The Rise of ALT&B

Chronicling the 2010s movement that changed the R&B landscape.

What is ALT&B?

Alternative R&B is a subgenre of contemporary R&B music that emerged as a staple in the early 2010s. It combines the soulful vocals and melodies of traditional R&B with experimental & unique sounds — drawing influence from electronic, indie rock, hip hop, jazz, and other genres.

The beginnings of alternative R&B can be heard in projects like Janet Jackson’s ‘The Velvet Rope’, Brandy’s ‘Full Moon’ and Kelis’ ‘Kaleidoscope.’ Credit can also be given to the Soulquarians movement and the melodic rap work of artists like Drake and Kanye West.

2010-2013 saw the birth of several of today’s most beloved Black music stars. It was a time when free streaming apps like SoundCloud and internet blogs took hold as ways for artists to not rely on industry standards. There were new, democratized ways to feed their growing fanbases. The reliance on radio, TV, and print for music discovery was gone. This era catapulted people like Jhene Aiko, who had been trying to “make it” the traditional way for years, into “overnight” sensations.

Artists like Tinashe were able to create mixtapes in their bedroom with home studio equipment — learning to produce, mix, and engineer on their own. Music could now be made at home, and uploaded directly to millions of people online. The era of the R&B mixtape allowed independent artists to make major moves, and made record labels rethink how the genre could operate.

Through this new digital era of media, introverted storytellers like Frank Ocean were able to thrive through experimentation, as seen on his debut mixtape nostalgia, Ultra. He bridged the gap between multiple niche worlds to create his musical lane. Frank brought the influences of The Eagles and Radiohead into R&B and connected with a generation of fans ready for new sounds.

Artists like The Weeknd were born out of the dark edge that Darke and Kanye West had brought to light in the late 2000s. The Weeknd introduced a dark, drug-infused, moody vibe to the R&B landscape. The ‘House Of Balloons’ mixtape was released in March of 2011 for free on the Canadian star’s website. He was able to build a cult following while staying relatively anonymous to the masses.

Weird and mysterious became the cool things to be in this time, and it made music more interesting. Artists like SZA benefitted from this new freedom and school of thinking within the genre. Rap label TDE saw the vision early on, and helped give SZA the resources needed to keep elevating her craft her way.

We saw incredible genre-blending from artists like Dawn Richard and from Kelela, who bridged electronic club beats and 90s R&B melodies with her debut mixtape Cut 4 Me in 2013.

Miguel emerged as someone who wasn’t afraid to give you the soulful sounds you’d expect in R&B radio hits (“All I Want Is You”), while also making music laced with rock-infused and electronic-infused instrumentation (“Don’t Look Back”). This became his superpower as his career progressed.

There are so many artists to thank for building the sub-genre that is now super popular within today’s R&B ecosystem. Let’s give them their flowers!

FKA twigs, Dawn Richard, James Fauntleroy, Rochelle Jordan, The Internet, Solange, PARTYNEXTDOOR, James Blake, Janine, Jade De LaFleur, BC Kingdom, THEY., Bryson Tiller, Majid Jordan, J’Davey, Kelis, Iman Omari, Blood Orange, Sampha, Janelle Monae, Ro James, BANKS, Alina Baraz, 6LACK, Jesse Boykins III, Abra, Gallant, Brent Faiyaz, Snoh Aalegra, Kali Uchis, and so many more. 💐