2020 in Review: Popular R&B Albums

Looking at the most popular R&B albums from 2020 on our site, the general theme seems to be resurgence. 2020 saw a lot of strong returns to form, as many artists that had been away for five or more years returned with new albums. We'll take a look at the biggest albums below, including one surprise.

112 - Forever

112 might have returned with a slimmer (no pun intended) lineup this time, as Mike and Slim were the only members, but that didn't hurt their popularity. Their new album was the most popular album on our site this year. Is it caused by their line of popular singles like For Us, Looking For Love and Spend It All? Or was it just because the review was on our front page for a long time?

Jagged Edge - Jagged Love Story

Jagged Love Story from Jagged Edge came in second place. This album was packed to the brim with over 30 tracks. They've released four music videos promoting the album, for tracks like "Closest Thing to Perfect" and "How to Fix It." Overall, the album seemed to go for quantity and not quality in our eyes, but Seasons of Us is still one of our favorite tracks of the year, so at least it had that going for it.

Toni Braxton - Spell My Name

Toni Braxton showed she's still on top of the R&B game with her new album, Spell My Name. The record was a crisp 35 minutes, but it was such a good 35 minutes that it's hard to complain. The record featured the popular single "Dance", and our personal favorite track, "Happy Without Me." Toni Braxton's such a talent, this record has us eager to see what she'll do next.

4PM - Now's The Time

In the "well that was unexpected" category, 4PM's record Now's The Time comes in at #4. The group who's name stands for "For Positive Music" released a debut record that is packed with solid songs. The album features the group's biggest hit "Sukiyaki" and other smooth tracks like "Lay Down Your Love" and "Father and Child." The group was unconventional, but it looks like they hold lasting appeal as our visitors continue to check them out.

Kem - Love Always Wins

Closing out the top five is the new R&B record, Love Always Wins, by Kem. I wasn't too familiar with Kem's work prior to this album, but was immensely surprised by what I heard here. His first album in six years, Love Always Wins is a great listen that takes you on a journey through R&B music's history. Kem is an artist in the truest sense, and listening to tracks like "Friend Today", "Live Out Your Love" and the title track "Love Always Wins" will have you buying in.

This year was a great year for R&B artists to return with new albums. Be sure to check out the records above and read our reviews to see our more in-depth thoughts on the records. And of course, check back tomorrow as we look at our most popular artists in 2020.