It's an exciting time for R&B. While the genre was said to be seeing less of a crossover into the pop landscape during the 2010s, Nielsen reports there is a rising interest in R&B. The genre, along with hip-hop, made 76 percent of the audio-on-demand streaming in the market in 2019. The 2020 GRAMMY nominees for Best R&B album are among the artists adding to the excitement growing in the genre. To whom would you award a GRAMMY if you could vote?
Would it be BJ the Chicago Kid's 1123? BJ told the Recording Academy the album would be a bit different from his past work. "I've always put my life experiences [in my albums], the new stories, just the new chapters of life I've always included into the music," he said. "I think it's always been the best thing for me, so you will see a big difference between 1123 and In My Mind."
Rising star Lucky Daye has come onto the scene strong with Painted, an album that is not afraid of vulnerability. "I'm sensitive, so my album got a whole lot of sensitivity to it," he told the Recording Academy in July. "As a man, that's hard to say. So I always tell people, I tell my homies, I'm like, 'bruh, if you're scared to cry in front of your girl, don't listen to my music in your car."
PJ Morton's Paul is the "the most honest expression of myself and my art that I've ever made," the singer/songwriter from New Orleans said about the album. Does it deserve the coveted award in your eyes?
But we can't forget about Ella Mai's self-titled album. The much-awaited debut from the English singer included her hit "Boo'd Up," which saw the top of the charts in the U.S. and won Best R&B Song at the 2019 GRAMMY Awards.
Or should Anderson .Paak's Ventura be the winner? The album's name pays ode to the county the singer/songwriter is from and features big collabs including Smokey Robinson, Lalah Hathaway, André 3000 and Brandy.
So who would it be? Let us know by voting above!
