There's not a lot to cover on our R&B Season playlist update this week, but we still rounded up our absolute favorite drops this week for your convenience and pleasure. Leading the way is the brand-new track from SZA, "Saturn," which she had previewed at the 2024 Grammy Awards and then released in multiple versions (sped-up, acapella, instrumental, etc.). With bright synth piano keys, a crisp and echoed percussive pattern, and the St. Louis native's trademark buttery vocals, this song puts you in a trance very quickly. Although SOS dominated 2023, we'll never complain about new Solana material to keep us under her spell, of which there should be more very soon.
In addition, we wanted to shout out the new single from Justin Timberlake, "Drown," on our R&B Season playlist update. Whereas the pop star's most famous material might be more bombastic and club-ready in many's eyes (or ears, rather), this new song proves that some of his greatest strengths have always been in charismatic melodic performances, woozier tempos, and more intoxicating additions to a sonic atmosphere. Minimal drums, airy synth chords, and a measured but nevertheless engaging vocal performance make this a relatively dreamy cut. It does sound very clean and sanitized, but its adherence to R&B tropes and production, plus a nice beat variation, keep us listening.
HNHH R&B Season Playlist: Stream
Finally, we wanted to give the TDE crew special props on R&B Season, as label mates SiR and Isaiah Rashad dropped off another hazy track with "Karma." This is another single for the former's upcoming project, which is shaping up to be a low-key but well-crafted and highly compelling offering. With this new record, the two artists show off a lot of chemistry while lyrically diving into the concepts of karma and riding a dry but stankface-inducing drum beat with ease. We can't wait for what's next!
On that note, what was your favorite R&B Season cut this week? What else did we miss? Drop your thoughts in the comments down below and check out the playlist above. Also, as always, stick around on HNHH for the latest great music drops around the clock.