R&B Season playlist

The Weeknd & Future Create A “Double Fantasy” On Our “R&B Season” Playlist

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Our weekly Fire Emoji update had an undoubtedly healthy list of songs for your listening pleasure yesterday, but this Sunday (April 23), our R&B Season round-up is on the short and sweet side. Last time we checked in, we brought you fresh, must-hear tracks from the likes of Amir Obe, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Jorja Smith, Yung Bleu and Chris Brown. This time, it’s The Weeknd and Future leading the way on our list, thanks to their collaboration on “Double Fantasy.” It’s set to appear in the former’s upcoming HBO series, The Idol.

The Canadian has been teasing the joint effort for some time now, playing it on Instagram Live ahead of his appearance during Metro Boomin’s first Coachella set. Even after just hearing a teaser, some social media users felt confident in predicting that the single may be the “most toxic song of the century” thanks to the notorious reputations of its creators. It officially arrived on streamers this New Music Friday (April 21), leaving fans eagerly awaiting what else The Weeknd has in store for his show’s accompanying album later this year.

HNHH R&B Season Playlist

The Weeknd performs with Metro Boomin at the Sahara tent during the 2023 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 21, 2023, in Indio, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Coachella)

Bree Runway and Khalid also made waves with their first collaboration, “Be The One.” It marks the female artist’s 2023 debut, following 2022’s WHOA, WHAT A BLUR! EP in December. As for the American Teen hitmaker, we previously heard him on “Softest Touch,” “The Hard Way,” with PNAU, and “We Go Down Together” alongside Dove Cameron.

Our final R&B Season pick of the day comes from another Canadian favourite, Roy Woods. The song is called “Young Boy Problems,” and even earned the artist a co-sign from Drake, who he worked with on “Drama” in the earlier days of his career. Stream this weekend’s full update exclusively on Spotify below. Afterward, let us know if we missed any new arrivals in the comments. For more HNHH release recommendations, check out yesterday’s Fire Emoji playlist here.

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Jorja Smith, Yung Bleu, & More Headline Latest “R&B Season” Playlist Update

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The latest update to the R&B Season playlist features several noteworthy tracks from Jorja Smith, Yung Bleu, and Amir Obe. Each Sunday, HotNewHipHop highlights the hottest songs in the genre on the playlist from the last week. The venture mirrors the Fire Emoji playlist, which showcases the top weekly songs in hip-hop.

For Jorja Smith, her song, “Try Me,” is highlighted. The song comes five years after the release of her debut studio album, Lost & Found. It is also the debut track released on her new label FAMM. “I like this world that I’ve just come into. And I’m still figuring things out. Always figuring things out,” Smith said in a press statement. “This is the first time I’m putting stuff out there that I can connect with right now.”

Jorja Smith Performing In 2021

GLASTONBURY, UNITED KINGDOM – MAY 21: In this image released on May 21st, Jorja Smith performs as part of the Glastonbury Festival Global Livestream “Live at Worthy Farm” at Worthy Farm, Pilton on May 15, 2021 in Glastonbury, England. The five hour special production is being filmed across Glastonbury Festivals Worthy Farm site with artists including Coldplay, Damon Albarn, HAIM, IDLES, Jorja Smith, Kano, Michael Kiwanuka, Wolf Alice and DJ Honey Dijon with Roisin Murphy. The global livestream is being broadcast on Saturday May 22 with encore screenings on Sunday May 23. (Photo by Anna Barclay for Glastonbury Festival via Getty Images)

Yung Bleu’s recent collaboration with Chris Brown, “Distant Lover,” is also included on this week’s R&B Season. The song comes as multiple artists have been criticized for working with Brown in recent weeks. Both Chloe Bailey and Lil Dicky have addressed the backlash in recent interviews. Bailey had worked with him on her new song, “How Does It Feel,” while Dicky collaborated with him back in 2018 on “Freaky Friday.”

In previous weeks, HNHH has added many other of the biggest tracks from 2023. Several songs off 6LACK’s latest project, Since I Have A Lover, made the cut in March. More recently, Daniel Caesar’s long-awaited NEVER ENOUGH album took center stage during an April update. Chlöe has also appeared on R&B Season with her “Body Do” single

HNHH’s R&B Season Playlist

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Daniel Caesar’s “NEVER ENOUGH” Album Is The Main Event On Our “R&B Season” Update

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Calling all R&B lovers – our weekly playlist is back with a slew of new must-hear songs for your consideration today (April 9). Of course, it’s Daniel Caesar’s long-awaited NEVER ENOUGH album taking centre stage this time around – namely two of the project’s beautiful collaborative efforts. The first is “Homiesexual,” on which the Canadian crooner teamed up with Ty Dolla $ign for the first time ever. Following that, later on in our round-up, comes “Buyer’s Remorse” featuring Omar Apollo, marking the duo’s second-ever joint effort.

Earlier in the week, female vocalist Mahalia gave us some R&B Season heat in the form of “Terms and Conditions.” The three-and-a-half-minute-long song marks her first release of 2023, following an undeniably successful run last year. The British artist made a name for herself with singles like “Letter To Ur Ex” and “Whatever Simon Says,” as well as an EP named after the former track. Afterward, she closed out 2022 with “Bag Of You,” which has since amassed upwards of 4.3 million streams on Spotify.

HNHH R&B Season Playlist

Daniel Caesar performs onstage at the Coachella Stage during the 2022 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival on April 15, 2022, in Indio, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Coachella)

Elsewhere on our R&B Season playlist, we hear from THEY. and Fana Hues on “Comfortable.” The song comes from the group’s Nü Moon album, which arrived on New Music Friday (April 7) and also features Yung Bleu Bino Rideau, Phil Adé, Kacey Musgraves, and blackbear. Another noteworthy joint release that caught our attention comes from Austin Millz and the legendary Estelle, who come together this weekend on “Freeway.”

Our final recommendation comes in the form of a solo single from Leon Thomas, called “Crash & Burn.” Like Mahalia, this also marks his first arrival of 2023, and so far, fans have been showing it plenty of love. Stream all of our new favourite R&B songs exclusively on Spotify below. Afterward, tell us which of our selections you’ll be adding to your own rotation in the comments. For more release recommendations, be sure to check out our weekly Fire Emoji playlist update here.

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Chlöe’s “Body Do” Takes Centre Stage On This Weekend’s “R&B Season” Update

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It’s Sunday once again, which means we’re back with another roundup of must-hear songs on our R&B Season playlist. While this weekend’s list is primarily female-dominated, we do have a few noteworthy titles from 6LACK’s latest project, Since I Have A Lover. The album marks his first since 2018’s East Atlanta Love Letter and has left listeners pleased since landing on Friday (March 24).

“Testify” is the first track to catch our attention, followed by “Temporary,” on which the Baltimore native collaborates with Don Toliver. The only other joint effort on the 19-song-long tracklist comes from the artist’s own partner, QUIN, on “wunna dem.” Over the past few weeks, other 6LACK releases like “Fatal Attraction” and “Talkback” have landed on our R&B Season update, as well as his album’s titular single.

HNHH R&B Season Playlist

Chlöe performs onstage during Recording Academy Honors Presented by the Black Music Collective at Hollywood Palladium on February 02, 2023, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

Following that comes Yaya Bey’s latest, “exodus the north star,” which arrived as a part of a six-pack EP earlier this weekend. So far, other standout titles from the project include “on the pisces moon” and “ascendent (mother fxcker)” on which she worked with Exaktly. If you’re looking to experiment with new sounds, we highly recommend giving the short and sweet release a full listen when you have the time.

Victoria Monét came through with some serious R&B Season heat in the form of “Smoke” featuring Lucky Daye. As expected, the two artist’s voices beautifully collide while setting a sultry mood for listeners to enjoy. Finally, Chlöe closes out our latest lineup with her “Body Do” single as we eagerly await the arrival of her debut solo album, In Pieces, which is due to officially arrive on DSPs next Friday (March 31).

Stream all of our new favourite R&B songs exclusively on Spotify below. Afterward, tell us which of our selections you’ll be adding to your own rotation in the comments. For more release recommendations, be sure to check out our weekly Fire Emoji playlist update here.

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Usher’s “GLU” Single Will Have You Stuck On Our “R&B Season” Playlist This Weekend

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All winter long, our favourite artists have been bringing the heat to our R&B Season playlist to keep listeners warm. Now that spring is right around the corner, singers are continuing to put in work as the masses prepare for yet another Hot Girl Summer. Usher is clearly aware of what’s to come over the next few months, as he didn’t hold back on his comeback single, “GLU.”

After the Texas-born vocalist teased the tragic (and a music video starring Lori Harvey) on social media, fans became all the more eager to hear what Usher has in store. He made his presence felt this New Music Friday (March 17), singing about plenty of salacious bedroom antics on the must-hear release. “You done made it messy / I guess that means you qualified,” he teases the lady in his life. “How the f*ck you choke then don’t choke / Then do it both from the side? Hey.”

HNHH R&B Season Update

Elsewhere on our R&B Season update, we have some noteworthy collaborations for your listening pleasure. First up is Rory’s link-up with reggie and Jay Electronica on “Enough.” Following that comes TDE superstar Doechii’s latest, which finds her collaborating with Florida’s own Kodak Black. The single is called “What It Is (Block Boy)” and marks an impressive musical start to 2023 for the artists.

The former single finds The Joe Budden Podcast alum tapping into his musical talents, proving to the world he’s more than just a wise guy. “Enough” marks his second single, and it proves that with continuous hard work, there’s only room for him to grow in the industry. In the accompanying music video, Rory also gets a chance to tease his acting chops for viewers.

Our final R&B Season-worthy find of the weekend comes from 6LACK, whose long-awaited album will hit DSPs later this month. Following releases like “Talkback” and “Since I Have A Lover,” the Baltimore native wears his heart on his sleeve on “Fatal Attraction.” After hearing his latest, fans can’t wait to hear what the recording artist has in store for his project.

Stream our R&B Season playlist exclusively on Spotify below. Afterward, let us know which tracks you’ll be adding to your own rotation in the comments. If you’re in need of more release recommendations, find them on our Fire Emoji update here.

6LACK’s “Talkback” Single Sets The Tone On Our “R&B Season” Playlist

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The first weekend of March brought with it a taste of spring, not to mention several must-hear new releases. A handful of them landed on our R&B Season playlist, including Kali Uchis and Don Toliver’s sensual “Fantasy” collaboration. Elsewhere, we suggested tracks from both Masego and 6LACK, who happens to make another appearance today (March 12).

The Baltimore native is presently preparing to drop his Since I Have A Lover album later this month. He finally kicked it off with last week’s titular single. On Friday (March 10), he shared “Talkback,” only generating more buzz for his long-awaited follow-up to East Atlanta Love Letter. Over production by Yakob and Scribz Riley, 6LACK brags about some of big biggest accomplishments.

“Got so many diamonds, they like, ‘Oh, Lord’ / Big business plans in my Goyard / Young and still humble, tryna hold on / Heard ’em talkin’ down, that shit just roll off,” his first verse begins. On the chorus, he sings about having a conversation with God on the phone. “I said, ‘What’s up?’ He talked back / Don’t let your enemies throw you off track.”

Blxst set the R&B Season mood with his Before You Go project in 2022. From the sounds of things, he’s planning to deliver big things this year as well. His New Music Friday contribution came in the form of a four-track Just For Clarity 2 EP, on which he teamed up with a host of noteworthy collaborators. Among them is Roddy Ricch, who joined his fellow Californian for a “Passionate” song.

According to the 30-year-old, this is “bigger” than just another track to him. “I like to look at it more as a mindset, especially working with Roddy on this record. It’s dope to see somebody’s success go from zero to a hundred, especially somebody from the hometown,” Blxst explained. Before they blew up, he and the “paid my dues” hitmaker frequently saw each other at the studio putting in work.

Our final R&B Season pick of the week is another joint effort – this one from Musiq Souldchild and Hit-Boy. It landed on Victims & Villains, and is titled “white rice déjà vu.” Stream it all exclusively on Spotify below, and let us know which new arrivals you’ve had in rotation this weekend in the comments.

Kali Uchis & Don Toliver Create A “Fantasy” On Our “R&B Season” Playlist Update

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Our first R&B Season update of March may be short, but we promise that it’s still seriously sweet. From this week’s New Music Friday arrivals, we’ve selected the best of the best for your listening pleasure. At the top of the list today (March 5) is a duo we’ve been hearing a lot from lately – Kali Uchis and her man, Don Toliver.

In February, the Cactus Jack artist unleashed his most ambitious project to date, Love Sick. “Private Landing” with Justin Bieber and Future, as well as “Leave The Club” featuring Lil Durk and GloRilla are obvious favourites. Still, it was his romantic collaboration with the Colombian songstress on “4 Me” that really caught our attention. Following in Toliver’s footsteps, Uchis shared her Red Moon In Venus album earlier this week. So far, plenty of praise has been pouring in.

The young lover’s link-up on “Fantasy” is at the top of our R&B Season update this week. Of course, Uchis’ entire effort is worth a listen if you have the time. Other noteworthy guest appearances come from Omar Apollo on “Worth the Wait,” and Summer Walker on “Deserve Me.”

Music lovers were excited to hear from 6LACK for the first time in 2023 this month. The Baltimore-born lyricist shared his “Since I Have A Lover” single to an undeniably warm welcome, with nearly 687K streams amassed on Spotify already. He also revealed that his upcoming album will have the same name, and is due out on March 24th.

This will mark the 6LACK’s long-awaited follow-up to his 2018 project, East Atlanta Love Letter. That yielded fan favourites like “Pretty Little Fears” with J. Cole and “Switch,” as well as “Seasons” featuring Khalid. As the debut date nears closers, we’re eagerly waiting to find out which other tracks will land on our R&B Season playlist.

Our final pick of the week comes from the always groovy Masego, whose self-titled album has been in constant rotation since Friday. Our favourite from the 14-song tracklist is “What You Wanna Try,” however all of the Jamaican’s previously released singles are great too.

Stream it all on our weekly R&B Season update, exclusively on Spotify, below. Afterward, tell us which new arrivals you think we may have missed in the comments. If you’re in need of more release recommendations, you can find them on our Fire Emoji playlist here.

This Weekend’s “R&B Season” Update Will Leave You “Love Sick” Thanks To Don Toliver

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The most romantic month of the year is nearly over. Still, we have one last R&B Season update of February left, and it may leave you feeling Love Sick. This New Music Friday (February 24), Don Toliver shared his latest album. Reactions so far have been mixed. However, many can admit it finds the Houston native feeling more ambitious than ever before.

The 16-track effort had several standout titles that earned a spot on our playlist, beginning with “Let Her Go” featuring James Blake. The song is emotional in nature and beautifully combines Toliver’s unique vocals with the producer’s signature sombre sound.

Other titles from Love Sick that we find R&B Season worthy are “Bus Stop” and “Slow Motion.” The former includes a coveted appearance from WASTELAND artist Brent Faiyaz. The latter, on the other hand, leans into the Afrobeats phenomenon with Wizkid’s feature. If you’re a fan of the Toliver recommendations, we highly suggest you stream the full album when you have time.

Another highly anticipated arrival this weekend came from Chlöe, who’s inching toward the debut of her first solo album. She previously spent years making music in a duo with her little sister, Halle Bailey. More recently they’ve been exploring other areas of their career on their own. Following her “Pray It Away” single a few weeks back, the Atlanta native announced a collaboration with Chris Brown.

Of course, both singers faced significant backlash as a result, but they’ve been pushing forward regardless and showing each other plenty of support. The joint track is called “How Does It Feel,” and it’s certainly everything you would expect an R&B anthem to be. In the accompanying music video, both Bailey and Breezy put their impressive dance moves on display as well.

Another female vocalist preparing to stun the world with a project is none other than Kali Uchis. She gave listeners a taste of what’s to come with “Moonlight,” this weekend, already amassing nearly two million streams on Spotify alone. Apart from her solo release, the Colombian beauty also appears on Toliver’s Love Sick album.

Our final two picks of the week are Lavi$h’s “World In My Hands,” and Jozzy’s “Alone.” Stream it all exclusively on Spotify below, and let us know what your favourite new additions are in the comments. If you need more release recommendations, be sure to check out our Fire Emoji update as well.

Yung Bleu’s New Single Shines On This Weekend’s “R&B Season” Update

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If there ever was a perfect month to celebrate R&B, it’s February. From the romantic Valentine’s Day vibes to commemorating Black History Month, our weekly playlist update has a handful of new music recommendations that are sure to satisfy your streaming needs. Kicking things off on R&B Season this Sunday (February 19) is Yung Bleu.

After dropping his TANTRA album last year, the vocalist returned on February 14th with a vulnerable track called “Games Women Play.” Throughout his verses, Bleu rhymes about the vast spectrum of emotions one feels in love. From anger to sheer bliss, he perfectly encapsulates it all in under three minutes on his new song.

Plenty of collaborative R&B efforts were sent our way this weekend. A quickly emerging favourite among them is OG Parker’s “Still Work,” on which he connects with two incredibly talented artists. Both Ty Dolla $ign and Muni Long shine on the single that’s sure to be streaming well into spring.

A Boogie Wit da Hoodie is another artist who previously fed fans with an album in 2022. His Me vs. Myself project made an impressive debut in December, and “No 808’s” marks his first release of the new year. Since landing on DSPs last Tuesday, the Vory-assisted single has already amassed upwards of 875K streams on Spotify.

For his second feature of the week, Ty Dolla helped out an R&B veteran, Mario. The duo markedly show out on their “Used To Me” joint – yet another Valentine’s Day drop-off. It’s also been steadily racking up the streams, reminding listeners exactly why they love the two artists so much.

Our final two selections of the week are a solo effort from RealestK and a link-up between Njomza and Louis The Child. The Canadian continued his recent successful streak with “You & I.” At the same time, the latter duo poured plenty of hard work into their single, “Over You.”

Stream this week’s R&B Season update exclusively on Spotify below. Afterward, let us know if we missed any songs this week in the comments. Additionally, you can find more release recommendations on our Fire Emoji playlist here.

Tink Brings “Toxic” Love To Our “R&B Season” Spotify Playlist

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We know that most music lovers will be ending their weekend by tuning into the 65th annual Grammy Awards. On Saturday (February 4), the venue’s seating plan was teased on social media. Countless celebrities have also been partying throughout Hollywood as they gear up for the big night. You may not be attending, but you’ll definitely need some music to help you get ready to watch at home – that’s where our R&B Season playlist comes in handy.

The standout from the latest round of selections is Ella Mai’s Heart On My Sleeve (Deluxe) album. It previously debuted across streamers on Thursday (February 2), complete with new titles “2 O’Clock” and “Our Song.” Both tracks earned a spot on our Spotify selection of favourites, not to mention the impact they’ve had on fans so far.

The R&B starlet’s original sophomore release came in May 2022. Collaborators she connected with include Latto, Roddy Ricch, and Lucky Daye. She additionally recruited a strong roster of producers, such as Mustard and Boi-1da.

Next on our list comes a new single from Tink, called “Toxic.” As the title infers, the emotional track tells the story of a past love gone wrong, seemingly leaving our vocalist with some serious feelings of regret. It marks her first release since last year’s Pillow Talk project and sees her talent obviously shining through.

“Tryna play on my energy, all these hoes envy me / Can’t show you what you meant to me, f*ck shit don’t get to me,” her voice rings out over the R&B track. “I’m a real bitch, not industry, still waiting on a bitch to finish me / I was f*cking on the enemy, I should’ve known.”

Finally, we have a remix from PinkPantheress for your consideration. On “Boy’s a liar Pt. 2,” she nabbed Bronx-based drill artist Ice Spice to join her. In the accompanying visual, the girls explore New York City together along with their baddie friends.

Stream our latest R&B Season update exclusively on Spotify below. Afterward, tell us which of this weekend’s new releases is your favourite in the comments. Additionally, you can find more music recommendations on our Fire Emoji playlist here.