Leading up to the Grammy nominations on Nov. 16, Rolling Stone is breaking down 11 different categories. For each, we’re predicting the nominees, as well as who will (and who should) win on Grammy night.
The R&B genre is constantly evolving and welcoming new artists into the fold. Over the past few years, the Grammys helped speed that along by introducing new categories like Best Progressive R&B Album, offering the chance for artists across the rhythm and blues spectrum to have their work recognized. “It’s a way to create more space for artists,” says Nadeska Alexis, an Apple Music host, whose expertise is in the R&B and hip-hop genres. Evolution is in the DNA of R&B. One of the positive changes in the streaming era is more blurred lines and less pressure to fit neatly into traditional genre boxes. But the original Best R&B Album category still carries its own sense of cachet, and this year’s field should include some awfully heavy hitters.
Best R&B Albums – Our Predictions
Brent Faiyaz, Icon
Kehlani, Kehlani
Bruno Mars, The Romantic
Jill Scott, To Whom This May Concern
Summer Walker, Finally Over It
Who Will Win
Kehlani, Kehlani
Since emerging on the scene over a decade ago, Kehlani has continuously gained momentum both in her musical, and political, voice. Her hit song “Folded” peaked at Number Six on the Billboard Hot 100 and won her two Grammys already, for Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance last year. Now, “Folded” appears on her self-titled, fifth studio project, and brings along its magic to the album, an LP that received more than 500 million streams on Spotify and includes some of the culture’s giants, like Lil Wayne, Missy Elliot, Usher, and Brandy. “She’s a special artist and she’s been doing this for such a long time,” Alexis says. “She’s always had this amazing blend of this ’90s, early 2000s R&B, and over the years she’s just been building the skill set.”
Who Should Win
Kehlani, Kehlani
Kehlani is the rightful victor here. While this year’s other nominees will no doubt be strong, Kehlani is setting milestones. Her album spent 11 consecutive weeks on the Billboard 200 and, for the first time, propelled the artist to Number One on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Album Charts. Says Alexis: “The project felt very cohesive. The instrumentation on the album was exceptional. It just feels like she built up to this moment and like this album could have only happened at this point.”
Forecasting the Field
While Kehlani is a strong contender for the category, the R&B space has absolutely expanded, while seeing the return of some of R&B’s original icons. Jill Scott kicked off the year with To Whom This May Concern, her first album in over a decade. “We have newer artists — like Victoria Monet, Coco Jones — that do a beautiful job of spinning traditional R&B elements in fresh ways by leaning into their unique strengths,” says Alexis. “But at the same time, we have legacy artists like Jill Scott and Erykah Badu who are delivering albums that feel very present, although they are built on a rich R&B lineage with influences that span everything from jazz to ’90s hip-hop.”
Baby Rose’s Yearnalism is also a potential contender in the nominee lineup and it would be a full circle moment for the bluesy sounding artist. This past Grammy season, Rose won her first Grammy for her contribution to Leon Thomas’ Mutt, which took the trophy for the category last year. Cleo Sol’s August drop of Gentlewoman is could also be contender on the nominee list. “R&B artists still don’t get as much mainstream recognition as they deserve, especially based on the quality of albums we’ve heard in recent years,” says Alexis. “But the genre is very much thriving. There is a large audience that appreciates the depth and range of this music.”
