The best R&B albums of 2024

It’s hard to believe that Andra Day’s debut album Cheers to the Fall was released nearly a decade ago back in 2015. Since then, Day has been moving her career into the acting world, starring in films like Marshall and The United States vs. Billie Holiday. But Day is finally back with her sophomore album CASSANDRA (cherith), to the delight of many fans. On the album, Day’s jazzy and soulful voice floats effortlessly alongside live instrumentation as she explores romance, relationships, and self-love. Whether it's detailing a failing relationship on the opening track “Maybe Next Time,” her desire for love on “More,” or the possibility of the right love at the wrong time on “Chasing,” Day knows how to show her vulnerability on full display. 

It’s been quite a while since the world has seen a very successful R&B girl group, but FLO is here to change the narrative. Following a couple of EPs over the last few years, FLO is finally here with their debut album Access All Areas. While the album is executive produced by frequent collaborator MNEK, FLO also worked with R&B titans like Camper and Pop Wansel. They bring everything from dance tracks like “Check” and “Walk Like This” to slow jams like “Bending My Rules” and “Should Woulda Coulda.” They even team up with one of hip-hop’s rising stars GloRilla on the single “In My Bag,” a boastful and confident anthem that highlights how they continue to stay authentic. Groups might not be popular acts in the R&B world, but when the right group comes along with amazing harmonies, melodies, production, and songwriting—it’s a recipe for success. 

Eight years after releasing his previous album Hard II Love, Usher returned with his ninth album Coming Home. It was just the icing on the cake after breaking records with the most-watched Super Bowl halftime performance, bringing his Las Vegas residency to a close, and embarking on a worldwide tour. In pure Usher form, the R&B veteran knows how to bring fans love songs, party tracks, and break-up anthems. Whether he details a past relationship that didn’t work out on “Good Good,” a night of pleasure with a partner on “Please U,” or shows his appreciation for his partner on “Luckiest Man,” Usher still knows how to bring a certain essence to his music that R&B fans love. Coming Home reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and earned a 2025 Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Album. 

Following up her 2022 sophomore album Flora + Fana, songstress Fana Hues returned with her third album Moth, which stands for “Matters Of The Heart,” which is also one of her song titles. In typical Hues fashion, the singer’s airy and calm vocals float effortlessly across a production that blends soul with psychedelic R&B. Throughout the 13-track album, Hues explores themes of life and love with dreamy and lush beats which creates a fluid and mellow listen for audiences. Her introspective lyrics are heard in songs like “Sweet Like” in which she details how a partner should go after what he wants, and "Rental" which highlights giving into guilty pleasures. 

Just two years after releasing his sophomore album Candydrip, R&B heartthrob Lucky Daye returned with his third album Algorithm. In pure Daye fashion, the singer continues to team up with frequent collaborator Dernst “D’Mile” Emile II. However, this time around, Daye and D’Mile don’t just stick with R&B on Algorithm, they also explore sounds of funk, alternative, and pop. While R&B fans will love tracks like “That’s You” and “Think Different,” fans who love more of the alternative sound will be pleased with songs like “Never Leavin’ U Lonely,” “HERicane,” and “Pin.” So far throughout Daye's career, all of his albums have earned Grammy Award nominations including Algorithm which is up for Best R&B Album. 

Just a year after his critically-acclaimed album Electric Dusk, Leon Thomas returned with his follow-up Mutt. His album shows audiences the love he has for not only R&B, but other genres. He samples Donny Hathaway’s “I’ll Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know” on the track “Safe Space,” brings rock elements on “Dancing With Demons,” and flashes soulful ‘70s-inspired harmonies on “I Do.” The 14-track album features several collaborations alongside artists like Ty Dolla $ign, Baby Rose, Masego, Wale, and more. At this point, Thomas has a full understanding of which collaborators work best with his style and they shine every time. Mutt is a strong album that highlights Thomas’ thoughts on life and love, making him one of R&B’s rising stars. 

Shaé Universe may not be a household name just yet, but she had quite a few people buzzing from her NPR Tiny Desk performance. The British-Nigerian singer has vocals filled with so much warmth, that makes her sound perfect for the neo-soul world. In her album Love’s Letter, Universe explores the different nuances and complexities of love. While the opening track “Love Self” explores the theme of people’s need for self-love, the follow-up track “Summertime” details how much she misses an ex-lover’s warm embrace and compares her feelings to missing summer. Universe also teams up with fellow neo-soul artist Lalah Hathaway on the track “More Than Enough” in which they explore how everyone is deserving of love. 

After a five-year hiatus since his previous album Chasing Summer, SiR finally returned with his latest album HEAVY. The title is perfect for describing what SiR has been dealing with in life leading up to the album’s release. He explores things that no longer serve him on “IGNORANT,” tries to learn from his mistakes on “Karma,” and reflects on his flaws on “I’m Not Perfect.” HEAVY is an introspective work that highlights SiR’s thoughts on life and love. The album is filled with solid features from artists like Ty Dolla $ign, Anderson .Paak, and his fellow Top Dawg Entertainment labelmates Isaiah Rashad and Ab-Soul. 

Marsha Ambrosius released her third album Nyla back in 2018, and while fans were often told a new album was on the way, fans still weren’t sure when to expect it. But Ambrosius finally gifted her fans with her long-awaited fourth album CASABLANCO, which was produced by Dr. Dre. In addition to Ambrosius’ soulful sound, she also blends elements of jazz and hip-hop throughout the project. These elements are heard on tracks like “Tunisian Nights” which samples Nas’ “N.Y. State of Mind,” “One Night Stand” which samples the Mary Jane Girls’ “All Night Long,” and “Greedy” samples Outkast’s “SpottieOttieDopaliscious.” The album was backed by a 27-piece live orchestra, which helps give a grand sound to Ambrosius’ smooth voice, and it shows how masterful she and Dre can combine traditional sounds with contemporary elements. 

Just two years after releasing his previous album Wanderlust, Durand Bernarr is back with an eight-track EP En Route. Bernarr is in the driver’s seat as he takes fans on a journey with his road trip-themed project. The self-dubbed “favorite cousin on your daddy’s side,” has always been the type of artist who doesn’t conform to a typical sound and style, and that’s exactly what makes people drawn to him even more. The acrobats he can do with his voice are so enchanting on the funky track “Fist Bump” and the Latin-inspired “GPS,” a track that he makes sure to include the driving theme in the lyrics like “Make a left then a right / Find me on my good side / And stay there, don’t go nowhere.” He’s a master at bringing drama, sass, and a little bit of comedy to every performance, which makes for a groovy listen to En Route. It's no wonder why the album was nominated for the 2025 Grammy Awards for Best Progressive R&B Album.  

Soulful singer Ledisi returned with her eleventh album Good Life, which explores different concepts of love. She teams up with producer and songwriter Camper on the album’s titular track which shows her gratitude for her life and how love will always heal her. She also explores themes of a rocky relationship on “I Need To Know,” details her physical and sexual attraction to a potential partner on “Stay Here Tonight,” and teams up with fellow R&B veteran Kenny Lattimore to explore how people can fall in love fast on “Perfect Stranger.” Ledisi’s smooth vocals make for the perfect love album on Good Life. 

If producer and songwriter Bryan-Michael Cox is part of an album, it’s guaranteed to have some R&B gems. Emerging artist Jack Freeman teams up with Cox on his third album Nina, a project that explores the different complexities of love and relationships. On the opening track “U,” Freeman uses the slow jam to detail how enamored he is with his partner, followed by the dance-heavy track “Anything” which finds the singer exploring the single life. Freeman also doesn’t shy away from detailing his desires for lovemaking on the smooth track “U N D R E S S,” he even teams up with R&B group Jagged Edge on the remix. Freeman’s vocals easily captivate listeners, and Nina makes for a perfect date-night album. 

Seven years after releasing her previous album Honestly, soulful singer Lalah Hathaway returned with her latest album VANTABLACK. On the opening track “BLACK.,” Hathaway teams up with Rapsody & Common to explore the meaning and celebration of being a Black girl. She then teams up with Michael McDonald on “No Lie,” a track in which their vocal tones blend perfectly as Hathaway realizes the love she has for a partner. Hathaway continues her themes on love on tracks such as the Phonte-assisted song “You Don’t Know” and describes how love can make people crazy on “So In Love.” Hathaway also explores themes of self-assurance in the disco-inspired “I AM,” as well as finding the meaning of life in “Myth of Being.” With Hathaway’s contralto tone, she has the type of voice that can pierce anyone’s soul yearning for more. 

Fans who’ve been following the Soulection collective or ever heard Joe Kay spinning records on his Apple Music radio show, then they are well aware of the producer ESTA. Over the years, he’s typically released collaborative projects or produced for other artists, but this year he finally released his debut studio album FRANCIS. Obviously with ESTA. handling production, he makes sure to bring along some of R&B’s finest with him to handle the vocals. The 10-track album features collaborations with artists like Arin Ray, Kenyon Dixon, DUCKWRTH, Joyce Wrice, and Leon Thomas. Some of the standout tracks include “outta space” and “dangerous game” which details the complexities of love and relationships. With a 33-minute run time, it’s the type of album that can easily be played from front to back without any skips.

It’s very uncommon for artists to release mixtapes while they’re still promoting their albums, but Kehlani has never been a conventional type of artist. Just two months after releasing their fourth album Crash, they released their mixtape While We Wait 2. While Crash had more pop elements, While We Wait 2 had more of an R&B feel. Kehlani teamed up with Lucky Daye on the smooth lead single “When He’s Not There.” The singer also brought some early 2000s elements to “Know Better,” a song alongside Lil Mo and Vince Staples that was teased a couple of years ago. When Kehlani gets back into their R&B bag, they’re truly in their purest form that fans fell in love from their first mixtape. 

It seems like fans have been waiting forever for the duo of producer Knxwledge and vocalist Anderson .Paak, together known as NxWorries, to drop the follow-up to their 2016 debut album Yes Lawd! Well, the duo is finally back together on the sophomore album Why Lawd? and it centers around a heartache theme. On songs like “KeepHer," the duo teams up with Thundercat to detail the end of a relationship, they then team up with Snoop Dogg and October London on “FromHere” as they search for direction in life. With Knxwledge’s smooth production alongside .Paak’s storytelling skills, Why Lawd? makes for a seamless listen. Fans can only hope the duo doesn’t wait another eight years for the next album. 

Just a year after releasing her solo album In Pieces, Chlöe returned with her sophomore album Trouble in Paradise. The album’s lead single “FYS” is all about Chlöe not caring about a potential’s partner status or wealth, she just wants to love him. The second single “Boy Bye” finds Chlöe showcasing her pop-punk elements as she describes leaving a relationship that no longer serves her. Other standout tracks include “Temporarily Single” which samples the Tyrese 1998 hit song “Lately,” and teams up her with sister Halle on the smooth track “Want Me,” perhaps it's an indication of another group album coming soon. One thing about Chlöe, she knows how to layer and harmonize her voice in ways that aren’t always appreciated, but R&B fans know and love. 

Although Blxst has released a few mixtapes over the last couple years, he finally decided to drop his debut studio album I’ll Always Come Find You. The album is filled with 20 tracks broken up into four acts, and he’s joined by a star-studded cast of featured artists such as Fatman Scoop, 2 Chainz, Offset, Anderson .Paak, Ty Dolla $ign, and more. Blxst makes sure to bring a solid blend of tracks that anyone can enjoy such as the dance track “Too Many Friday Nights,” the Afrobeats-inspired song “Risk Taker,” the ‘90s R&B-inspired track “I Need Your Love,” or the reggaeton track “Rewind” alongside Feid and Becky G. While some listeners may not be too fond on the number of tracks, it definitely gives Blxst a chance to grab a listener’s ear with different sounds alongside his typical R&B and hip-hop elements. 

Muni Long’s career started to gain momentum when she was a songwriter for artists like Ariana Grande and Rihanna, it’s no wonder that she’s a master of storyteller, a talent that is shown tremendously on her album Revenge. The title derives from how Long may have been done wrong by people in her life, but it sparks motivation for her to move on and maintain her peace. She worked with Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox on the lead single “Made For Me,” a track in which she describes how people are meant to be for each other. One of her most relatable songs is “30s” in which she details how she doesn’t feel time is on her side to accomplish all that she wants. She also makes sure that men realize they fumbled a good partner on her songs “Played Yourself” and “The Baddest.” She closes the album with the single “Ruined Me,” a track that finds Long reflecting on the heartache after a break-up. Basically, if you’ve ever had any relationship woes, Long probably has a song for it. 

Just two years after releasing her debut album Hypnos, Ravyn Lenae returns with her sophomore album Bird’s Eye. It’s the type of album that showcases Lenae’s love for meshing alternative R&B with pop. It’s evident from the opening track “Genius” which is catered around a guitar strum that could easily be categorized as an '80s pop or early 2000s pop track. It’s no wonder she teamed up with Childish Gambino on the track “One Wish,” an artist who’s notoriously known for showing his love for different genres on his album. Lenae’s soft and airy tone fits so seamlessly across the smooth productions, making it an easy listen. 

It’s been quite a while since fans heard new music from American Idol alum Jordin Sparks. Although she released a holiday album back in 2020, her latest album No Restrictions comes nine years after her previous original album. On the opening track “Forever,” she teams up with T-Pain as they use a smooth sample of LL Cool J’s smash hit “Luv U Better.” She then reflects on a past lover on “Remember” which uses a sweet sample of Michael Jackson’s “Remember The Time.” The album is filled with classic R&B inspiration such as “The Wall,” ballads like “Admit It,” and dance tracks like “No Cry.” For listeners who enjoy R&B and pop, then No Restrictions deserves heavy rotation, and it’s so nice to see Sparks back in her element. 

Just a year after releasing her sophomore album Grudges, Kiana Lede is ready to rid herself of things and people that no longer serve her on her album Cut Ties. While the opening track “LTF” finds Lede enthralled with a newfound love, she has some reservations about it. She then goes into her desire for lovemaking on the follow-up track “Natural.” However, Lede starts to see the relationship starting to unravel on tracks like “U Can’t Remember” and “Too Many Strings.” Although Lede tries to give the relationship a chance, she knows she needs to get off the rollercoaster in order to see some self-growth. Lede’s vocal tone is perfect to take listeners on a journey of life, romance, and liberation. 

October London is the type of modern-day artist who pays homage to classic soul music of the past while putting his spin on it. His latest album October Nights shows just how much London has an appreciation for '70s and '80s soul artists. While his song "Touch on Me" finds London channeling his inner Marvin Gaye, he then finds inspiration from Lenny Williams on "3rd Shift." Throughout the 16-track album, London teamed up with producers such as Soopafly, Babyface, Poo Bear, and Boney James to name a few. 

Over the last few years, Normani would drop singles here and there, and fans often wondered when she would finally release a full project. Well, the wait is over, and Normani gifted fans with her debut album Dopamine. In addition to adding her Cardi B-assisted single “Wild Side” at the end of the album, Normani makes sure she brings slow jams and dance tracks that fans love. For the dance fans, she starts the album with the infectious track “Big Boy,” and also her pop-inspired track “Take Your Time.” She also showcases her sensual side on tracks like “All Yours” and “Lights On.” Dopamine in totality gives listeners a chance to get to know Normani’s more mature and sultrier side. She’s moved on from being a member of the pop group Fifth Harmony and is now emerging as one of R&B’s rising stars. 

Although Tanerélle has established Electric Honey (Encore) as an EP, it's a project that caught our attention and has us anticipating a full album. Tanerélle's sound is unique as it blends alternative, soul, and electro-R&B all in one, which is heard on tracks like "Houston," "Better Days," and the Sabrina Claudio-assisted song "Mirror." Throughout the 12-track project, Tanerélle teams up with producers such as Machinedrum, Jesse Boykins II, and Austin Millz, who know how to pair their smooth production with Tanerélle's ethereal vocals perfectly.