Time for some smooth vibes by female R&B artists!
We put together a list of five inspiring and talented singers who create their own R&B while blending it with other genres – from edm to rap. Enjoy!
R.A.E
R.A.E (pronounced arr-ay-ee) is a singer, rapper and songwriter pioneering a new sound rooted in 90’s Nostalgia. Her artistry manifests itself in a unique blend of Hip-Hop and R&B, bringing a fresh but nostalgic sound with her easy melodies and uplifting raps.
Growing up influenced by the likes of Left Eye, Da Brat and Mc Lyte, her distinctive style matched with her ability to create feel good music captivates and inspires listeners worldwide. Through her music R.A.E illustrates relatable experiences, speaking to young, excited and label-less people of her generation.
IYAMAH
Iyamah (pronounced i-yam-ah) grew up on the sounds of African drumming and reggae music in the seaside town of Brighton. Immersed in the festival culture, Iyamah was raised by her artistic mother, who encouraged her with a creative upbringing. She started singing from an early age, imitating soul singers like Alicia Keys and Adele from the radio. At 13, she picked up a piano and started writing songs, but kept them for her own expression, just like a diary. Iyamah was inspired by empowering female artists and since moving to London at 19, developed her taste for Neo-Soul and hip hop, under the likes of Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu. Iyamah released her first single, Cryptic Love in 2018 and has become one of the UK’s most exciting up and coming artists in the scene and describes her sound as ‘Rootsy Soul’, a combination of her favourite genres.
JGrrey
London musician JGrrey has already carved out a musical niche with her searingly honest songwriting, dry sense of humour and silky vocals. Making neo-soul with club-ready moments and contemporary edges, her debut EP, Grrey Daze garnered support from everyone from Annie Mac and DJ Target to Aminé, and Billie Eilish, who JGrrey supported on her European tour. Her approach to songwriting is frank, honest and relatable, and with her gorgeous Sade-esque vocals and incredible style, she’s a true triple threat.
Carey Renee
After spending her childhood steeped in music, beginning with formal violin training at the age of three, Carey turned down a scholarship to study violin and vocal performance to instead pursue her desire to care for sick children. Born with a serious congenital heart defect herself, Carey spent over a decade working as a nurse and nurse practitioner in the neonatal and pediatric ICU. After the birth of her second child, becoming extremely busy restoring and opening a historic theater venue in her hometown, and experiencing significant health care burnout, Carey left the hospital and spent the next two years floundering a bit. She opened a non-traditional elementary school and started a doctoral program at Vanderbilt, but felt she was lacking the passion she had once felt in her career in critical care. After some soul searching and with encouragement and support from family and friends, Carey started to find her voice again. What began as a plan to record a few cover songs to gift to her father for Christmas turned into collaborations with several musicians and producers, with over a dozen new songs rapidly emerging from these sessions including her debut single, House Is Burning.
Kaiit
It’s not often that you come across an upcoming artist, hailing from Melbourne, Australia, that has been co-signed by two Neo-Soul Queens, Jill Scott and Erykah Badu, as their musical love child from down under.
After coming into the scene with her first single Natural Woman going viral, Kaiit shook up the world of future-soul and RnB. She’s been named as one the best rappers under 25 by Red Bull Music, sharing the list with artists such as Joey Bad A$$ and Chance the Rapper. With the release of her debut EP Live From Her Room in 2018, Kaiit has managed to attract attention worldwide and found herself gaining a total of over 4 million streams on Spotify alone, emphasising that Kaiit’s significant rise as a recognised artist has been a result of independent organic growth.
In 2018, Kaiit travelled across Australia and New Zealand on a sold out 13 date National Tour sharing the same stage with respected artists such as Aloe Blacc, Smino and The Internet at their Australian shows.
Significant milestones from the young and rising star include making the 2019 Youtube shortlist, nominated for Best Female Musician for the 2018 Age awards, featuring on Beats One with Zane Lowe, and was the highly sought after artist at Big Sound in 2018.
At only 21 years old, 2018 proved to be a significant year for Kaiit and she will continue to plough her way through 2019 with ease, affirming that the future’s so bright for this vessel of love.