Princess Gabbara is a pop culture-loving writer, editor, author and storyteller. In addition to GRAMMY.com, she has contributed to MTV News, Billboard, Vibe, Oprah Daily, Shondaland, Ebony and Essence. You can follow Princess on Twitter at @princessgabbara and learn more about her and her work at princessgabbara.com.
New voices, new concepts, new stories and new approaches are always flowing through R&B — evolving both the sound and definition of the genre for more than 70 years. Today's artists are continuing that tradition, flipping R&B on its head by merging the sound with elements of hip-hop, electronic, psychedelic soul, and even Afrobeats. What's happening today in R&B sounds…
Since the world got to know Cardi B as the one-liner queen on VH1's "Love & Hip Hop: New York" in 2015, she's become one of today's most celebrated female rappers. But she's also been at the center of highly publicized feuds, lawsuits and a divorce. So on her second album, she can't help but ask, Am I The Drama?…
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on Feb. 20, 2024 and was updated on Aug. 29, 2025 to reflect the 20th anniversary of Music of the Sun. A chance meeting changed Rihanna's life. The singer was just 15 years old when she met producer Evan Rogers, who was vacationing with his wife in Barbados. Rogers recognized Rihanna's potential, and…
As part of the first-ever GRAMMY House NYC, the Recording Academy presented a showcase of independent artists across genres and disciplines. While these artists may not have major label support, their skill and success is evident: Indie artists accounted for 50 percent of 2025 GRAMMY winners. (Read about our 2024 GRAMMY Impact Report and DREAM (Diversity Reimagined by Engaging All…
For many artists, collaborations are born from industry events or connections. But it was a video game that brought together Sudanese-American rapper Bas and British electronic soul duo the Hics — and birthed a partnership that has become both fruitful and impactful. As Bas was playing "Grand Theft Auto V" while on tour with J. Cole in 2015, he stumbled…
In early May, members of the Recording Academy’s Black Music Collective and New York Chapter gathered at the Chapter's Midtown townhouse for an evening full of connection, big dreams and financial empowerment. Presented by City National Bank, the Rhythm & Wealth event fostered community while arming Black creatives with the knowledge needed to build lasting wealth. Rhythm & Wealth kicked…
Isaiah Falls has been building toward this moment for over a decade — honing his sound, learning from love, and staying grounded in his Southern roots. After making waves with his 2024 debut EP Drugs N' Lullabies, the Florida-born singer/songwriter is stepping into the spotlight with LVRS Paradise, a two-part debut album that blends slow-burning intimacy, soulful swagger, and unfiltered…
SZA and Kendrick Lamar's first collaboration was a smash no one saw coming, including SZA herself. "Kendrick did that on his own," SZA said about Lamar's verse on her 2014 song "Babylon," according to Genius. "He surprised me. He just did it and they sent it to me. He was like, 'I love this beat. I love where she took…
R&B music wouldn't be the genre it is today without the heart and soul of its female stars. Early pioneers like Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight, and Roberta Flack laid the groundwork, while icons like Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, and Janet Jackson brought pop sensibility — but there are countless more who played a pivotal…
The 2025 GRAMMYs, officially known as the 67th GRAMMY Awards, will air live on CBS and Paramount+ on Sunday, Feb. 2. Watch highlights from the 2025 GRAMMYs on live.GRAMMY.com. The 2025 GRAMMYs telecast will be reimagined to raise funds to support wildfire relief efforts and aid music professionals impacted by the wildfires in Los Angeles. Donate to the Recording Academy's…
Next to being nominated for and winning a GRAMMY, leaving a lasting impression is an artist’s dream. On Dec. 29, CBS and Paramount+ aired "GRAMMY Greats: The Most Memorable Moments," a special dedicated to the show’s rich history. The televised special featured events such as Beyoncé and Prince’s electrifying opening at the 2004 GRAMMYs, to Dua Lipa and St. Vincent’s…
2024 is the year that Tiera Kennedy never saw coming. Last winter, the 26-year-old rising country artist was dropped from Big Machine Records. Then, in a twist of fate, Kennedy wound up working with Beyoncé on two songs months later and watched her first-time Spotify listens jump by 110 percent, inspiring her to fast-track the release of her debut album,…
Just after Ciara's electrifying performance during night two of Missy Elliott's Out Of This World Tour in Atlanta on July 28, the singer's hometown bestowed her with one of her most full-circle moments to date: Ciara Day. The proclamation is a testament to the remarkable career Ciara has built since her 2004 debut: billions of streams, over 23 million records…
The first time Tink's name was on a lineup with Jhené Aiko, they were at Sacramento's R&B festival Sol Blume in 2022. Two years later, they're billed together again — this time, as tourmates. Tink is one of four opening acts for Aiko's Magic Hour Tour, which also features Coi Leray, UMI and Kiana Ledé. As the 27-date trek begins…
Since Ice Spice first caught our attention two summers ago, she's been nothing short of a rap sensation. From viral hits like her breakout "Munch (Feelin' U)," to co-signs from Drake and Cardi B, to a Best New Artist nomination at the 2024 GRAMMYs, the Bronx native continues to build on her momentum — and now, she adds a debut…
"I only make records when I feel I have something to say," Sade Adu asserted in 2010 upon the highly anticipated release of Sade's GRAMMY-winning Soldier of Love album, which arrived after a 10-year hiatus. "I'm not interested in releasing music just for the sake of selling something. Sade is not a brand." This lifetime of dedication toward achieving musical…
Shaboozey's "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" is flipping country music on its head. His genre-bending hit, which interpolates J-Kwon's 2004 hip-hop smash "Tipsy," replaced Beyoncé's "TEXAS HOLD 'EM" atop Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart in April — marking the first time that two Black artists held the No. 1 spot back-to-back on the chart. The history-making feat — and the massive…
All eyes are on Normani as her long-awaited debut album, Dopamine, arrives to eager fans and critics alike on June 14. It arrives more than six years after Normani made her solo debut post-Fifth Harmony — and though she has released a number of singles since, even her most loyal listeners were bewildered by the delay of her debut project.…
In 2018, Tems quit her corporate job to focus solely on what she calls her life's purpose: making music. And in the six years since, she's certainly proven that it's what she was born to do. The Nigerian artist's appeal was initially apparent in her home country after she released a string of singles in 2018 and 2019, but it…
Since the 1999 launch of her unstoppable music career, Jennifer Lopez has released eight studio albums and over 60 singles that have racked up billions of streams worldwide. So it's hard to believe there's been a full decade between the multihyphenate's last album, 2014's A.K.A., and her ninth studio LP, This Is Me… Now. Released on Feb. 16 and described…
