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Every Friday, Rated R&B brings you the most essential releases of the week. In this week’s edition, Erykah Badu drops her first album in 16 years, while Tamia ends her eight-year hiatus with a new track. Plus, Prince’s iconic Vault gets unlocked for a posthumous album. Dive into it all below.
Erykah Badu, The Alchemist – Before The World Blows
After a year-long delay, Erykah Badu and producer The Alchemist have finally delivered their joint album Before The World Blows. The genre-bending project is complete with 16 tracks, featuring collaborations with Steve Lacy, Thundercat, DRAM, Kamasi Washington and more. [Read more about Erykah Badu and The Alchemist’s Before The World Blows]
Lalah Hathaway – “Can’t Let Go”
As Lalah Hathaway gears up to release her new album, Made In Chicago, in October, the Grammy-winning vocalist unlocks its latest single, “Can’t Let Go.” The quiet storm track, which gives a wink to The Stylistics’ “You Are Everything,” finds Hathaway holding onto what’s left from a love that’s vanished. “Only time will tell if you and I are really meant to be,” she sings.
Tamia – “Forever and a Day”
On “Forever and a Day,” Tamia’s first single in eight years, the R&B songbird honors an enduring love in a way that feels familiar, yet refreshing at the same time. She co-wrote the stunning ballad with Claude Kelly and Chuck Harmony, whom she collaborated with on her 2012 album, Beautiful Surprise, and its follow-up, Love Life, in 2015. [Read more about Tamia’s “Forever and a Day”]
Prince – Timeless
The Prince Estate and Legacy Recordings present Timeless, a posthumous album with 10 previously unreleased tracks that Prince recorded from 1977 to 2016. It includes the previously shared “With This Tear” and “Stone,” as well as the standout, “The Guilty Ones,” recorded in 2007. [Read more about Prince’s Timeless album]
Eli Derby – LOVESHY
After parting ways with LVRN, Eli Derby has spent the last few years honing his artistry through several standalone tracks and a joint project with producer J.O.N. Now the Maryland native is back with a new EP, LOVESHY, via Warner Records. Across 12 tracks, Derby explores the complex emotions that come with falling in love, from the thrill to the angst and everything in between. On “Fumble,” which recalls D’Angelo’s “Untitled (How Does It Feel),” Derby fights to save a love that he let slip away, while taking accountability for his role in its demise. “I was moving inconsistent / I want you to be my Mrs,” he croons.
Dahi feat. Elmiene and Ravyn Lenae – “Drowning”
Dahi has produced for heavyweights such as Kendrick Lamar, Drake, SZA and Brent Faiyaz. Now, the Inglewood native is stepping into his artist side with his debut album, Black Boy (Alternative). The progressive project consists of 11 tracks, including “How To Pray” with Lamar and Amber Mark and “Drowning” with Elmiene and Ravyn Lenae. The latter track is a soulful meditation on the cost of navigating life without accountability. “If you could reach the top without tears / If you could feel the lord without prayer / Then we’re drowning, misguided,” Elmiene sings in the chorus.
Aaron Taylor – “Tell Me of Love!”
British soul singer Aaron Taylor dives into what the four-letter word has to offer on his new album, “Tell Me of Love!” The self-produced album, anchored by warm acoustic guitar, feels as peaceful as a Sunday morning, allowing Taylor to bask in full contemplation.
Sy’rai – Cold War
Sy’rai has been refining her sound since she first emerged in 2020 with her standalone track “At Your Best.” Six years later, she welcomes everyone into the musical world she’s been nurturing with her debut EP, Cold War. On the project, she opens up about relatable themes such as love, heartbreak and self-discovery. As the daughter of Brandy, Sy’rai’s tone is certainly reminiscent of The Vocal Bible, but Cold War feels more like her leaving the nest than staying under a legend’s wing — delivering what she says is “the most honest introduction I could give people to who I am right now.”
Meshell Ndegeocello & Lianne La Havas – “Don’t Look Any Further”
Meshell Ndegeocello and British vocalist Lianne La Havas join forces for “Don’t Look Any Further,” a delightful rendition of Dennis Edwards and Siedah Garrett’s 1984 hit. It’s the third single from Ndegeocello’s upcoming duets album, Synonym. [Read more about Meshell Ndegeocello’s Synonym]
Majid Jordan – Two Roads
February marked the 10th anniversary of Majid Jordan’s self-titled debut album on OVO Sound. The alt-R&B duo, consisting of singer Majid Al-Maskati and producer Jordan Ullman, has been making music together for 15 years. With their fifth album, Two Roads, they continue to build on their signature dreamy, atmospheric R&B stylings with splashes of jazz, funk, electronica and hip-hop. Standouts include “Strangers,” “See You Again” and the Naomi Sharon-assisted “Island Time.”
Ciara, Akeem Ali – “Yes (Unfinished Business)”
Ciara is still celebrating the 10th anniversary of her marriage to Russell Wilson. After releasing “Yes” last month, the R&B-pop star links with rapper Akeem Ali for an official remix, “Yes (Unfinished Business).” Ali opens the track with a fiery verse before handing the baton to CiCi.
Jack Freeman – “Me and You”
Jack Freeman has entered a new musical chapter. Following a new partnership with Jive Records, via hitmaker Bryan Michael Cox’s Illustrate New Ideas, the Houston-based singer returns with “Me and You,” the first single from his fourth album, Mahogany. Co-written with Cox, the Glenn Lewis-sampled track contemplates the aftermath of a breakup, in which Freeman grapples with the reality of his ex moving on. As Freeman puts it, “Watching someone who had been a major part of my life move forward forced me to confront emotions I had not fully processed.”
EJ Jones – “Need It Bad”
On “Need It Bad,” Memphis soul singer EJ Jones croons about the urge to blow off steam from life’s daily stressors. In his case, he turns to alcohol to drown out what’s weighing on him. “All I need is a real good time / Some wine that I can drank / These problems on my mind,” he sings on the self-produced track.
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Previewupcoming R&B album releases.
