MARCH ALBUM REVIEWS
After a month off working on the 24hr Radiothon for ACLT, singer-actor Justin Timberlake who isn’t really a full-fledged R&B/Soul artist, leads the list of artists releasing albums during March 2013, mainly because no other urban singer releasing an album during the month matches his star power. The closest is Brian McKnight, who’ll try to reverse years [...]
JANUARY ALBUM REVIEWS
The holiday season is officially over and so is the lull in new R&B and Soul music that occurred at the end of 2012. There aren’t a whole lot of new albums expected to drop during the first month of 2013, but among the artists with planned January release dates are the timeless Charlie Wilson, [...]
THE BEST OF 2012
We have collated All the singers who each released a new album in 2012, some even in the same week. And picked the Best. For full details of The Best Of 2012 R&B/Soul releases, have a look below. __________________________________ If You missed any of these then drop us a line at info@luvfreeness.com. ** See You [...]
NOVEMBER ALBUM REVIEWS
Alicia Keys. Ne-Yo. Rihanna. Keyshia Cole. All these singers are not only among the biggest names in urban music today, they also have something else in common; each is releasing a new album in November 2012, some even in the same week. And in addition to the above-mentioned artists, underrated but highly talented singer Anthony [...]
OCTOBER ALBUM REVIEWS
Over the past couple of years, there’s tended to just be seven or eight new, original R&B and Soul albums coming out each month. So judging by that standard, October 2012 could be considered a blockbuster month, since more than a dozen albums by known artists are scheduled to drop. Among the major ones: the [...]
SEPTEMBER ALBUM REVIEWS
The list of new album releases for September 2012 contains a number of artists who are longtime veterans of the music business. Among them: Soul singer Angie Stone, who got her first break in the early 1980s as a member of hip-hop trio The Sequence; and R&B band Mint Condition, who released their debut album [...]
AUGUST ALBUM REVIEWS
Summer’s in full swing and with the London Olympics & weather that can’t make it’s mind up comes a new release from one of the hottest singers in R&B these days. Trey Songz drops his fifth album — which is fittingly titled Chapter V this month and he’s not alone in the new releases department. [...]
SUMMER 2012 R&B/SOUL PREVIEW
It usually isn’t until the fourth season of the year that R&B’s biggest and brightest stars typically release new albums, but this year’s definitely an exception to that unofficial rule. Not only has Usher already released what’s the best R&B-pop album of the year so far, Looking 4 Myself, but other household names, including Chris [...]
JUNE ALBUM REVIEWS
We’re not even halfway through 2012, but what will probably go down as the biggest month of the year for R&B and Soul music has already arrived. The two biggest male superstars in R&B music today Usher and R. Kelly are both releasing all-new albums this month, as is another guy who for was also [...]
MAY ALBUM REVIEWS
May 2012 looks to be a bit slow as far as new albums by established R&B and Soul artists is concerned. The two biggest names on this month’s list are Tank, the bodybuilding singer-songwriter-producer who releases his fifth studio album, This is How I Feel this month; and Bobby Brown, the infamous New Edition member [...]
APRIL ALBUM REVIEWS
Spring has sprung, and popping up with it are a number of new releases by artists well known to R&B fans. Leading the list of April 2012′s new albums is New Life, the latest from Monica, followed by the comeback albums from Ashanti and R&B trio SWV, the latter of which hadn’t released a new studio album since Bill Clinton [...]
MARCH ALBUM REVIEWS
March looks to be another slow month for new R&B and Soul music, continuing what’s been a slow year so far. This month’s highlights are Letters From Birmingham, the fifth studio album by “American Idol” season 2 winner Ruben Studdard; and The MF Life, the long-delayed sophomore album by Canadian singer Melanie Fiona. Others releasing [...]
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 [...]
