It's no secret that Kenyon Dixon loves soulful music. His version of "Bring it On Home to Me" — a Sam Cooke tribute, and a collaboration with PJ Morton, BJ The Chicago Kid and Charlie Bereal — even earned him a GRAMMY nomination for Best Traditional R&B Performance this year.

In this episode of Press Play at Home, Dixon's penchant for old-school music is once again on full display — this time, in his own original song, "Hard Way," a track from his early 2021 LP, Expectations. An emotional, tender song featuring plenty of sultry vocal runs, the track encapsulates all the melodic earnestness of classic R&B, and Dixon keeps the throwback vibes going with the visual aesthetics of his performance.

Backed only by a guitar line, the singer performs in front of a circular doorway painted with brown-and-yellow rainbow stripes. The '70s vibe is very much alive, as the room around him also features shag carpet, a velvety armchair and a small, vintage-looking television set. 

Both in his music and in conversation, Dixon is a proud advocate for the return of R&B's traditional roots. In a 2022 interview with Rated R&B, he expounded on his passion for promoting his favorite kind of music.

"Anytime I'm talking about the world needing more R&B, it's my attempt at trying to amplify classic R&B and kill the conversation that nobody's doing it," he explained. 

Elsewhere in that interview, Dixon points to the release of his Expectations album as a cornerstone for his decision to keep flying the flag for the genre. "The response to Expectations let me know that people were still yearning for classic R&B. I wanted to be as intimate as possible in the R&B space, even getting closer to my fans and understanding what they love about [my music]."

In the two years since Expectations dropped, he has done exactly that: Dixon's latest project, Closer, "[breaks] down the core elements of R&B," he said, adding, "I even asked myself what I love about R&B."

Press play on the video above to watch Dixon keep the fire of classic R&B burning, and keep checking back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of Press Play at Home.  

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Lily Kincade traces the struggles of moving on from a short but impassioned fling in her latest single, "3 Months." She recognizes how irrational her feelings might be, but that doesn't stop the pain burning in her soul.

"I don't know why I'm still hung up/ On something that never made its way around the sun," Kincade sings in the pre-chorus. "Look how much damage three months can do/ It's almost September, what happened in June?"

In this episode of Press Play, the rising singer delivers a stripped-down performance of the introspective track. Kincade performs the song from her home studio, only using a keyboard to accompany her vocals. The simplistic arrangement allows the storyline of this heartbreaking tale to take center stage: "Maybe that's why I won't let us fade/ 'Cause we never made our way through the holidays."

Reflecting on her journey while writing "3 Months," Kincade revealed that the song's purpose was to help people realize that their feelings matter. "They're worthy of feeling. It doesn't matter if there's a reason. Feelings aren't logical, and that's a beautiful thing. After all, we must feel to heal," Kincade detailed to Showbiz CheatSheet.

Press play on the video above to watch Lily Kincade's performance of "3 Months," and keep checking back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of Press Play.

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During Ava Maybee's run on American Idol in 2020, judge Katy Perry told the singer she has "a cool Blondie-esque voice." This year, Maybee takes her Debbie Harry-inspired vocals to the next level with the release of her pop-rock single, "Puke."

In this episode of Press Play, Maybee chronicles her experience living with anxiety in this premiere live performance of "Puke." "It's getting dark in here/ And no one's here to flip the switch/ Am I just too f*cked up to fix?/ God, it makes me sick," Maybee sings in the track's chorus.

Maybee's songwriting is largely focused on her struggles with mental health; she believes that starting the conversation surrounding mental health normalizes self-expression and admitting that it's okay not to be okay. When she released "Puke," she shared on social media, "I hope this song makes you feel less alone. That’s the whole point of why we do this s— right?"

Outside of her musical career, Maybee is a philanthropist, serving as the Youth Ambassador at the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles and co-founding the UNICEF Young Ambassadors group. This June, Maybee will graduate from New York University's Clive Davis School of Music with a minor in child psychology.

Press play on the video to watch Ava Maybee's cathartic performance of "Puke," and keep checking back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of Press Play.

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As a first-generation Indian-American artist, Shuba strives to uplift minority voices through her progressive music and break down toxic socio-cultural norms. In her breakthrough single, "Indian Summer," Shuba takes full authority over her autonomy and works to normalize unapologetic sexuality.

In this episode of Press Play, Shuba offers a provocative, stripped-down performance of the empowering single, also known as the "Brown Baddie Anthem" online. "Pass out when he kiss me/ Lose track of time when it's in me/ Woah, I'm supposed to be a lady/ They say I'm going crazy," raps Shuba on the track's second verse, acknowledging the chatter surrounding her sexual liberation.

Known for her combination of Bollywood sounds and pop-rap vocals, Shuba sings along to an Indian tabla drum. Her signature Indian-American fusion is also represented in her outfit, as she combines a paisley-print skirt and gold dangle earrings with a white lace-up top.

Shuba first rose to fame in 2021, posting snippets of her music on social media under the alias TikTok Brown Chick. As of 2023, Shuba has accumulated over 6 million followers across all platforms. Earlier this year, she released two more singles, "Come Here" and "Bad Date."

Press play on the video above to watch Shuba's alluring performance of "Indian Summer," and keep checking back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of Press Play.

Listen To GRAMMY.com's Women's History Month 2023 Playlist: Swim In The Divine Feminine With These 40 Songs By Rihanna, SZA, Miley Cyrus, BLACKPINK & More

Budding pop singer DAMOYEE chronicles the heart-wrenching surrender to unrequited love in her latest single, "to the next one," but she knows her future won't always look bleak.

"Maybe if I move on to the next one/ Just by a little/ A little less heartbreak by the next one," she sings in the track's outro, coming to terms with the realization that the visceral heartbreak will fade once she finds true love.

In this episode of Press Play, DAMOYEE performs "to the next one" live from her home studio. She is a known multi-instrumentalist and constructs the entire production of the song herself on a piano, electric guitar, and bass guitar. Still, she allows her warm vocals to take the spotlight as she bares her soul in the track's vivid, vulnerable lyrics.

"to the next one" is the third single from her forthcoming studio album, a collection of songs about DAMOYEE's college experiences. Outside of her musical career, she is a lively TikTok content creator and an advocate for social justice and bullying prevention.

Press play on the video above to watch DAMOYEE's candid performance of "to the next one," and keep checking GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of Press Play.

Listen To GRAMMY.com's Women's History Month 2023 Playlist: Swim In The Divine Feminine With These 40 Songs By Rihanna, SZA, Miley Cyrus, BLACKPINK & More