This week’s R&B Season playlist update has a couple of new singles, a few new projects, and a whole lot of soul. Moreover, our first update of May is helping us say goodbye to spring and usher in a hot and exciting summer for new music. Leading the way is the latest single from Brent Faiyaz, who worked with Marshmello to bring us the wavy “Fell In Love.” Over plucky bass, breezy vocal harmonies, and a more electronic feel by way of the EDM star’s contributions, Brent shines as a crooner and storyteller. It might be a short track, but it’s deliciously sweet in its run.
Next up is R&B legend Omarion, who just dropped his latest album Full Circle: Sonic Book 1. Of course, the project has plenty of highlights, be it the similarly sweet “Candy” or the Riley-assisted “Waiting.” However, we decided to highlight “Girls,” an infectiously funky and fun-loving track. Not only does the star soothe listeners with his melodies and vocal tone, but he also amps it up throughout the cut as well. It just goes to show his versatility and ability to showcase many different lanes at once.
Jhené Aiko’s Meditative New Single Lands On The HNHH R&B Season Playlist
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MAY 06: Jhene Aiko performs during the Lovers & Friends music festival at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds on May 06, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)
In addition, Jhené Aiko just released her second single of the year following “calm & patient,” increasing hype for her next full-length project. Furthermore, “alive & well (gratitude mantra)” keeps up her previous song’s naming convention while sticking to her mystical strengths. With an angelic vocal delivery and atmospheric pads in the background, the song is more of an experience than just a regular single. Oh, and I forgot to mention: it’s ten minutes long. Aiko reached into her ambient bag, and pulled out a serene soundscape with ease.
Meanwhile, rounding out our update is Reggie Becton, who infused the playlist with a groovy and hard-hitting drum beat. He just dropped Sadboy, Vol. 1, an eight-song offering whose title track landed on our collection. Also, there’s “Pain, no Percocet” on Zenesoul’s latest single, which is as sultry and smooth as R&B jams get. However, we’re sure we missed something; what did you think was the best R&B release of the week? Let us know in the comments and check the playlist out down below as well. As always, stick around on HNHH for the latest news and updates on R&B songs and their artists each week.
Anybody who thought the vinyl resurgence was just a fad was mistaken: The industry has experienced a legitimate revival. As a result, music fans are interested in physical media in ways they may not have if the decades-old medium hasn’t made a comeback. That doesn’t mean everybody is listening to just their parents’ old music, though. That’s part of it, sure, thanks to rereleases that present classic albums in new ways. A vital part of the renewed vinyl wave, though, is new projects being released as records, of which there are plenty.
Whatever you might be into, Vinyl Me, Please has a new vinyl-adjacent offering for the connoisseurs among us: The Abbey, a new knife made in partnership with The James Brand that was designed specifically for opening new vinyl records.
Each month brings a new slew of vinyl releases that has something for everybody and naturally, some stand out above the rest. So, check out some of our favorite vinyl releases of May below.
Olivia Rodrigo — Sour
Geffen
Olivia Rodrigo is perhaps pop’s biggest vinyl supporter (she even got the Jack White stamp of approval on that front). So, as her debut album Sour turns a year old, it’s not surprising Rodrigo is celebrating with fresh vinyl: For the anniversary, Rodrigo has re-issued the album in some new colored pressings, including the light blue version pictured above.
Taking Back Sunday — Tell All Your Friends (20th Anniversary Edition)
Craft Recordings
Taking Back Sunday’s 2002 debut album is one of the most esteemed emo releases ever and it turns 20 years old this year. To celebrate, Craft Recordings has dropped a reissued version of the album, which includes newly remastered audio and four previously unreleased demos of “Mutual Head Club,” “Bike Scene,” “The Blue Channel,” and “Great Romances Of The 20th Century.” On the vinyl version, those demos comes on a bonus etched 10-inch disc.
Abba (who somehow only just picked up their first-ever Grammy nomination, by the way) have a storied discography and now you can own it all thanks to a new box set. It features each of the band’s nine albums — including their latest, last year’s comeback LP Voyage — along with ABBA Tracks, which includes non-album singles and B-sides.
The Pearl Jam leader dropped a new solo album, Earthling, earlier this year, and in his solo discography, that LP was preceded by 2011’s Ukulele Songs. That album was just reissued in standard and deluxe edition vinyl pressings, the latter of which was pressed on high-grade 180-gram black vinyl and comes with a 16-page booklet and a special lithograph.
Atmosphere — Lucy Ford: The Atmosphere EP’s (20th Anniversary Reissue)
Rhymesayers Entertainment
In 2001, Atmosphere — an institution in the well-respected Minneapolis hip-hop scene — dropped Lucy Ford: The Atmosphere EP’s, which compiled Ford One, Ford Two, and The Lucy EP into one release. That was two decades ago, so now the duo is celebrating with a reissue on vinyl, which actually marks the first time this fan-favorite compilation has been pressed on vinyl.
In March 1997, Rolling Stones, at the long-running height of their power, played two secret concerts at Toronto’s The El Mocambo, a 300-capacity club. Now, for the first time, audio from those sets has been released in full — specifically, the full March 5 set and three songs from the previous day’s performance. Previously, just four of the songs had made it onto the band’s Love You Live album. The vinyl edition comes in black and neon pressings, each consisting of four LPs.
The Clash — Combat Rock/The People’s Hall (Special Edition)
The Clash
The Clash’s Combat Rock is a classic album for multiple reasons: It’s the final Clash album from the group’s classic lineup — Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, and Topper Headon — and it features two iconic singles, “Rock The Casbah” and “Should I Stay Or Should I Go.” Now, 40 years after the album’s original release, it gets a fresh vinyl reissue, alongside a selection of 12 additional tracks (the The People’s Hall part of the reissue’s name).
Roxy Music — Stranded (Reissue) and Country Life (Reissue)
Virgin
Roxy Music has popped up in this space recently because they’re in the midst of a series of vinyl reissues. The latest albums to get that treatment are two big ones in the Roxy Music oeuvre: 1973’s Stranded was their first No. 1 album in the UK while the next year’s Country Life is often considered to be perhaps the group’s best album.
The Cranberries — Stars: The Best Of 1992-2002 (Reissue)
UMe
The Cranberries were one of the toasts of the ’90s thanks to a run of memorable albums and singles. That era was encapsulated in a greatest hits collection, which has now been reissues on vinyl. In addition to hits like “Zombie,” “Dreams,” and “Linger,” the collection also includes two songs not available on other albums: “New New York” and “Stars.”
Justice came hot out of the gate with their 2007 debut album (also known as Cross), as it was among the year’s most revered albums and it earned the French electronic duo a handful of Grammy nominations. Now, Vinyl Me, Please has a striking reissue of the album, pressed on gorgeous “gold nugget” vinyl.
