It’s that time of the year again. Snowflakes are falling (in a select few parts of the country) and musicians everywhere are celebrating the season by sharing newly recorded holiday music. Ed Sheeran just released an original Christmas song with Elton John and Dave Grohl is celebrating each day of Hanukkah by sharing a new cover of a classic rock jam. Now singing his version of a holiday jingle, Leon Bridges puts a Texas spin on one of Marvin Gaye‘s Christmas tracks, “Purple Snowflakes.”
“Purple Snowflakes” originally appeared on the compilation album Motown Christmas Vol. 2, which featured music by Diana Ross, The Jackson 5, The Temptations, and, of course, Marvin Gaye. The original version of the song features jingling bells that are commonplace in classic Christmas tunes. But for his version, Leon Bridges takes things in a bit of a different direction.
Dressed up in an outfit that’s one-part cowboy and one-part Elvis impersonator, Bridges trades in snow-touched scenery for the dusty landscape of the California hills to deliver his cover of the Gaye classic. Bridges’ version of the track has chimes instead of bells and a full band offers subdued instrumentals to allow the singer’s voice to absolutely shine. While he’s just now sharing the cover as an official video, Bridges actually recorded the song exclusively for Amazon Music as part of their new Amazon Original holiday project.
Alicia Keys is a lot of things: A singer, a songwriter, a Grammy Award-winner, an on-the-nose Netflix romcom producer, a wife, a mother, and now, apparently, a true agent of chaos. Considering the absolute deluge of drama that comes out of any attempt to force Lil Wayne and Pusha T into reconciliation, her decision to put them both on her upcoming album KEYS is like the rap game equivalent of throwing rocks at a wasp’s nest. She shared a tracklist for the 26-track double album featuring both names and set rap fans buzzing about the possibility of renewed hostilities.
Granted, unlike prior attempts to force collaboration, she didn’t put them on the same track — in fact, she didn’t even put them on the same “disc,” as KEYS has a unique twist meant to show off the duality of the singer’s classical training as juxtaposed with her deep roots in hip-hop. But the move does read a lot like playing with fire, especially if Pusha T’s younger brother instincts take over and have him tossing darts at Lil Wayne across the gulf. The two don’t even have to be on the same track to spark resentment, with Pusha’s verse on Pop Smoke’s album taking shots at Wayne’s longtime labelmate Drake and prompting Young Thug to speak out against him.
Pusha will appear on Side One, dropping bars on the intro track “Plentiful,” and Wayne will pop up on “Nat King Cole,” produced by Mike Will Made-It. Hopefully, the two can resist their urge to butt heads without being on the same track, as Rick Ross attempted to do in 2019 before Pusha torpedoed that plan with his “Maybach Music VI” verse, which ultimately had to be cut to keep the peace. If they can keep things civil, it’ll be one more step toward reconciliation after Wayne admitted he has no idea why Pusha has been sniping at him for the last 15 years.
Meanwhile, Alicia’s other guests are way more likely to keep things cool; as Khalid, Lucky Daye, and Swae Lee all seem unlikely to start throwing reckless haymakers at each other — although stranger things have happened in the world of hip-hop.
Just days after the plaintiffs and defendants in the nearly 300 cases against the Astroworld Festival’s organizers agreed to consolidate those cases into one proceeding, another lawsuit was filed representing over 1,500 new plaintiffs, doubling the total to almost 2,800 people suing Live Nation and Travis Scott. Billboard reports that the massive group is represented by Brent Coon, a personal injury lawyer based in Beaumont, Texas. Coon’s press release announcing the suit read, “What happened at Astroworld was an unconscionable tragedy and it is important that justice is served for all those impacted,” but few details were revealed about the suit.
Meanwhile, Billboard also recently reported that with over 275 cases pending, the Astroworld organizers’ lawyers agreed with the plaintiffs’ representatives that all the cases would be consolidated under just one judge in order to simplify what is already a complex case. A filing read, “Transfer of all of these lawsuits to a single pretrial judge for consolidated and coordinated pretrial proceedings will eliminate duplicative discovery, conserve resources of the judiciary, avoid conflicting legal rulings and scheduling, and otherwise promote the just and efficient conduct of all actions.”
The new case will likely be folded into that same multi-district litigation. Meanwhile, Astroworld’s organizers have both secured their representation for the upcoming battle, with Live Nation tapping Susman Godfrey and Travis Scott securing Daniel Petrocelli, who previously defended Donald Trump against a fraud lawsuit over his real estate seminars.
Jimmy Fallon has worked with Ariana Grande and Megan Thee Stallion a bunch before. Grande has appeared on The Tonight Show plenty of times, and Meg previously linked up with Fallon to re-work “Hot Girl Summer” into “Hot Girl Fall.” While those collaborations were mostly Tonight Show bits with no life outside of the program, now Fallon has teamed up with those two on an actually commercially released single, “It Was A… (Masked Christmas).”
The track is led by punchy drums and a simple but catchy keyboard melody, and Fallon sings on the hook, “It was a masked Christmas, we stayed in the house / We covered our nose and covered our mouth / But it’s Christmas time / We’ll be in line for a booster.”
The song is Fallon’s first official single since 2014’s “Ew!” with Will.i.am, which managed to peak at No. 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making it Fallon’s only charting single so far. Meanwhile, his most recent album is 2012’s Blow Your Pants Off, which consists of songs first performed on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.
Watch the “It Was A… (Masked Christmas)” video above.
Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Lil Nas X is well-known for his sense of humor, which has served him well over the past two years — especially when he accidentally becomes the (hehehehe) butt of jokes. In May of this year, Nas suffered an unfortunately timed wardrobe malfunction during his performance on Saturday Night Live, ripping his pants while pole dancing to his hit song “Montero (Call Me By Your Name).” He later joked that he’d “never trust pants again” in an effort to avoid repeating the incident but it looks like even his backup plan went awry during a performance at the Audacy Beach Festival in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Nas, decked out in a bright pink getup including bondage belts, a crop top, and a shiny skirt, took a tumble during his set when the skirt split in the back. In an effort to maneuver off the stage without showing the world his hindquarters (not that it’s nothing we haven’t seen before), he tried to awkwardly hop off stage to his left, only to trip and take land squarely on the part he was trying to hide, exposing nearly everything under the skirt anyway.
The “Old Town Road” star took his misfortune in stride, jokingly responding to a fan’s video of the spill, “the universe was determined to embarrass me yesterday lmao.” He also retweeted another fan’s screenshot of his vow to switch to skirts in which the fan accurately assessed Nas’ declaration one of the “Top 10 tweets that aged horribly.” Check out video of Nas’ second wardrobe malfunction above and for one of his more intentional funny moments, check out his take on the popular SideTalkNYC TikTok here.
A time-honored tradition, The National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony took place in Washington D.C. last night with both Joe and Jill Biden present for the affair. There was a full-on slate of musical guests that included Chris Stapleton, HER, Juanes, Billy Porter, Keb’ Mo’, Patti LaBelle, Maren Morris, Kristin Chenoweth, the Howard University Gospel Choir, and LL Cool J as the evening’s presenter. Think of the ceremony as the Super Bowl of Christmas Tree lightings and it’s a totally decked out tree that spares no expense. Get a load of the description of this year’s design:
“This year’s design includes a background of warm white lights with a delicate sprinkling of sparkling red and warm white sphere ornaments placed in a cascading pattern from the top all the way down the newly planted White Fir tree, with a cluster of sparkling red and white spheres on the lower branches. A simple, yet elegant star topper finishes off the design. “
So with the gigantic tree flanking the stage, the stars came out and Stapleton and HER laid down a rendition of “This Christmas” that highlights what the 2022 Grammy nominees do best. Stapleton’s down home country vocals and slick guitar kicked off the number before being joined by HER’s gorgeous piano and elegant, forceful singing, becoming emboldened as the song rolled on. Backed by the U.S. Army Band Downrange, the confluence of the pair’s talents on the duet chorus made for a classy performance that feels natural and fits the moment perfectly.
Watch the video of the pair performance of “This Christmas” above.
Drake’s tepid relationship with the Grammy Awards is well-documented. He was famously among the rap stars who declined an invitation to perform at the 2019 awards show. Later, when “God’s Plan” beat out songs from Cardi B, Kendrick Lamar, and Travis Scott to win the award for Best Rap Song that year, Drake (who many didn’t event expect to be in attendance) spent the bulk of his acceptance speech taking a shot at the Grammy Awards establishment. “It’s like the first time in Grammys history where I actually am who I thought I was for a second,” he said. “We play in an opinion based sport, not a factual based sport… it’s up to a bunch of people who might not understand what a mixed race kid from Canada has to say,” he added, addressing kids and people trying to make it in music.
And while he didn’t submit anything this year from Certified Lover Boy for the big Record and Song Of The Year Awards, he did garner nominations for Best Rap Album and Best Rap Performance (for “Way 2 Sexy.”) But as of today, Drake has reportedly withdrawn both nominations and don’t be a part of the 2022 Grammy slate at all.Variety indicated that “… the decision was made by Drake and his management, although his motivation was unclear…”
For what it’s worth, The Weeknd has been public about his full-on Grammys boycott and perhaps his stance is inspiring Drake to take a similar stance? He might’ve even foreshadowed something like this as that 2019 awards speech came to a head. As the diatribe comes to a conclusion, he gestures to the awards statue and said: “You’ve already won if you have people who are singing your songs word for word, or if you’re a hero in your hometown. If there’s people who have regular jobs coming out in the rain, in the snow, spending their hard-earned money to buy tickets to come to your shows? You don’t need this right here, you already won.”
After ten illustrious years on Alabama’s Gulf Shores, Hangout Festival has had to postpone year number 11 twice due to the pandemic. But the wait is finally over as Hangout Festival 2022 will be going down from May 20th to 22nd with a stacked lineup.
Post Malone is the lone holdover from the previously announced but postponed headlining slate, and he’ll be joined by Tame Impala, Halsey, Doja Cat, Fall Out Boy, Illenium, Kane Brown, and Megan Thee Stallion on top of the bill. It’s a loaded lineup of all kinds of music that will even feature an appearance from Shaquille O’Neal, as his music persona Diesel. Hangout is marked by its bustling oceanside venue footprint and there will be plenty of sunshine to go around next summer at the festival.
The complete lineup includes, in alphabetical order, 347aidan, Audrey Nuna, Bankrol Hayden, Beabadoobee, Blu DeTiger, Breland, Bren Joy, Briston Maroney, Chelsea Cutler, Dayglow, Diesel (Shaquille O’Neal), Doja Cat, Ericdoa, Fall Out Boy, Fletcher, Flipturn, Flo Milli, Gabriel Black, Halsey, Hastings, Hugel, Illenium, Jvna, Jack Harlow, Joy Oladokun, Kane Brown, KennyHoopla, Koffee, LP Giobbi, Leon Bridges, Lil Yachty, Louis The Child, Lucii, Luttrell, Madds, Madeon, Maren Morris, Megan Thee Stallion, Montell2099, Moon Taxi, Notd, Neal Francis, Nightly, Oliver Tree, Paul Cauthen, Petey Martin, Phoebe Bridgers, Post Malone, Remi Wolf, Renforshort, Role Model, Sidepiece, Slander, Snbrn, Ship Wrek, Still Woozy, Sublime With Rome, Surf Mesa, Surfaces, T-Pain, Tame Impala, The Band Camino, The Blossom, The Brook & The Bluff, The Head And The Heart, Tre’ Amani, Tyla Yaweh, Vnssa, Zach Hood, and Zedd.
Presale tickets are live on 12/10 at 10 a.m. CT. Register for early access here.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
DaBaby has one less legal trouble after his battery case in Las Vegas was dismissed, according to TMZ. Charged with misdemeanor battery in May 2020 for allegedly attacking a driver when he asked the rapper and his crew to put out a joint, DaBaby reportedly cooperated with prosecutors, paying the alleged victim $7,500 and “staying out of trouble.” While that last part is admittedly… questionable, DaBaby didn’t have any legal fracases since then, avoiding arrest in most of the dustups that occurred in the intervening 18 months.
Unfortunately for him, he was unable to keep himself clear in the court of public opinion after making a series of homophobic comments at Rolling Loud in Miami. While the fallout from that incident appears to have settled, a disagreement with his child’s mother DaniLeigh on Instagram Live had them both explaining their respective sides of the story and her charged with assault.
This year marks the first time in more than a year where things were somewhat “normal” in the music industry. Concerts and festivals made a return which allowed artists to release projects they held off on dropping due to the quarantine. For what it’s worth, however, R&B found plenty of success in 2020 and it did again in 2021. From Jazmine Sullivan’s excellent Heaux Tales project that kicked off the year to Silk Sonic’sAn Evening With Silk Sonic that brought us towards the end of 2021, this year is just another case of the phenomenal diversity that lives in the genre.
So let’s get into it. Here are the fifteen best R&B albums from 2021 in alphabetical order.
Fousheé — Time Machine
Foushee
Foushee is one of the many 2021 acts that received a healthy boost thanks to landing a viral moment on TikTok. Her breakout single “Deep End” achieved success on the app and led to a flood of interest in her artistry. With the later release of her debut project, Time Machine, Foushee defined the pocket that her music lives in. The New Jersey native thrived by creating unlikely pairings through her work. A thumping bass was accompanied by funk-inspired R&B and her transgressions through heartbreak, growth, and more, are sung with the grace of a young indie singer. Foushee works best when a neverending horizon serves as her only confinement. – Wongo Okon
H.E.R. — Back Of My Mind
RCA
It’s odd to think of Back Of My Mind as H.E.R.’s debut album. After all, it’s so fully formed, sashaying easily between sweeping power ballads (“We Made It“) to mournful reflection (“Damage“) to warm weather bops (“Slide“). H.E.R.’s pen is like a surgeon’s tool, cutting to the bone of such subjects as heartbreak, self-realization, and the stirrings of new love. Her instrumentation is even more impressive. Perhaps it’s owed to the decade-plus of behind-the-scenes work she’s done as she strove toward this moment. After the year she’s had, though, she won’t be in the back of anyone’s mind ever again, because she’s earned her spot at the forefront of the pop-culture consciousness. – Aaron Williams
Jazmine Sullivan — Heaux Tales
RCA
Jazmine Sullivan returned to the music world after an almost six-year absence with her Heaux Tales EP. Through 11 songs with help from Ari Lennox, Anderson .Paak, and HER, Jazmine sings about the experiences through love and intimacy that she and other women go through. There are moments of passion and moments of regrets, but the vulnerability to tell it all and stay true to herself, along with help from other female voices, helped to make Heaux Tales a flawless project. – W.O.
Joyce Wrice — Overgrown
Joyce Wrice
Joyce Wrice’s debut album Overgrown was an early bright spot for 2021 R&B. Her free spirit thrived on this project through fourteen songs that flaunted her maturity and sheer distaste for indecisiveness. Wrice falls in love quickly when it’s right (“Think About You”) and packs her bags just as fast when it’s not for her (“Must Be Nice”). At 29 years old, there is a bit of wisdom that Wrice showcases on her debut, as for her, love is something that adds to her life, rather than making it complete. Whether it be sonically, contextually, or both, Overgrown finds a way to stay fun and light-hearted without drowning listeners in the highs and lows of romance at a given moment. – W.O.
Kyle Dion — Sassy
Kyle Dion/AWAL
If you want an example of an artist constantly striving to go against the grain, you don’t have to look any further than Kyle Dion. The singer’s third album Sassy broke his own rules as well as those set before him by the industry. Dion is best described as a rockstar with funk-inspired confidence and the light touch of a traditional R&B star who can neatly gift wrap it all for the unsuspecting listener. Pull at the ribbon that is Sassy and you get an excellent blend of funk, rock, and soul captures Dion on his euphoric journey to have fun and live life to the absolute best he can. – W.O.
Leon Bridges — Gold-Diggers Sound
Columbia Records
Remember the Leon Bridges who enacted Sam Cooke-esque soul music on 2015’s breakthrough Coming Home? He has positively given way to a more traditionally-minded R&B singer, enacting a polished lovelorn sound. With the exception of album closer “Blue Mesas,” Gold-Diggers Sound feels like a bold re-invention for Bridges and he has Lizzo producers Ricky Reed and Nate Mercereau expertly leading the way. On “Born Again” featuring Robert Glasper on keys, Bridges leans into a PJ Morton-style piano ballad, but it’s Bridges’ gentle rasp that carves out space for him as a singular force on the album. This is the type of stellar studio R&B that will keep Bridges on the Grammy radar well-beyond his recent 2022 nomination. – Adrian Spinelli
Mac Ayres — Magic 8Ball
Dixon Court Records
Life tends to deliver the unexpected at unexpected times and it’s this randomness that Mac Ayres used as the foundation of his Magic 8Ball project. Ayres takes life as it comes and he accounts for all the moments he stands unprepared for. For what it’s worth, Magic 8Ball was created in the quarantine year of 2020, a period filled with uncertainty for the future. However, the honesty and straightforward approach to these varying aspects are what draw you into Magic 8Ball. Add Ayres’ lush vocals and the project’s bright and groovy production, and you have a body of work guaranteed to be enjoyed at every listen. – W.O.
Nao — And The Life Was Beautiful
Sony Music Entertainment UK/RCA
Hope is something the entire world needed as they exited 2020 to enter 2021. For Nao, she found that through the sunflowers that bloomed at her feet last year. This natural occurrence became the inspiration for her third album And Then Life Was Beautiful. On it, she offers a gesture of hope strong enough to inspire the hopeless. As a whole, And Then Life Was Beautiful is made in the space of emerging from turmoil to see that all will be okay one day. Through 13 records, Nao flawlessly unveils and recounts the moments in her life that brought hope to a beautiful tomorrow, even when it wasn’t promised. – W.O.
Phabo — Soulquaraius
Soulection
Neo-soul is still alive in R&B and one of the places you can find it thriving is on Phabo’s debut Soulquaraius. The Soulection singer shined like gold on his first full-length project thanks to sixteen songs that are covered in nostalgic gold while also flaunting his impressive pen. “How’s My Driving?” emulates one’s ability to operate a vehicle and to that of satisfying a yearning love interest while “The Homie” arrives as a first-person account of a man slowly becoming aware of his partner’s uncommitted ways. Phabo’s Soulquarius is filled with the finesse and charisma of a man who knows exactly what he’s doing and where he’s going on his road towards neo-soul prosperity. – W.O.
Pink Sweat$ — Pink Planet
Atlantic
Pink Sweats is a living example of why simplicity is often key. A light acoustic sound carries the Philly singer on his official debut album Pink Planet as the gentleness behind his voice and the project’s production match that of the love he fantasizes about on Pink Planet. It also helps to create a more intimate setting that excellent allows the heart’s true and raw desires to be translated fully. Pink Sweats smiles ear-to-ear at the arrival of love in its best form on “Magic” and “So Sweet” while also praying for its longevity on “At My Worst” and “Lows.” However, don’t think the Philly singer is nothing more than a rotating love story. He also ups the ante with a double dose of his infectious spirit on “Give It To Me” and “Icy.” Altogether, Pink Planet best represents Pink Sweats complete artistry and the unique vision he has for R&B. – W.O.
Shelley — Shelley FKA DRAM
Empire/Atlantic
Shelley, fka Big Baby DRAM, returned this year with a new name for his permanent role as a certified love doctor. Throughout his career, Shelley crafted records in the name of pure love like “Caretaker,” “Best Hugs,” and more, but they weren’t the foundation of his artistry. All of that changed with his second album Shelley FKA DRAM. This time around, the Virginia singer arrives with anecdotes of love that treat every attempt at companionship like it’s the first one — fearless and unknowing of the possible dangers of giving your heart away to a trusted partner. Through songs like “All Pride Aside” and “Remedies,” Shelley presents a love with your guard down on Shelley FKA DRAM and it’s a magical thing to see unfold. – W.O.
Silk Sonic — An Evening With Silk Sonic
Aftermath/Atlantic
From the very moment that Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak made their newly-formed Silk Sonic duo official with the release of “Leave The Door Open” earlier this year, their promised debut album was one of the most sought-for releases in 2021. Would the duo live up to the hype? Would the album perhaps be unbalanced? A multitude of questions arrived at Bruno and .Paak’s doorstep, all of which were answered with the brilliant An Evening With Silk Sonic. The duo met all expectations and did it through an excellent display of showmanship. There’s no telling how long Silk Sonic will last, but their current presence is something to be thankful for. – W.O.
Snoh Aalegra — Temporary Highs In The Skies
Atrium/Roc Nation
While many excel in relaying their experiences with love, Snoh Aalegra does a beautiful job of showing her wavering feelings in romance through her music. Her third album Temporary Highs In The Violet Skies is another example of that. Its 14 tracks present a woman who chooses to focus and highlight the best moments in love, even if they last shorter than expected. This task is accomplished beautifully thanks to help from Tyler The Creator, James Fauntleroy, Pharrell Williams, The Neptunes, and more. – W.O.
Summer Walker — Still Over It
LVRN
Summer Walker achieved some groundbreaking feats with her 2021 sophomore album Still Over It. First of all, she got “Ciara’s Prayer” from thee Ciara Harris-Wilson. Lord knows how long the ladies have been asking Cici herself for the prayer and Ms. Walker was able to get that and was generous enough to share it with her listeners. Second of all, Still Over It is the highest-charting album from a female R&B artist since Beyoncé’s 2016 Lemonade and is likely to continue towards an upward trend. Regardless, Summer Walker uses Still Over It to air out her grievances a la Usher’s Confessions, except she’s naming names and calling out her baby daddy-ex London On Da Track, his mother, and the other women in his life. She does this over perfectly curated production by the same man she’s going in on. London and Summer made magic on Over It, so if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. On the other hand, Pharrell and Summer on “Dat Right There” sounds like a win for the future of music. Most of all, Summer’s adept songwriting skills, inimitable vocals, and ability to dig into the souls of her listeners through song puts her on another level, to the point that whatever shenanigans she’s on The Shade Room for makes the music worth it. – Cherise Johnson
Tinashe — 333
Tinashe
If you needed proof that independence is what’s best for Tinashe, her fifth album 333 is undeniable proof of that. The album is arguably one of, if not the strongest showcase of her versatility as she bends the R&B genre in a number of ways, something she’s proven capable of doing time and time again. 333 is also a testament towards trusting the process, and if you know what it took Tinashe to get here, you’ll have an added dose of appreciation towards her current position. – W.O.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
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