20 emerging R&B artists you should know

British girl group FLO is ready to take the world by storm. Since 2022, the group has released a few EPs, and they have since been on lineups at Coachella and currently touring with Kehlani on her CRASH Tour. In November 2024, FLO is set to release its long-awaited debut album Access All Areas. After watching FLO’s performances over the years, they have the style, tone, and harmonies that people know and love about girl groups. 

Thee Sacred Souls' 2022 track "Can I Call You Rose?" has been quite the popular song across social media. The trio's style of R&B is reminiscent of '60s and '70s groups, think of Motown vintage sounds inspired by the likes of Smokey Robinson and The Miracles or The Four Tops. Thee Sacred Souls is set to release their sophomore album Got a Story to Tell in October 2024. 

In 2022, Chxrry22 became the first lady signed to The Weeknd’s XO record label. Soon after, she released her debut EP The Other Side, and the following year she released her follow-up EP Siren, which featured collaborations with Vory and Offset. Earlier in the year, she joined Mariah the Scientist on her To Be Eaten Alive Tour. In October 2024, she’ll also be joining The Weeknd on his After Hours Til Dawn Global Stadium Tour in Australia. Her latest single “Poppin Out (Mistakes)” is a catchy post-break-up tune that is sure to be the perfect track for people celebrating the single life. 

Sibling quartet WanMor are descendants of R&B royalty as they are the sons of Boyz II Men singer Wanya Morris. Over the last two years, WanMor has been making a name for themselves in the R&B world. They signed with Mary J. Blige’s Beautiful Life Productions, released an EP, earned a Best Group nomination at the 2023 BET Awards, earned a Best New Artist nomination at the 2023 Soul Train Awards, and sang background vocals for Stevie Wonder at the Grammy Awards. Their sound is very reminiscent of their father’s early days in his group, as well as following the footsteps of artists like New Edition, while still keeping their song appropriate for their fan base. 

In 2022, Shaé Universe released her EP Unorthodox, an R&B-drill fusion project that featured collaborations with artists like ENNY and Kojey Radical. By 2024, Shaé had featured performances on COLORS and NPR’s Tiny Desk that helped expand her coverage to different fan bases. However, it’s her debut album Love’s Letter that is the type of project that should be on end-of-year lists. On the album, Shaé knows how to present love and romance in its purest and sweetest element. The album is filled with smooth ballads that fans of artists like Brandy, India Arie, and Angie Stone would love. 

One of the cool things about Felix Ames is how much he’s able to blend his love for R&B, neo-soul, and jazz so effortlessly. The Def Jam signee’s sound is evident on his debut album JENA heard across songs like “What A Good Time,” “Shoestring,” and “Taxi Driver.” He also has the look of an R&B star, let’s just say if you blended the looks of Maxwell and D’Angelo, then you’d get Felix Ames.

Ariel J. may not be a household name just yet, but she’s already being recognized by R&B veterans such as Erykah Badu. In early 2024, Ariel released her confidence-boosting anthem “Glow88,” a song that highlights how people continue to persevere despite all the setbacks, and eventually, your glow just shines through. Ariel’s tone is smooth and endearing that makes for a cool listening session, which is perfect for her songs that beam with positivity and affirmations. 

One of the cool things about Houston native Dende is how much he can move through R&B and hip-hop. In 2023, he released his EP Before We Crash and his album ‘95 Civic to rave reviews. Since then, he’s worked with several artists including Ye Ali, Xavier Omär, Chris Patrick, Xian Bell, and more.

Over the last several years, Ravyn Lenae has been releasing EPs such as Midnight Moonlight and Crush. Just two years after her critically acclaimed debut studio album Hypnos, Lenae returns with her sophomore album Bird’s Eye. The new album features collaborations with some of the hottest names in music such as Childish Gambino and Ty Dolla $ign. Her light-hearted tone is perfect for her sound which blends R&B with indie-pop.

The power of TikTok can do wonders for artists. Such is the case for 4batz when his song “Act II: Date @ 8” went viral on the platform, and then Drake joined him on the remix. It was the lead single to his mixtape U Made Me a St4r,  and not too long after, he announced he was signing to Drake’s record label OVO Sound. Not to mention, he got a co-sign from Kanye West mentioning that he’s his favorite rising artist.

Lehla Samia was getting recognized for her covers on TikTok and then in 2022, she became the first R&B artist signed to Yo Gotti’s record label CMG Records. Although she released her EP Lovers Wave, Vol. 1 in 2023, her 2024 single “Proud To Be Your Girl” sounds reminiscent of the classic 2000s R&B sound that fans appreciate. It helps that heavy-hitters Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox co-wrote and co-produced the track, so Samia working with R&B royalty proves she's well on her way to gaining more buzz in the music world. 

When it comes to R&B, it seems like artists from the U.K. have it down to a science in regards to making the music that listeners love, doing the sound their way while continuously respecting the craft. Back in 2023, British singer Elmiene (pronounced El-mean) signed a deal with Polydor and Def Jam. Since then, he’s landed on plenty of artist-to-watch lists, performed at Glastonbury, had a must-watch performance on COLORS, and embarked on a US tour. His smooth and airy vocals bring a special type of sound with a modern take on neo-soul that R&B lovers will be most pleased with. 

In early 2023, Naomi Sharon became the first woman signed to Drake’s record label OVO Sound. Later in the year, she released her debut album Obsidian, which included singles such as “Celestial” and “Definition of Love.” In 2024, she joined Tems as an opener on her Born in the Wild Tour. 

October London isn't necessarily a new artist, he's been signed to Snoop Dogg's Death Row Records since 2016. However, it seems like in recent years, more fans have been catching on to his soulful sound. In early 2023, he released his album The Rebirth of Marvin, which served as a tribute to the legendary Marvin Gaye, and it went No. 1 on iTunes. He's currently supporting Maxwell and Jazmine Sullivan on The Serenade Tour, a great outlet for more fans to get familiar with his music as he gears up for his newest album October Nights. 

Some people may know Jazlyn Martin as the role of Jackie on Peacock’s Bel Air, but similar to her cast mates, not only does she act but she dances and sings as well. In August 2024, she released her debut EP Identity Crisis, a title that fits perfectly as Martin didn’t always want to share her singing talent with the world. Martin uses the EP as she tries to navigate through an introspective journey, which is evident on tracks like “perfect” and “deep water.” Perhaps this is just the start for Martin to truly prove that she’s a triple threat. 

In 2020, Nippa released his debut single “Squeezin’ Ya” and hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. Since then, he’s received co-signs from Boi-1da, opened for Blxst, collaborated with Larry June, wrote songs for Craig David, toured with Jack Harlow, and released an EP. For someone with a background as a rapper, Nippa adds his floating elements into his R&B sound with ease. 

During the summer 2024, Laila! became a viral sensation on social media thanks to her catchy tune “Not My Problem.” Not only is she a singer, but a rapper, producer, and songwriter as well. And talent definitely runs in the family, she’s the daughter of rapper Yasiin Bey (a.k.a. Mos Def). In September, Laila! released her debut album Gap Year, which aesthetically plays on the theme of someone in school, it also helps that the album’s opening track is “Talent Show” which is a snippet of a high school talent show. The album is a solid introduction to showcase how much Laila! has a good grasp of blending R&B with pop and hip-hop.

TA Thomas was formerly a member of Next Town Down before he broke away in 2020 to embark on a solo career. In 2023, he released his debut album Caught Between 2 Worlds, which featured the majority of production and songwriting from DJ Camper. Almost a year after the album’s release, he signed a record deal with Def Jam and High Standardz. Not only is Thomas showcasing how much he can run with some of the best R&B crooners, he also does a lot of work behind the scenes for other artists. He’s worked as a producer and writer for artists like The Amours, Jazlyn Martin, and DIXSON to name a few. 

U.K. singer Jaz Karis first came onto the scene in 2017 with her first EP Into the Wilderness. She went on to release three more EPs before leading up to her 2024 debut album Safe Flight. On the album, whether it’s a ballad like “LYTM” or a dance tune like “Tequila,” Karis has a solid grasp of honing her sound of R&B, pop, and amapiano. The album features collaborations with artists like Tone Stith, Juls, and fellow U.K. singer Mahalia. 

2024 has been a solid year from Houston-based singer/songwriter Jack Freeman. He released his third album Nina, which was executive produced by the legendary Bryan-Michael Cox, he joined fellow R&B singer Kenyon Dixon on The R&B You Love Tour, and collaborated with Jagged Edge on a sweet remix to his song “Undress.” On the album, Freeman explores the nuances of love and heartbreak, while keeping the music grown and sexy.