R&B

Browse r&b recommendations from people with great taste on Rec League.

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Dylan

Solange - A Seat at the Table

perfection

Louise Buckley

I Feel For You - Chaka Khan

Let me rock it Chaka Khan

Spines, Flicks, and Wax

Yesterday (En Vogue)

My mom bought Funky Divas on CD when I was in second grade. I didn't know some band called The Beatles sang it until a teacher (rarely rudely) informed me. Admittedly, I still kind of like this version better.

Des'ree - You Gotta Be

You gotta be bad You gotta be bold You gotta be wiser All I know, all I know Love will save the day The best part is danger staring you in the face (Ideally sung in a scented shower)

Dylan

Doechii - CATFISH / DENIAL IS A RIVER (Grammy Awards 2025)

Still prob my favourite Grammys performance ever

Coco Quizon

The Gap Band - Outstanding

I have this tattooed on me so I can easily make a request at a DJ booth. Truly the perfect love song! Didn’t have dancing at my wedding, maybe at the next one! Jk

April

Back to Black- Amy Winehouse (2006)

Perfection top to bottom and has evoked different emotions in me each age that I listened to it from adolescence through my early 30’s. Can’t stand that she is gone.

James Kylstra

T-Pain: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

18 charisma

Dylan

TLC - Unpretty

can we just take a moment to appreciate how fucking incredible this song was and still is. i was 13 when this came out and 28 years later it STILL makes me cry.

Spines, Flicks, and Wax

The Best of Sade (1994)

Double LP of Sade including hits "Your Love is King", "Smooth operator", "The Sweetest Taboo", "Never as Good as the First Time", "Paradise", "No Ordinary Love", "Like a Tattoo", "Please Send Me Someone to Love", and "Cherish the Day".

Analisa Burns

Raveena's "Honey"

songs like this make me feel like I'm just a mouse on a little sailboat

Ross Chait

Marilyn McLeod - I Believe In Me

Really cool, homegrown R&B / soul release from the late great, hit making Motown songwriter Marilyn McLeod (Marvin Gaye’s “The World Is X Rated,” Diana Ross’ “Love Hangover” etc etc). She’s also Alice Coltrane’s sister and Flyting Lotus’ grandma. Amazing career represented both musically and narratively (see “What Would Marvin Say”) on this great, vibalicious album.

Dylan

Kelela - In The Blue Light

a live unplugged album that gives me goosebumps. healing. i went to a listening room event where we silently lay on the floor next to strangers and listened to this vinyl. there's also a documentary <3

Grier

Black Messiah - D'Angelo

RIP to one of the greatest and most influential artists of the century, D'Angelo 🪽 He was obsessive, elusive, and refreshingly restrained. The result was three perfect albums: Brown Sugar (1995), Voodoo (2000), and my one of my favorite albums of all time, shared here, Black Messiah (2014).

Coco Quizon

Janet Jackson

From Control to All for You. Lots of great collaborations and genre-defining work.

Michael Bolognino

Breakdown | Mariah Carey

Especially the ad lib at the end. And of course the Bone Thugs rap.

Going Analog

The Philharmonik: Tiny Desk Concert

One of my favorite tiny desk moments ever - dude who was on the grind for so long that he brought all his homies and slayed it with his one chance to say thank you for sticking with him. Stupid talented and just some true bangers on this one.

Steven Weill

Bad Religion by Frank Ocean (Fallon, 2012)

If only we knew how rare a live moment with Frank would be in 2012. Beautiful song, stunning arrangement, subtle shifts from the album version — spectacular.

Analisa Burns

Knocked Me Off My Feet - Stevie Wonder (1976)

always a good idea to tap back in to this album 🙏🏼

Michael Bolognino

Saya Gray

Saya Gray is weird cute. Check out the album SAYA | A favorite track is Lie Down, the album closer.

Spines, Flicks, and Wax

Back To Oakland (1LP Rhino Reserve)

Little bit funk, little bit r&b, whole lot of East Bay love.

Steven Weill

Get Up, There Was A Time & Sometimes by James Brown (Letterman, 1982)

One of the most iconic late night performances ever. James Brown, with maybe the best backing band in late night, absolutely crushes his biggest hit before coming back for more after the commercial break. Electric. But wait there's more. After a few announcements from Letterman, Brown hits us with his THIRD song before the show fades out. Have you ever seen a studio audience so enthralled with a musical guest??

Analisa Burns

Rihanna - Here I Go Again (2005)

here I go again!

duendita - existential thottie

duendita’s music also helps me when I feel sad. Here’s the most recent album. The song “pray,” on a previous album is filled with coos of grounding reminders (whether you’re spiritual / religious or not).

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