Single—New Singles From Usher, Ciara, Halle & More
Courtesy of Audiomack (I do not own the rights to this image)
The R&B-powers-that-be have been more than gracious over the last few weeks. On Friday alone, we were blessed with single releases from our A-list R&B stars including Usher, Halle, Kevin Ross and Ciara. All four singles combined covered the full spectrum of R&B from love to empowerment, giving everyone something to love from the bunch.
Halle Bailey, fresh off a melanated rendition of Ariel, has finally stepped into her solo career. Angel has set the bar mighty high for solo debuts. The arrangements are clean and cohesive, the vocal range is goes through the stratosphere and the message is sure to elevate this record to anthem status for Black women globally. The video also looks comfortably budgeted with incredible creative direction. Everything we’d expect from the young star and her team.
Usher is still creating contemporary R&B at a high level nearly 30 years in the game. His new single Good Good is fresh pivot from the toxic side-piece R&B, breaking down what healthy platonic love looks like after a breakup. We don’t always have to hate our exes. I’m also a big fan of generational bridges from the old guard to the new pillars of the genre. Summer Walker and Usher are like yams and Mac on the fork and smooth 2 for 2 from the free-throw. Not to mention 21 Savage continuing his phenomenal feature run. This is an all around dope record and the anticipation for Usher’s forthcoming project grows exponentially.
Courtesy of Vibe Magazine (I do not own the rights to this image)
To no surprise, Ciara and Chris Brown shattered ceilings with their Bonnie & Clyde style collaboration on How We Roll. The music video itself amassed a whopping three million views from Friday to Sunday, causing song of the summer conversations to bubble online. A surprise announcement of an EP followed the release on Friday also. This uptempo smash is a reminder of all the reasons why we fell in love with Ciara’s music over twenty years ago.
Last but surely not least on the menu is Ready For It, a summer record from Kevin and Eric Bellinger. In two and a half minutes, the duo explains (with eloquence) that men can better equip themselves for love with time, if you allow them. This toxic-lite record is still dope enough to fall in love to making it a perfect addition to your R&B playlists. It also happens to be the first single from the third and final installment of Kevin’s Midnight Microdose series releasing later this year.
Make sure all four of these singles find their way to your ears in the near future. Trust and believe my fingers are crossed for a third consecutive week of dope releases!