7 Women On The Rise In R&B That You Should Be Listening To.
Ready to discover some new music for your library? 🍠
For years now, women have been running things in R&B (don’t tell the fellas we said that!). And still, a number of women are currently on the rise within the genre; keeping things interesting with unique songwriting & vocal textures. Keep your eyes and ears open for these 7 women on the rise in R&B Music:
Shae Universe – London, UK
Shae Universe brings an aura of soul that reminds us of so heavily of the early 2000s. Back when the Angie Stones and Jill Scotts and Musiq Souldchilds ruled the airwaves. Her Tiny Desk Concert is one of the best of the year. Give her album Love’s Letter a spin this week – it features Lalah Hathaway, NAO, and just overall great vibes.
Sasha Keable – London, UK
Sasha Keable has been around for years, but 2024 is the year that has seen people finally waking up to how amazing she is. Raw talent! She has a voice that wakes your ears up immediately once she starts singing. Sasha’s latest 3 singles (“Hold Up”, “Auction” feat. Destin Conrad, and “Take Your Time” feat. 6LACK) are all top tier. Give her a follow on social media and tell her we sent you!
LARA’ – Houston, Texas
For fans of Jhene Aiko + Erykah Badu. We first heard of LARA’ on her song “Like Dat” feat. Ambré, and we’ve been hooked ever since. Her voice seamlessly draws the listener in; it’s spellbinding. The production on her album ‘Luvology’ blends jazz with soul and hip-hop to create an amazing sonic landscape that you’ll want to repeat over and over again. We can testify to that!
Demae – London, UK
For fans of Lianne La Havas + Solange. We’re a sucker for British singers – especially when you can hear the British accent in their songs (see: Shae Universe above). Demae is a singer from the UK that we think will be around for a long time. There’s an ease and atmosphere to her sound that reminds of Solange circa A Seat At The Table. We stan!
Arianna Reid – Brampton, Canada
For fans of Sade + Majid Jordan. Arianna Reid is a young producer, songwriter, and singer hailing from the Toronto suburb of Brampton (which happens to be home to an insane amount of R&B talent). She’s received classical training in voice, piano, and theory and as a producer – she’s worked with artists like Daniel Caesar & Freddie Gibbs. Her own music? It’s powerful, it’s alluring, it’s mysterious and sensual. That’s a very wordy way to say we love it!
Rowena Fysx – Canada
For fans of Ravyn Lenae + ethereal vocals. Rowena Fysx is a recent discovery at Yams HQ, but the moment we heard her voice, we knew we needed to hear more. Lucky for us, she just released her EP ‘don’t text me back’ and it does not disappoint. Keep an eye out for this name more and more moving forward.
Amaria – Los Angeles, California
For fans of modern neo-soul. We’re always in amazement at how talented some of today’s youngest artists are. They have ears that are beyond their years. They have nuance to their vocals that allow for them to stand out from the crowded pack. Amaria is in that class of artist, with her take on alternative soul music. Her new album Free Fallin’ is out now.
Listen to more music from these ladies (and others) on our YAMS and ALT&B playlists. R&B is currently in good hands!