Dr. R&B Guru
Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Learned to Love Modern R&B

As you likely have noticed, the site has now done the unthinkable and broken the barriers to modern R&B. Whereas the doors used to be closed to the likes of Chris Brown, Ne-Yo and whoever else the kids these days are listening to, they now have been given free reign to run rampant across the site. The team has sent me in to settle your fears and show you that it's not all bad. Here we present you with four pages and four categories that will hopefully settle your fears at the expansion into modern R&B.

Categories

Up-tempo/Hip-Hop-esque R&B

Yes, today's R&B is not what we're used to. Rather than fitting the bedroom, the music seems to have relocated to the clubs and the cars. However, in the proper mix, that's not always a bad thing. The songs can get your head bobbing and get you moving along to the track. So keep an open mind, and check out these up-tempo, often hip-hop influenced jams.

Avant - 4 Minutes

Avant seemed to usher in the up-tempo sounds of R&B when he launched his career in the early 2000s with "Separated." He continues to keep it real with hip-hop-esque R&B tracks that sound good, oh so good.

Chris Brown - I wanna Be

So yea, Chris Brown's a youngun, and the track features T-Pain. But this track is one of the ultimate testimonies of what is entertaining about today's R&B. It's so dang catchy and works wonders in the car. The head starts to bob and the foot keeps tapping, no matter how much I want it not to.

Mario - If I Hurt You

So Mario fits as like a compromise between the new hip-hop R&B and the classic sound. Similar to Avant, his tracks lack the strong club sound but since this track didn't fit great in any specific category, here it sits. A catchy tune with a wonderful chorus and nice throughout.

Ne-Yo - So Sick

Ne-Yo, the 20th century's Babyface, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, caught the world's attention with this single. The track's catchy and is a different spin on R&B than what we're used to. Certainly worth a listen.

Frankie J - Don't Wanna Try

Okay, so his career seems to have been built on two tracks, "Don't Wanna Try" and "Obsession," but that doesn't make the songs any less enjoyable. With an english and a spanish version, this song's received a good amount of spins on my playlist.

Mariah carey - We Belong Together

These next two tracks are part of my "90s artists who adapted to modern R&B by picking up the speed." So it wasn't as big of a change for Usher (though tracks like "Yeah" contest that), Mariah's managed to keep herself relevant by cranking up the pace a bit. Still, that's not taking away any of the steam on this jam which still is tight.

Usher - Moving Mountains

As mentioned, Usher's sound has always been a bit more up-tempo and so, if you enjoyed his other fast-paced joints, you'll probably like this one. The song's got a great message of fighting against resistance and the music video looks like it cost a bunch. The chorus needs work as it sounds like it's just Usher moaning, but the verses more than make up for it.

Ray J - One Wish

While Sexy Can I would be the perfect example, "One Wish" is a bit better of a track. Ray J seems to have the up-tempo tracks down to an art form and they're not too bad. Check this one out and see if you're a believer.

Check out new artists with the 90s sound on page 2!

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