Contemporary R&B Artists

Since the mid-1980s, contemporary R&B records have paired hip-hop rhythms with vocal-led songs, smoothing their edges through layered production and polished harmonies. Lead singers often stretch and turn notes with melisma, while backing vocals, keyboards and programmed drums fill out a sleek, controlled mix. The groove can lean toward dance music, but it usually leaves room for the voice to carry the song's emotional weight.

The style grew from African-American musicians in the 1970s, bringing R&B into contact with pop, disco, funk, soul, jazz, blues and, later, hip-hop. It differs from older soul and R&B in its studio finish: beats are commonly electronic or hip-hop derived, and arrangements tend to be denser and more precisely layered. Compared with hip-hop, its percussion is often less abrasive and its focus stays on singing rather than rapping. Since the 2010s, electronic textures and production have also fed into electro-R&B, a strand that gives the form a more synthetic, dance-oriented surface without losing its vocal center.