Miguel, Halle Bailey, Leon Thomas Soar With New Music Releases
This week's new music drops highlight the diversity of R&B.
There’s something in the air this week…something soft, yet chaotic, yet honest. It feels like every artist decided to crack open their Notes app and hit “publish.” From Miguel’s long-awaited sonic storm CAOS to Halle Bailey’s introspective debut, Leon Thomas’ genre-blending PHOLKS EP, and Kehlani’s nostalgic Folded Homage Pack — this is one of those rare moments that shows just how far R&B has come and can still go.
Here’s what’s been spinning on repeat at YAMS HQ.
Miguel – CAOS
It’s been 8 years since War & Leisure, and Miguel’s return feels like both a reckoning and a release of pent-up energy. CAOS isn’t neat — it’s sprawling, unpredictable, and brimming with seductive tension only he can create. One moment he’s whispering about divine love, the next he’s howling through distortion. You can feel the years in his voice, the therapy, the ego deaths, the rebirths. It’s an experience. The kind that demands you light a candle, close your eyes, and let yourself unravel.
Dante’s Pick: “COMMA/KARMA'“ with George Clinton
This one reminds me of Miguel’s Art Dealer Chic series in all the best ways. And the addition of funk legend George Clinton shows why Miguel is one of the smartest Black music superstars of our time.
Halle – love?….or something like it
Halle Bailey’s debut album feels like falling in and out of love while standing in front of a mirror. Vulnerable, ethereal, and deeply self-aware. The project floats somewhere between heartbreak and healing. You can hear her stretch beyond the expectations that came with her The Little Mermaid era, crafting something tender yet very grown. Songs like “alone” featuring Mariah The Scientist sound like conversations you only have after midnight. It’s half prayer, half confession. Halle proves that she’s a solo artist in her own right, and she’s introducing us to a woman still figuring out what love even means.
Dante’s Pick: “know about me“ featuring GloRilla
”know about me” packs the punch that we’ve been waiting for from Halle. Social media fans know that Halle has a feisty side, and this song gives exactly that! From the production to the attitude-packed vocal delivery, this is a hit.
Leon Thomas – PHOLKS (EP)
Leon’s PHOLKS EP feels like the evolution of a student to a professor of sound. Long celebrated for his pen and musicianship, here he’s experimenting and having fun while doing it. PHOLKS is Leon syncing his R&B roots to the psychedelic funk, soul, and rock influences that also raised him. Underneath the exciting experimentation lies the same heart that Leon’s always written from. It’s still soul-baring, romantic, and unafraid of emotional risk.
Dante’s Pick: “Baccarat”
Songs like “Baccarat” showcase exactly why Leon Thomas is such a needed figure in today’s music landscape. The frenetic bass, the drums, the vocal cadences, the guitar outro…the musicality is off the charts and needs to be studied by some all of his peers.
Kehlani – Folded Homage Pack
Kehlani’s Folded Homage Pack isn’t just a remix EP — it’s an R&B family reunion. Building off her smash hit single “Folded,” she invites some of the genre’s most iconic 90s and 00s voices to reinterpret and reimagine it: Toni Braxton, Brandy, Tank, JoJo, Ne-Yo, and Mario. Each artist brings their own texture –Toni’s smoky elegance, Brandy’s celestial layering, Tank’s sexy soul – turning one of Kehlani’s most vulnerable records into a generational conversation. It’s a reminder that Kehlani isn’t just an R&B student – she’s part of the lineage now.
Dante’s Pick: “Folded (Remix)” featuring Tank
Remember when remixes used to mean new production, new melodies, new vocal arrangements? Tank got that call from Kehlani and said, “Bet…I’mma give you a real remix like we used to do.”
This week in R&B truly delivered. Each artist showed a different side of vulnerability: chaos, curiosity, community, and comfort. And there’s more where that came from. Tiana Major9 has teamed up with Yebba. Daniel Caesar is back. Check out our YAMS playlist to see what other new releases we’re vibing to.
The Halle album is so good!