In Rotation: Leven Kali, Alex Isley, and Lekan Bring The Calm To R&B This Week
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This week is a good week in R&B. To start, three artists with one thing in common: an understanding that R&B at its best is less about spectacle and more about sincerity. Here's what's been in heavy rotation on YAMS this week.
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Leven Kali “Starlet” (from the album LK99)
If you know Leven Kali’s name, you know ball. He has four songs on Beyoncé’s Renaissance, and a decade of songwriting behind the curtain for Tinashe, Drake, Jazmine Sullivan, Snoh Aalegra, and others. LK99, his third album of his own, is out this week, and he’s further stepping into his light.
“Starlet” sits right in the center of the project. The song confesses it can’t separate love from lust, and Leven delivers it with the kind of warmth and rhythm that disarms you before you realize what he’s actually saying. It’s very reminiscent of Sade and Miguel, and we’re fully here for this vibe. If you love musicality and live instrumentation, get into this album ASAP!
Alex Isley “Westside” (from the album When The City Sleeps)
Alex Isley’s major label debut, When The City Sleeps, drops March 20th, and she’s describing it as a love letter to Los Angeles — her home, the setting of her dreams, her triumphs, her heartbreaks. “Westside” is the second single, and it lands like exactly what it is: a record made by someone who knows a city the way you know a person. Play this one reaaal loud!
Lekan — “Safety” (Single)
This spring, Lekan is heading out on the road as a supporting act for Ari Lennox’s Vacancy Tour, a co-sign that speaks for itself. But before his bags get packed, he dropped “Safety” — and it’s the kind of song that makes you want to clear your schedule and listen closely. We’re ready for Lekan to have his big breakout moment, and “Safety” could be exactly that.
All three are already living on the YAMS Playlist among a ton of other new releases. Find it on Spotify, Apple Music, or Tidal and let the weekend do the rest.