I've been looking to expand my taste in R&B but every search or list land on the same albums like The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, blonde or Love Deluxe and I get it, they're classics for a reason and I love them already, but I want something other than. I love Ungodly Hour and consider it underrated and overlooked, if this helps. I tried getting into some Coco Jones but newer acts (also FLO) are borrowing a bit too much from obvious references. Thank you in advance

Hynos

Gemini Rights

Dijon - Baby

Voodoo

CRYSALIS

Just some random picks

The Velvet Rope by Janet Jackson

Butterfly by Mariah Carey

Crazy.SexyCool by TLC

The Writing's On The Wall by Destiny's Child

My Way by Usher

One In A Million by Aaliyah

Never Say Never by Brandy

Your Love Is My Love by Whitney Houston

Toni Braxton by Toni Braxton

My Life by Mary J Blige

II by Boyz II Men

In terms of newer artists: Ama Louise, Ari Lennox, Dylan Sinclair, Kiana Ledé, Lekan, Maeta, Raveena, Snoh Aalegra, Yaya Bey, Yazmin Lacey come to mind as ones I enjoy.

1 minute ago, AxelFox said:

The Velvet Rope by Janet Jackson

Butterfly by Mariah Carey

Crazy.SexyCool by TLC

The Writing's On The Wall by Destiny's Child

My Way by Usher

One In A Million by Aaliyah

Never Say Never by Brandy

Your Love Is My Love by Whitney Houston

Toni Braxton by Toni Braxton

My Life by Mary J Blige

II by Boyz II Men

Give them some Jodeci instead

16 minutes ago, Armani. said:

Dijon - Baby

Baby was definitely one of my highlights of 2025

This Is Niecy - Deniece Williams (1976)

All 'n All - Earth, Wind & Fire (1977)

What Cha Gonna Do with My Lovin' - Stephanie Mills (1979)

In a Special Way - DeBarge (1983)

In Square Circle - Stevie Wonder (1985)

Living All Alone - Phyllis Hyman (1986)

Eyes of a Stranger - The Deele (1987)

Guy - Guy (1988)

Stay with Me - Regina Belle (1989)

Groove Theory - Groove Theory (1995)

Aaliyah's self titled

Still Over It by Summer Walker

and SZA's albums

Daniel Caesar - Freudian

Anita Baker - Rapture

Tony Toni Tone - House Of Music

Brandy - Full Moon

Maxwell - Urban Hang Suite

Some more @Spicy Pisces

14 minutes ago, StonedSoulPicnic said:

This Is Niecy - Deniece Williams (1976)

All 'n All - Earth, Wind & Fire (1977)

What Cha Gonna Do with My Lovin' - Stephanie Mills (1979)

In a Special Way - DeBarge (1983)

In Square Circle - Stevie Wonder (1985)

Living All Alone - Phyllis Hyman (1986)

Eyes of a Stranger - The Deele (1987)

Guy - Guy (1988)

Stay with Me - Regina Belle (1989)

Groove Theory - Groove Theory (1995)

You went all the way there lol

Two Occasions by the Deele is one of my fave songs

sailorr - 'from florida's finest' is a really good rnb album from last year that feels more in tune with underground hip hop rather than the 2000s sound.

brandy - afrodisiac is very in tune with the 2000s sound is but that's cos it's from the 2000s smdh

ciara 'goodies' and s/t are both v good (crunk'n'b is ok in here i think?)

beyoncé b'day and 4 are probably less fashionable than they used to be but i think those are her best albums

amerie (touch and because i love it) and ashanti (chapter ii) are quite unfashionable these days but they're great albums

in terms of 70s things, funkadelic s/t and sly and the family stone - stand and there's a riot goin' on are rnb/funk/soul/psychedelic sort of things, idk how much they have in common with modern rnb (they have something in common with modern rnb but not that much) but they're a trip.

diana ross - diana is full of classic bangers and is a good encapsulation of the chic sound (you should probably listen to some chic/nile rogers in general)

JANET!!!

erykah badu - new amerykah part 1 is very retro and influenced by all that stuff but in a weirdly modern way as well. olivia dean the art of loving and (a bit surprisingly?) charm by clairo also draw on a lot of those old school soul references as well

mariah emancipation OBVIOUSLY

kelis kaleidoscope and tasty (equally so)

i mean this is a lot and fairly unfocused but you can just have a prod about and see what you like

if you like lo-fi r&b listen to keshi's wantchu, like i need u and soft spot

No one posted Prince, if you want a more non cliche introduction

Sign O The Times

JAGUAR I & II - Victoria Monet

When I Hear Your Name - Maeta

Sailing Soul(s), Trip, Sail Out - Jhene Aiko

Afrodisiac - Brandy

Self-Titled - Aaliyah

Overgrown - Joyce Wrice

It Was Divine - Alina Baraz

good to know, NGL - JoJo

Then obviously there's CTRL, (Still) Over It, etc etc

Mac Ayres - Drive Slow (key tracks: easy, slow down, lonely)

Mac Ayres - Magic 8Ball (key tracks: where u goin tonight, sunny & 62, nothing else, every time)

Mac Ayres - cloudy (this has some of his best songs: somebody new, holdin, blue skies, games, she won't stay long)

Lucky Daye - Candydrip (key tracks: over, compassion, guess, ego, nwa)

Alina Baraz - It Was Divine (key tracks: to me, morocco, until I met you, the beginning)

Sabrina Claudio - Based on a Feeling (key tracks: IOU, favorite part, better version, still strangers)

Sabrina Claudio - About Time (key tracks: belong to you, unravel me, stand still, frozen)

H.E.R. - H.E.R. (key tracks: best part, focus, losing, gone away, every kind of way)

H.E.R. - Back of My Mind (key tracks: damage, for anyone, hard to love, my own, hold on, cheat code)

Alex Isley - Marigold (key tracks: love again, under the moon, without, such a thing)

Tinashe - In Case We Die (but it's a mixtape that's not on Spotify/Apple Music, key tracks: let you love me, I tried, boss, my high)

Moonchild - Voyager (key tracks: the list, cure, change your mind, 6am)

Maeta - When I Hear Your Name (key tracks: s(ex), f*** your friend, clarity, question, kissing new people)

6LACK - Since I Have A Lover (key tracks: Since I Have A Lover, playin house, fatal attraction, stories in motion)

Yuna - Chapters (key tracks: lanes, used to love you, crush, unrequited love)

Ro James - ELDORADO

Ro James - Mantic

Kelela - Take Me Apart

6LACK - Free 6LACK

Childish Gambino - "Awaken, My Love!"

Janet Jackson - The Velvet Rope

Seal - Seal IV and 7

Mariah Carey - The Emancipation of Mimi and Butterfly

Madonna - Bedtime Stories

Imagination - In the Heat of the Night

Luther Vandross - Never Too Much

Bobby Caldwell - Self-Titled

2 minutes ago, Broken said:

I don't see Journals here