FEBRUARY ALBUM REVIEWS
Since February is the month that Valentine’s Day falls in, you’d think that record labels would be pushing out a lot of fresh romantic music during the month. But unlike in previous years, that really isn’t the case in 2012. The closest is probably All of Me, the third album by British R&B singer Estelle. The others, [...]
JANUARY ALBUM REVIEWS
January is usually seen as a time of new beginnings, as people exit the old and enter the new with hope for good or better times to come. But it seems that when it comes to R&B music, January 2012 means that what’s old is what’s new. Fewer than half a dozen new albums are [...]
December Album Reviews
Traditionally, December is a pretty good month for new music, but this year there’s only about half a dozen new releases. Among them are Love After War, the fifth studio album by white chocolate sex symbol Robin Thicke; Conquer, which is Carl Thomas’ first release since 2007; and Lioness: Hidden Treasures, a collection of warmed-up [...]
NOVEMBER ALBUM REVIEWS
The biggest news this month is that Mary J. Blige is releasing her latest album, My Life II, which she calls the sequel to her landmark 1994 album, My Life. But she’s not the only urban music superstar dropping new music. Talk That Talk, which is Rihanna‘s sixth album in six years, also comes out in November. Other notable names with [...]
OCTOBER ALBUM REVIEWS
It may be 2011, but the month of October might sound like the 1990s all over again. That’s because by sheer coincidence, a number of the artists dropping new albums this month first arrived on the music scene about two decades ago. Among them: Boyz II Men, who are releasing a double CD this month in [...]
SEPTEMBER ALBUM REVIEWS
The biggest release of the month is by singer Jason Derulo, who dabbles in R&B but is mainly known as a pop artist. In addition to him the list also includes eight other releases, including the latest by the highly underrated Syleena Johnson, whose fifth album is appropriately titled Album 5: Underrated; pop-Soul duo Nikki & Rich; and alternative [...]
AUGUST ALBUM REVIEWS
A compilation of previously unreleased material from Jill Scott leads a fairly weak list of R&B/Soul album releases for August 2011. Other than Miss Jill’s final release for Hidden Beach Recordings, which is called From the Vault, the pickings for quality new music are pretty slim. There’s a new project from the legendary Sly Stone, [...]
JULY ALBUM REVIEWS
This month has some well-known names putting out new music, with the biggest of those names being Brian McKnight, who drops a CD/DVD combo this month that includes a disc of all-new songs, plus a concert disc. Also on the list is Kelly Rowland, who’s new project, Here I Am, features the hottest song she’s [...]
JUNE ALBUM REVIEWS
Of the R&B/Soul releases for the month of June, the top two artists are both extremely popular, but couldn’t be more different when it comes to musical style and substance. First there’s Soul poet Jill Scott, whose first album since she left Hidden Beach Recordings, The Light of the Sun, is due out June 21. [...]
MAY ALBUM REVIEWS
May 2011 isn’t a huge month for R&B and Soul music as far as blockbuster releases, but a number of respected veterans will put out new projects during the month. Maybe the one with the biggest buzz and most anticipation around it is Stone Rollin’, Raphael Saadiq’s follow-up to the phonemenal The Way I See [...]
APRIL ALBUM REVIEWS
Not much new R&B and soul music coming out in April 2011. The biggest release is the seventh album by Minnesota-based band Mint Condition, which is appropriately titled 7 … . The other big name on the list is Brian McKnight, who’s dropping a compilation of new and previously-released material called Just Me this month. Another noteworthy release is Tha [...]
MARCH ALBUM REVIEWS
The biggest news in March is that Academy Award-winning singer-actress Jennifer Hudson is releasing her long-awaited second album, I Remember Me. It’ll be the follow-up to her self-titled debut, which came out in September 2008. Another superstar releasing new music in March is Chris Brown, who hopes his F.A.M.E. album helps continue his climb out [...]
FEBRUARY ALBUM REVIEWS
So far, 2011 is starting off to be a slow year for new R&B and Soul music. In January, only two albums of new material dropped, and one of those was five-song EP of remakes. And in February, there’s only three all-new releases: one by Ginuwine and two by artists who aren’t really full-fledged R&B crooners: British [...]
JANUARY ALBUM REVIEWS
January of any year is always a slow month for new R&B and Soul music. There are a handful of reasons for this, but the main one is that November and December are heavy with new music due to the holiday season, where people tend to buy the majority of their music. And this January’s [...]
DECEMBER ALBUM REVIEWS
If November was the biggest month of 2010 for fresh R&B and Soul music, then December isn’t far behind. Plenty of big-name artists are putting out music just in time for the holidays, including R. Kelly’s retro album, Love Letter, and Ciara’s Basic Instinct, the release of which had been delayed throughout the second half [...]
NOVEMBER ALBUM REVIEWS
November is clearly one of the biggest months of the year for new R&B and Soul music. It’s stacked with well-known talented artists who’re releasing new music. Rihanna and Ne-Yo new projects drop a week apart from one another. Also releasing new material this month are Jazmine Sullivan, Soul singer Cee-Lo Green (of Gnarls Barkley [...]
OCTOBER ALBUM REVIEWS
October 2010 is not a very busy month for music, but there are number of big-name artists dropping albums this fall. And while that’s definitely true, almost none of those albums come out in October. Faith Evans is the biggest name among October’s small crop of releases, followed by Bobby V. (the singer formerly known as Bobby [...]
SEPTEMBER ALBUM REVIEWS
September has a nice mix of R&B and Soul artists releasing music. The headliner is Trey Songz, whose fourth album, Passion, Pain & Pleasure, drops just a little over a year after his breakthrough release, Ready, came out. Also coming with new albums are Barbados native Shontelle, whose No Gravity was pushed back from August, and sophisticated singers Will Downing and Elisabeth [...]
CELEBRITIES INTERVIEWS
Denzel Washington | The Book Of Eli Interview: January 2010 Denzel Washington is one of the coolest actors around. If he’s in your movie, you know you’ll get someone who is dedicated to his craft and do his best work possible. Teaming up with The Hughes Brothers, Denzel plays a character that’s complex, driven, and [...]