.”

Along with becoming a steady go-to guest, Jones reminded fans why she remains a formidable contender on the solo front, notching her first R&B Adult Airplay No. 1 single with “Here We Go (Uh Oh).” With her penchant for heartbreak anthems, Jones struck gold again with “Here”, earning a Grammy nomination for best R&B performance at this year’s ceremony. To up the ante, last Friday (Jan. 31), she partnered with Leon Thomas to give “Here” a fiery remix for those aching the idea of another Valentine’s Day fiasco. – CARL LAMARRE

After a quiet 2023 for Kehlani, she returned with a bang(er). Their flirtatious, Coolie Dance riddim-riding club anthem “After Hours” launched a viral dance challenge and kicked off the rollout for their fourth studio album, Crash, which arrived in June. While Crash landed at No. 25 on the Billboard 200 – her lowest-charting project since 2015’s You Should Be Here mixtape – that didn’t stop her from returning to the booth.  

British rapper-singer Jordan Adetunji went viral with his sexy drill smash named after Kehlani — so, naturally, she bodied the remix, which helped “KEHLANI” top the Rhythmic Airplay (three weeks) and TikTok Billboard Top 50 (two weeks) charts. And in August, Kehlani released the sequel to their 2019 While We Wait mixtape, which found them comfortably back in their R&B bag. She took both projects on the road during the Crash World Tour last September, which concluded in North America, and is heading to Europe, Asia, and Australia this year. Despite leaving empty-handed this past Sunday (Feb. 2), how many other artists can say they were up for a Grammy with a song someone else dedicated to them?  – HERAN MAMO

Leon Thomas kicked off 2024 by writing and producing “Burn,” a cut from Ye and Ty Dolla $ign’s Billboard 200-topping Vultures 1 LP that would soon give way to his own breakthrough moment. With the release of Mutt – an introspective survey of relationships in the social media age, told through rock-infused R&B and soul – Thomas quickly became one of the hottest names in R&B. Whether you’re hearing “Answer Your Phone” in a bar or turning up to “Yes It Is” at an R&B function, Thomas has the hottest album in R&B right now. Just ask SZA or Keke Palmer or Issa Rae. Now the voice behind the latest ACC Network anthem (“How Fast”) with a sold-out solo headlining tour to his name, 2025 is poised to be Thomas’ year. – K.D.

PARTYNEXTDOOR is one of the few R&B artists whose releases feel like an event whenever they drop. The elusive OVO singer-songwriter emerged from hiding with his first studio album in four years as PARTYNEXTDOOR 4 follows 2016’s PND 3 in the decorated series. The Toronto-bred R&B titan is at his best with potent songwriting and acute attention to detail throughout the 18-track project, which became his first Billboard 200 top 10 release. PND even took his talents on the road for a sold-out tour and traversed through the festival circuit, performing at Broccoli City and Rolling Loud. He raised the bar again, and all eyes now go toward his long-awaited joint project with Drake, due in 2025. – MICHAEL SAPONARA

Whether dealing with the euphoric highs or the disconsolate lows that come with love, Muni Long possesses an innate sense when it comes to conveying emotional truths — both vocally and lyrically (including a penchant for catchy hooks). The songwriter-turned-singer proved her mettle with the lustful ballad “Hrs and Hrs.” Peaking at No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 4 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, Long’s now-platinum breakthrough also yielded her first Grammy for best R&B performance in 2023. That same year she left her indelible stamp once again on “Made for Me,” a ballad inspired by her toddler son. Gaining extra traction via a TikTok challenge last January and a remix featuring idol Mariah Carey in May, “Made” peaked at No. 8 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and No. 20 on the Hot 100.

Following those wins, plus back-to-back Adult R&B Airplay No. 1s with “Make Me Forget” and “Ruined Me,” Long was at the head of the R&B class at this year’s Grammys with her four nominations, ultimately securing a win for best R&B performance. Golden gramophones aside, her latest album is a potent chapter in Long’s creative evolution — and a strong portent of things to come. – GAIL MITCHELL

After 30 years in the industry, Usher Raymond’s done all there is to do: Multiple No. 1 albums, even more No. 1 singles, and a diamond plaque. It’s tough to imagine the Atlanta native topping his past successes — but if last year is any indication, he’s not going to stop trying. To kick off 2024, Usher dropped his ninth studio album, Coming Home, which gave him his ninth consecutive top 10 debut, entering at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. He then headlined the Super Bowl Halftime Show and immediately announced his Usher: Past Present and Future world tour. The tour was so in demand that Usher had to nearly double the amount of shows he planned to do. Keep in mind, this was after he completed two Vegas residencies that had him put on more than 100 shows. If that’s not hot, then, well, I don’t know what is. – D.S.

Chris Brown was just 16 when his 2005 debut single “Run It!” and self-titled inaugural album earned the impressive teen phenomenon his first No. 1s on the Hot 100 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Since then, the Grammy-winning standard-bearer for 2000s R&B is still running his way up the charts, breaking and setting records as he celebrates his 20th anniversary. After its 2023 release, Brown’s 11th studio album 11:1, was the first set to end SZA’s nearly year-long No. 1 reign with SOS on Top R&B Albums.

Following the April 2024 release of the album’s deluxe version, Brown broke a four-way tie — overtaking fellow R&B/pop stars Bruno Mars, The Weeknd and Usher — to claim the third-most No. 1s on Billboard’s Rhythmic Airplay chart, when latest single “Residuals” became his 14th leader on that tally. Only Drake (39) and Rihanna (17) outpace him. He also closed out 2024 with another “Residuals” milestone: tying with Lil Wayne for second-most No. 1s (20) on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay. In March, “Sensational” featuring Davido and Lojay became the singer-songwriter’s first 2024 topper on that radio ranking. Still a popular live draw — his 11:11 trek grossed $82.3 million for the No. 36 slot on Boxscore’s 2024 top 100 tours — Brown left the Grammy derby triumphant, winning an award for best R&B album (11:11 [Deluxe]), his first in over a decade. – G.M.

The blockbuster success of SZA’s late-2022 album SOS sustained her hot streak for two full years. She debuted “Saturn,” her first single of 2024, in a Mastercard commercial during last year’s Grammys, where she was the most-nominated artist with nine nods and won three awards. The whimsical track became her 10th top 10 hit on the Hot 100, sixth No. 1 on Hot R&B Songs, and third No. 1 on Pop Airplay. “Saturn” won a Grammy award for best R&B song at this year’s ceremony, making a fateful orbit since its debut during the show in 2024. But the “All the Stars” artist shined a little brighter with the help of another star: Kendrick Lamar.

She and former TDE labelmate solidified their stance as the ultimate rapper/singer duo, on both the Luther Vandross-sampling “Luther” and the closing “Gloria” from his surprise album GNX in late November, the former of which became SZA’s 11th Hot 100 top 10. Less than two weeks later, they announced their co-headlining Grand National Tour, where they’ll take over 19 stadiums nationwide starting this spring ahead of Lamar’s Super Bowl performance, which will serve as a preview for the one-time TDE juggernauts.   

But that’s not even the best part: SZA finally delivered the long-awaited deluxe edition of SOS, titled LANA, in December. The 15 new tracks are cohesive, confessional and cathartic, as she unmasks the real her over fanciful, fuzzy synths on the opener “No More Hiding,” embraces her soft side over the gentle melody of “Crybaby” and talks her s–t with partner in crime Dot on the Switch-sampling “30 For 30.” SOS returned to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 by the end of last year, posting 178,000 equivalent album units in the week following the LANA boost. While SZA’s musical prowess remains irrefutable, the “Kill Bill” hitmaker decided to take a stab at something else: She made her acting debut on the newly-released film One of Them Days alongside Keke Palmer, a charming Black woman buddy comedy that spotlights SZA’s on-camera chops. With a No. 1 album and now a hit movie to kick off 2025, SZA is already starting to dominate this year, too. – H.M.