Jordin Sparks, Jamila Woods, Mariah The Scientist, And More Demanding New R&B
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R&B is in a solid place as veterans and rising stars continue to make waves in the genre.
Jordin Sparks isn’t making a comeback, but her resurgence definitely needs to be discussed as she issues her new single, “Call My Name.” Mariah The Scientist and Chxrry22 are both releasing new projects at the end of the month and have respectively teased such with their new drops.
Jamila Woods is reminding us of the power of water as it relates to R&B with her new album, while Leon Thomas enlisted the help of Blxst to remix his hit ballad, “Crash & Burn.”
This week, we cut the fat and got right to the meat with our top new R&B selects. Dive in.
Jordin Sparks – “Call My Name”
Don’t call it a comeback as Jordin Sparks issues her new single, “Call My Name.” The American Idol winner has come a long way over the years and is now diving deep in her R&B bag.
The soulful track—written by Sparks, Dwayne Abernathy, Mathew Jarragin, Nicholas Stone, Matisse Pasillas and Cole Fredrick—was produced by Dem Jointz and Jovan Dawkins.
“‘Call My Name; is an ode to a love so full, effortless and pure—there’s a peace and contentment within it,” said Sparks on Instagram of her new record. “You’ve all witnessed my rocky road in love and now you can hear the culmination of what I’ve learned and now know in my bones. It’s produced and co-written by, my favorite alien genius, @demjointz (incominggg!), who has spent what feels like years with me in the studio to create this next project. ‘Call My Name’ is only the tip of the iceberg.”
The songbird’s powerhouse vocals shine at the record’s peak and for her, she loved the ballad’s “old school R&B vibe.”
Her next album, executive produced by Dem Jointz, is set for release in 2024.
Jamila Woods – Water Made Us
Jamila Woods has surrendered to love and life’s fluid nature with her new ultra-vulnerable and personal album, Water Made Us. As she plays with melodies and hypnotizes listeners with clever wordplay, she dissects the question, “What does it mean to fully surrender into love?”
She explained in a statement how she intends to answer said question.
“’Water Made Us’ is a study on relationships,” Woods shares. “My heart is wired this way for a reason and I’m always seeking to understand it. These songs attempt to create new language to express my hesitancy, my ambivalence, my attachments, my obsessions. Shoutout to all of my collaborators who inspired me and pushed me to grow through the process of making the album. I’m so grateful for the many lessons water teaches, especially surrender, lessons I stay learning again and again.”
It is her first LP since 2019’s LEGACY! LEGACY!.
Mariah The Scientist – “From A Woman”
Mariah The Scientist is officially an Epic Records artist and has dropped her first single on the label, “From A Woman,” off her new album, To Be Eaten Alive.
The London on da Track-produced record displays her emotional depth as she navigated through a new, hopeful relationship. In response to Mariah’s single, Young Thug released “From A Man.”
Of her upcoming, third studio album, she explained in a statement, “Scorpions, like myself, are considered non-social and solitary animals. Interacting only on rare occasion, such as courtship. For the grand and notable lion, the scorpion seems to be a small feat. They are an unpredictable match and yet they establish a mutual respect for each other’s curious differences. They are both natural born predators. This bond requires sacrifice, trust, and discipline. As for the venomous scorpion, to be eaten alive is to kill.”
To Be Eaten Alive will debut on Oct. 27.
Leon Thomas feat. Blxst – “Crash & Burn (Remix)”
Leon Thomas has enlisted the help of Blxst for the official “Crash & Burn” remix. Within the ballad, the crooner reflects on some superficial relationships while amidst a personal change.
Blxst later chimes in with his own “cautionary tale” about a Los Angeles-bred romance.
When speaking on the ballad as it pertains to his latest album, Electric Dusk, he told VIBE, “[The album] is definitely different scenes of my love life for the past four years, all put together in a compilation of records. And I think that’s really challenging to do, especially in R&B. I think the way that we talk about love is pretty similar on a lot of the records, but I like the perspective I’ve been approaching these songs with recently. It’s been coming from a very, very, very organic place. I think that vulnerability is going to be really important as people dig in.”
Layton Greene – “Something”
Layton Greene has released an infectious new single under Quality Control/Motown.
The enticing nature of “Something” perfectly encapsulates the beautiful rush of a new romance. “Baby, you made me feel something,” Greene sings. “I can’t explain it, no/you got that something/Our twin flame, we’re the same.”
“Something” is Greene’s second release of 2023, following the arrival of “Spin Again,” earlier this year.
Chxrry22 feat. Vory – “Never Had This”
Ahead of Chxrry22’s next EP, Siren, she has shared her empowering new single, “Never Had This.”
With Vory’s help, she makes it clear on how things are going to go with any potential lovers.
“This song was already one of my favorites on the project, and Vory and I had already been talking about working together—this was the one that felt right for both of us,” Chxrry22 said in a statement about “Never Had This”. “When people hear it, I want them to feel empowered to want to be valued and expect nothing but the best. This theme bleeds all throughout the project in an attempt to inspire people to exercise their power.”
Siren comes out on Oct. 27.
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