The Best R&B Albums of 2015
Hug your pillow tightly and check out the best of 2015.
1 / 10
A Soulful Year - It’s a wrap for 2015, and now it’s time to tally up the scores of some of the best R&B albums released over the past 12 months. This year marked the return of some of our favorites artists like Erykah Badu, Tyrese, and Ms. Jackson herself, but those aren’t the only ones that brought the heat. Behind the scenes, songwriters were shining brightly alongside other artists that, even though years out from their debut, are still proving they've got the staying power needed to become legends. A favorite newcomer even managed to break into the mix for an imaginative hip hop/R&B ride. It’s been a good year. Here are some R&B albums that had us loving, vibing, and rocking. —Jon Reyes(Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images, Jason Merritt/Getty Images, Mike Windle/Getty Images)
2 / 10
Stacy Barthe, BEcoming - Where do genres begin and end for Stacy? BEcoming doesn’t really answer the question for us, but it does let listeners inside of what drives the artist to write songs for the likes of Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, and Rihanna: solid R&B love songs.(Photo: Motown Records)
3 / 10
James Fauntleroy and India Shawn, Outer Limits - James has already proven his prowess contributing to Rihanna, Frank Ocean, Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé, and Kendrick Lamar’s respective catalogs. On Outer Limits he brings in Los Angeles-born artist-songwriter India Shawn for a tempered and layered R&B album. Between India’s vocals and the dynamic instrumentation throughout the album, you get the sense you’re listening to something happening in the future.(Photo: James Fauntleroy & India Shawn)
4 / 10
Tyrese, Black Rose - Social media fanatic and singer Tyrese actually delivered an album worth stacking up against R&B releases of the year. Why should we be surprised? The voice has always been there, yet, on Black Rose, rap gimmicks and radio pandering are left behind. Tyrese is fully concentrating on interpretation here and it works all the way through. He sounds sincere and there’s no doubt about that on songs like “Shame” or the star-size duet with Brandy, “Rest of Our Lives.” Tyrese is always at his best in the studio.(Photo: Voltron Recordz)
5 / 10
Janet Jackson, Unbreakable - Not all comebacks need pyrotechnics and bullhorns, but it does need fanfare. In this case, fans were definitely hyped for Janet Jackson’s first album in eight years. Sticking to what has always made her sound stronger, she teamed up with long-time collaborators Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis for Unbreakable. The collection of songs were less pop-and-lock Janet and more of introspective Janet. The mid-tempo tracks and ballads leave us with a sense that Janet is still a recording artist with things to sing about.(Photo: Rhythm Nation / BMG)
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