Even though this year’s new music releases have begun to taper off, we still have some great stuff to talk about in our latest R&B Season Playlist update. First up, we’ve got two new records from Jorja Smith’s latest two albums: “Loving You” and “Don’t Let Me Go” featuring Maverick Saber. The former is a piano-led ballad with lovelorn lyrics, gorgeous vocal performance, gentle rhythms, and grand harmonies that make the cut even more powerful. As for the latter, it’s a mellow acoustic guitar track along equally romantic and melancholic lines, with the harmonies serving as more of an emphasis than the architectural swell of another song.
Elsewhere in the R&B season, we also want to give a shout out to another album, Ella Mai’s 3 EP. As the titles suggest, the three new records are very different from each other, with “One Of These” being an energetic and percussive brass affair, while “Little Things” is more of a smooth, woozy piece over a trap beat. A sleepy journey. For our money, though, the highlight is definitely “Hearts On Deck,” thanks to its warm bass, sparkling synth keys, catchy melody, and simple yet grounded snap-based instrumentation.
HNHH R&B Season Playlist Update: Streaming
Finally, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the ongoing comeback of one of the R&B scene’s most beloved stars of the early 2000s. Mario brings a lot of soul and style to his latest single, “Glad You Came,” built around crisp and beautiful drum kits, airy piano throbs, and gliding vocals. The sonic presentation of this heart-warming record certainly reflects its comforting and upbeat lyrical content, as it doesn’t feel overly dramatic or over-the-top. If you still have any doubts about whether he is, you can put that doubt to rest.
If you’re looking for more new music this week, we recommend checking out our Fire Emoji playlist (linked in the “Read More” section below) for the week’s best new hip-hop music. MCs like Ferg and SahBabii have put out some great releases, while Kenny Mason’s “HOODRAT” ranks among the best new songs of November so far. Let us know in the comments section what your favorite R&B season picks were this week and what else we missed. Check out the playlist above and as always follow HNHH for more great music 24/7.
About the author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer at HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH in the summer of 2022 while completing his bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communications at George Washington University. His review of Bad Bunny’s 2024 hometown concert. the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of a war with Drake, or the many moving parts in the case of Young Thug and YSL RICO. In addition to his riveting breaking news coverage, Gabriel puts his concert obsession to good use, reviewing and recapping music festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also cultivated a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscure gems, such as Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.
…
