The 25 best R&B albums of 2023

Over the last several years, Victoria Monét has made a name for herself as a songwriter to some of music's biggest stars while also releasing EPs of her own. However, in 2023, Monét released her long-awaited debut album Jaguar II. With assistance from frequent collaborator and producer D'Mile, Monét gives fans an 11-track album filled with themes everyone can relate to. From party songs like the Buju Banton-assisted track "Party Girls" and the Kaytranada-produced song "Alright" to love songs like "How Does It Make You Feel" to self-confidence anthem "On My Mama," the sequencing and themes are perfect for R&B fans. Jaguar II helped Monét earn seven Grammy Award nominations. Fans will soon see if she's taking home any of the gold trophies, but she's been a winner all year long. 

Hit-Boy is mostly known for producing songs for some of hip-hop's biggest artists in the industry. And although he's worked with R&B stars, he's never done a full collaborative album until now. Hit-Boy teamed up with soulful singer Musiq Soulchild on their 2023 album Victims and Villains. Musiq is certain about still giving his fans the slow jams they love, like "beat of a slow dance" and "white rice deja vu," while also providing smooth jams like "imreallytrynaf^ckwichu" and "your love is life." Hit-Boy takes inspiration from old school and '90s to 2000s R&B but gives it a modern flair. 

The ethereal, smooth, and soft vocal tone of Kali Uchis is perfect on her album Red Moon in Venus, as she highlights themes of love and romance. The lush production is perfect for giving fans a sense of escapism and desires, which is evident on tracks like "I Wish You Roses," "Love Between...," and the fan-favorite "Moonlight." With assistance from artists like Omar Apollo, Summer Walker, and Don Toliver, Uchis knows how to put her emotions and desires on full display. 

Four years after his previous album, Case Study 01, Daniel Caesar returned with his third album, Never Enough. Caesar is a master at giving fans love songs that focus on relationships and heartbreak, and he can easily switch between his smooth vocal tone to a sweet falsetto. He teamed up with Raphael Saadiq on songwriting and production on the lead single "Do You Like Me?," in which he inquires if a potential love interest feels the same about him. Caesar blends elements of blues, classical, and neo-soul as he simply tries to succeed in love and life. Some fan favorite tracks are "Disillusioned, "Pain Is Inevitable," and "Homiesexual."

After a five-year hiatus since her previous album, Dirty Computer, Janelle Monáe returned with their fourth album, The Age of Pleasure. In pure Monáe form, the album beams with themes of liberation, freedom, independence, sensuality, and self-confidence. Whether they sing about walking into rooms confidently on tracks like "Float," describe sexual desires on "Lipstick Lover," or define intimacy with swimming metaphors on "Water Slide," Monáe knows how to mix clever wordplay with a plethora of dystopian sounds. The Age of Pleasure earned Monáe a 2024 Grammy nomination for Album of the Year. 

Although Leon Thomas has dropped a few EPs over the years and become an in-demand songwriter for other artists, he finally released his debut album, Electric Dusk. With executive production from Ty Dolla $ign, Thomas defines his modern R&B sound with inspiration from soul, jazz, rock, and blues artists before him. He details his thoughts on love on tracks like "Breaking Point" and "Love Jones" while trying to figure out a potential lover's work status on "Socialite." Electric Dusk shows that Thomas is ready to show fans that he's not only a beast with the songwriting pen but also on vocals. 

If fans read the tracklist in chronological order on Mac Ayres' third album, Comfortable Enough, the song titles tell a seamless story of how people go through ups and downs in life, and at times, people are looking for solace amid the chaos. Ayres is quintessential at making sad ballads sound so good, such as blaming himself for relationship woes on "Something's Gotta Change," putting on a brave face for people on "Pretending," and how troubling times don't always last on "Cuts Heal In Time." Comfortable Enough is a concept album in which Ayres wrestles with controlling only the things he can control. Things may not always go as planned, but Comfortable Enough shows how people can continue persevering and try to cut out any outside noise.

Just two years after releasing his previous EP, Studying Abroad, Masego returned with his self-titled sophomore album. This time around, Masego takes the project completely solo, as he doesn't feature any additional artists. In typical Masego form, the singer blends R&B with elements of trap, house, and jazz. The smooth musical arrangements draw listeners to tracks like "What You Wanna Try," "Remembering Sundays," "Say You Want Me," and "In Style." 

Based on the songwriters and producers of When I Hear Your Name, Maeta has the right engine behind her as a rising R&B artist. The album is filled with the magical essence of James Fauntleroy, Pharrell, Kaytranada, DJ Camper, The-Dream, and more. On the album, the Roc Nation artist is about showcasing matters of the heart, which is evident in tracks such as "Sexual Love," "Questions," "Kissing New People," and the sensual "Through The Night." Maeta's sultry and smooth vocals and star-studded features make for easy listening. 

If there's one artist who's not only an advocate for R&B in his music but also on social media, it's Kenyon Dixon. On his latest album, The R&B You Love, he gives fans a concept album — praising past R&B eras, highlighting the late-night quiet storm, and telling a story with a potential partner about his love for the genre. On his Grammy-nominated single "Lucky," Dixon admires the aura of his love interest and he can't believe how lucky he is to have her in his life. While on "Good Love," Dixon takes inspiration from Babyface's '80s sound as he details what he loves about his partner. He also teams up with RL on the properly titled track "2000s R&B," as he takes inspiration from R&B veterans like Case, Next, Jon B, and Ray J. Dixon is the type of artist who continues to push the genre forward while still appreciating its past. 

Dende may not be a household name yet, but his latest album, '95 Civic, shows he has a bright future in R&B. '95 Civic finds Dende dealing with heartbreak as he tries to pick himself back up after a complicated breakup. The first track, "I Wrote You A Song," details the moments of seeing his lover move on without him and the difficulty of trying to see his new life now. Then there's the track "Block Me," in which Dende doesn't want to deal with seeing his past lover showing off her new man on Instagram. The album's final track, "I Drove By Your House Today," shows how much Dende is thinking about his last lover, but driving by her crib doesn't help his situation. 

After a five-year hiatus after his sophomore album, East Atlanta Love Letter, 6LACK returned with this third album, Since I Have a Lover. He begins the album with "cold feet," which features fans talking about how they're ready for new music. He then goes into "Inwood Hill Park," in which he highlights the growth with him as a person and artist. Throughout the album, he details themes of life and relationships — evident on tracks like "Since I Have A Lover," "Fatal Attraction," "chasing feeling," and "Talkback." Since I Have A Lover was nominated as the Best Progressive R&B Album at the 2024 Grammy Awards. 

Just four years after Mahalia released her debut album, Love and Compromise, the singer returned with her sophomore album, IRL, which stands for "In Real Life." On the lead track "Ready," Mahalia highlights the mindset and space she's been in since her previous project and the continuance of believing in herself and her craft. She teams up with fellow R&B singer JoJo on the second single, "Cheat," in which she deals with an unfaithful ex-lover trying to win her back, but she refuses to give him another chance. Throughout the album, she details the ups and downs of her love life, which is evident in songs like "Hey Stranger" and the Destin Conrad-assisted track "It's Not Me, It's You." IRL gives fans a glimpse into Mahalia's life as she provides anthems for fans dealing with their own love lives.

Early in Jordan Ward's career, he started as a background dancer for artists like Becky G and Justin Bieber. However, he's ready to be center stage with his debut album, FORWARD. The 14-track album beams with themes of life, love, and personal growth. His alternative R&B sound shines as he tries to bring love back into his life on tracks like "FAMJAM4000," conveys his worth on "PRICETAG/BEVERLYWOOD," and looks out for himself on "THINK TWICE." Ward's smooth tone makes for an easy listen, and fans are looking forward to seeing how his star continues to rise. 

While some people may be familiar with Rory as a podcast host, he also has a solid ear for curating the best tunes for people to listen to. Rory, joined by other producers, teamed up with a star-studded roster on his album I Thought It'd Be Different. Although Rory does not sing, he brings other artists along for the ride, such as James Fauntleroy, dvsn, Goldlink, Alex Isley, Ari Lennox, Pink Sweat$, and more. Rory solidly balances bringing well-known artists mixed with emerging artists that more fans should get to know. 

One of the consistent images around R&B album covers this year was water. On Kelela's sophomore album, Raven, the artwork is in black and white as Kelela is seen floating in a body of water. It helps depict different meanings of rebirth, rejuvenation, and cleansing, which is alluded to in the album's opening track, "Washed Away," and waves are heard crashing on the outro track "Far Away." Raven allows Kelela to elevate her sound with a vocal tone that can fill anyone's cup. 

For fans that enjoy '80s R&B with a psychedelic sound, Q's latest album, Soul, PRESENT, deserves heavy rotation. From the opening track, "WELCOME TO SOUL, PRESENT," it sounds like Q could've easily been a fan of Morris Day and The Time as he tells listeners not to worry about what tomorrow brings. The album is filled with dance-heavy tracks such as the funky bass heard on "THE HIDE," and "LUV (I KNOW I WANT THIS FOR REAL)" sounds like a track that would be a club favorite, but he also shows off his falsetto on the slow jam "TODAY." There's no doubt that Soul, PRESENT is for the fans who enjoy more unconventional sounds in R&B, and Q showcases his creative prowess as he writes and produces the majority of the tracks — a star in the making. 

Emerging artist Khamari explores growth and self-reflection in his debut album, A Brief Nirvana. On the second track, "Doctor, My Eyes," Khamari is seemingly wrestling with the weight of the world and the pressure he puts on himself to see some change. The track ends with his grandfather trying to give him some life advice. On "Cherry Picking," he highlights the longing for a relationship; even though he knows it wouldn't work between him and his lover, he reflects on the good memories while overlooking the bad. But "These Four Walls" became a fan-favorite, as Khamari realizes his relationship with a lover may be one-sided, and he finds comfort in a space that doesn't disappoint him. 

Kiana Ledé highlights all the emotions of dealing with a breakup in her sophomore album, Grudges. It starts with bitterness on the intro track, followed by disappointment and brokenheartedness that someone would play her heart on "Irresponsible." She teams up with Bryson Tiller on "Gone," detailing how a relationship is no longer serving them, and then joins forces with Ella Mai on feelings of envy on "Jealous." Toward the end of the album, "Closure" finds Ledé seemingly finally letting go of people who hurt her in the past, and she's ready to continue pushing forward. Grudges may detail toxic love, but the album could be therapeutic for people who have dealt with love that didn't work out. 

After taking a four-year hiatus from his previous album, 1123, BJ The Chicago teams up with super producer Yeti Beats on their collaborative album, Gravy. Something about BJ's voice is so captivating that it leaves fans wanting more, so the album title is fitting. He feeds his fans' appetites by adding an all-star cast of features with artists like Freddie Gibbs, Coco Jones, Chlöe, Andra Day, and more. Philip Bailey brings his Earth, Wind, & Fire essence to the track "Never Change," and Robert Glasper sprinkles a little juke joint jazz vibe on  "Smoke Break." Yeti's soulful production and BJ's comforting vocal tone make for a comforting listen. 

Four years after his sophomore album, 85 to Africa, Jidenna returned with his third album, ME YOU & GOD. On the album, Jidenna blends his R&B sound with elements of funk and psychedelic soul. His love for '70s soul is evident on tracks like "MiSS BEHAVE" and "SWEETBiTTERS," but he really channels it on "SAFE" when he teams up with funk legend Bootsy Collins. ME YOU & GOD finds Jidenna giving his thoughts on love, even if it can be toxic at times. 

Just three years after her critically acclaimed debut, The Angel You Don't Know, Amaarae returned with her sophomore album, Fountain Baby. Amaarae can't be boxed into the R&B genre, as she also blends elements of pop, alternative, and Afrobeats into her sound. Her smooth, soprano vocal perfectly matches the playful production on tracks like "Princess Going Digital" and "Reckless & Sweet." With most of the album beaming with dance-heavy tracks, it's no wonder that Amaarae released the album at the top of the summer, an album perfect for day parties. 

TA Thomas may be fairly new to the music world to some listeners, but his debut EP, Caught Between 2 Worlds, shows he's more than ready to put his mark on this resurgence of R&B. Throughout the 11-track project, he teamed up with songwriter and producer DJ Camper across most of the songs. Thomas delves into different themes such as bettering himself for a future partner on "Self Check," going the distance with a lover on "Sensation," and dealing with a back-and-forth relationship on "Pros and Cons." The crooner is a master at showcasing his emotions, vulnerability, and self-improvement — different elements in his lyrics that showcase the makings of a rising R&B star. Caught Between 2 Worlds is an essential project that gives fans an introspection of Thomas' outlook on love. 

It's kind of hard to believe that Chris Brown has been in the music industry for nearly 20 years now, and he still proves to be one of the most in-demand artists in R&B. The title of his latest album, 11:11, symbolizes not only the numerology belief of a significant time period but also his eleventh studio album. In pure Breezy form, the singer keeps fans dancing with his lead single "Summer Too Hot" and the Afrobeats-inspired single "Sensational." He also gives fans a few slow jams like the Maeta-assisted track "Best Ever" and the lovesoaked track "Moonlight." The formulas Brown uses in his music continue to work in his favor, and he's showing no signs of slowing down. 

Terrace Martin took 2023 to drop collaborative projects with a few artists, including soulful singer Alex Isley. Since Martin and Isley both grew up in Los Angeles, they released a musical love letter to the neighborhood that raised them with their album, I Left My Heart in Ladera. In addition to the album title track, they also show appreciation for fellow LA native Issa Rae on the track "Dear Issa" and love for iconic streets with "La Brea and Stocker." Isley's smooth tone fits Martin's soulful and lush production perfectly.