Jorja Smith, Lucky Daye & RealestK Fill Our New "R&B Season" Playlist Update: Stream

BYGabriel Bras Nevares721 Views
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LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 07: Jorja Smith performs onstage at the Music Industry Trust Awards 2022 at The Grosvenor House Hotel on November 07, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by JMEnternational/Getty Images)
Which of these three standout R&B-adjacent cuts was your favorite this week, and what else did we miss that impressed you?

Another week, another R&B Season playlist update to round up the best of what the genre and its adjacent sounds had to offer this week as far as new releases. While we don't have too much to talk about this time around, we wanted to focus on three cuts that really stood out among the rest of the pack. Moreover, the first of these is Jorja Smith's reimagined version of her falling or flying cut, "Greatest Gift." This time around, the percussion takes a bit of a softer approach, and it definitely feels a little more acoustic as far as the mix goes. In any case, it's a curious comparison and one that doesn't take away anything from the original while making this reimagining its own highlight with a killer piano solo.

Next up on our R&B Season playlist update is the latest single from Lucky Daye, "HERicane." In contrast to the last track we talked about, this is a much funkier, more colorful, more vocally dynamic, and more summery offering that previews hotter months quite well. It's got that disco charm despite a pretty stylistically different approach to the drums in particular, but it's able to evoke an old-school sound without sounding too campy or dated. Overall, it just sounds really crisp and rich thanks to a lot of great interplay between its many instrumental and vocal elements.

HNHH R&B Season Playlist: Stream

Finally, we wanted to shout out the new single from RealestK, "Let Me Go." What starts off as a sultry piano ballad eventually introduces those slow, minimal, and woozy rap-inspired percussion that sets the mood effortlessly. Vocally, this song is incredibly hazy, which can sometimes work to its detriment when the falsettos start to hit, but there's also plenty of added atmosphere through background singing that makes up for it a bit. For those of you that want your contemporary R&B to stick to the most current traditions, this one's probably for you.

Meanwhile, we wanted to ask what your favorite release of these was, as well as what else we missed this week that's worth some praise. Let us know your thoughts and recommendations down in the comments section below. Also, if you haven't heard any of these songs or our R&B Season playlist before, make sure to check it out above. As always, come back to HNHH for more news from your favorite artists and the latest releases around the clock.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.
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