1. VanJess – "Come Over Again"
VanJess released the project Homegrown this February and it’s perfect. When people make flippant comments like “R&B is dead” they clearly are not looking in the right places because artists like VanJess make it their mission to keep 90’s style R&B alive and well. It was hard to pick just one song for this list, but this remix of the first song on the EP is too good not to give it all the accolades. It reminds me of the good old days when a remix would be a whole different song, well done ladies.
2. Victoria Monét – "F.U.C.K"
If you know then you know, that Victoria's penmanship is untouchable, so I will forever hype her up. "Friend U Can Keep"...or the other thing. Victoria knows how to make a sexy song and "F.U.C.K" is 100% that. After releasing the endless party EP Jaguar last year and then announcing her pregnancy, people were definitely not expecting anything new this early in the year from Victoria but we're grateful as this might be the last song we get for a little while.
3. Cardi B – "Up"
How many Instagram captions can you fit into one song? Cardi dropped the anthem for 2021 and you can guarantee this will be screamed in the club when we're finally allowed to party again. Cardi's flow is tight, the tempo is jumping, and the music video was definitely something special. Cardi does not miss and 2021 will most likely be her year.
4. Digga D ft AJ Tracey – "Bringing It Back"
"This the old flow, man bringing it back" is the first lyric on this track and they delivered! AJ put his whole foot in this song. The back and forth between the West Londoners was nothing short of perfection, this collaboration was a gift to the ears.
5. Ghetts ft Pa Salieu & BackRoad Gee – "No Mercy"
It's always a beautiful thing to see veterans in the game collaborate with new school. The streets have been on edge waiting for this album drop and the singles released prior only had people itching for more. Could "No Mercy" be signalling that Ghetts is passing the baton to the younger generation of grime?
6. pluko ft sad alex & Duckwrth – "High Hopes"
If you could package the notion of good vibes and place it in a song, this is it. Duckwrth constantly proves that he can slide onto any track and make it his own, no matter the genre. It's funky, it's vibrant, it's uplifting, it's exactly what you need to get you excited for summer.
7. Raveena – "Tweety"
Can you describe a song as cute? Because that's what this is. It's heart-eyed, lovesick, running through sunflower fields in spring cute. Nothing will soothe you quicker than Raveena's soft tone, it's peace packaged up in a three minute song.
8. Kenneth Whalum – "One More Kiss"
This might sound negative but it's not: Kenneth Whalum makes songs that make my heart hurt. If you're an ex-Tumblr kid – 2008-2010 era – then you'll want to dive headfirst into Kenneth's collection. The two time Grammy winner released this song in the height of valentines to enjoy make you think of your S.O.
9. Nipsey Hussle & Jay-Z – "What It Feels Like"
Long live Nip. This song brings up a multitude of emotions; it triggers sadness for the death of Nipsey Hussle, you begin to dream about what could have been. However, on the flip side, it also brings hope because Jay-Z has been out of the scene for a minute and you begin to dream again about a potential project coming from the icon. All in all a great song, and a perfect addition to the Judas and the Black Messiah soundtrack.
10. Lucky Daye ft Yebba – "How Much Can A Heart Take"
If you didn't feel single before, you definitely felt it when Lucky Daye dropped this EP on Valentines Day. Back to back hits but I have to focus on the song with the Yebba feature. It gives me falling in love, with a dark liquor in hand, under the soft glow of bar lights energy. Did you see Insecure season 4, episode 8? That.
11. KAYTRANDA - "Caution"
This beat couldn't be more KAYTRANDA if it tried – is this a teaser to a new project? Fingers crossed because the world needs the funky happiness that comes with a KAYTRANDA joint. This track is something to chill out, something to sip a little wine to, something to watch the sunset to – basically it's very much a KAYTRANDA track.
12. Ariana Grande – "someone like u - interlude"
Ariana added five extra songs when she dropped Positions (Deluxe) so it's very difficult to pick a favourite because they're all number 1s, but what is it about interludes? Is it because they're so short they tend to be the best song on an album. Ariana starts the extra selection with "someone like u" and it's heavenly, the harmonies ring very much like old school R&B and set the pace for the rest of the additions to the album.
13. Nick Jonas – "Spaceman"
As much as the Jonas Brothers reunion saved the souls of many '90s babies, solo Nick Jonas was a moment and "Spaceman" is a reminder of just how great it was. The song immediately gave me flashbacks to Zayn's "Pillowtalk" – that first track you release when you're stepping into a new space. "Spaceman" somehow touches on both the anxieties of the pandemic, but is also a love letter to his wife Priyanka Chopra. After five years, Nick recently announced his next album will be out on March 12th.
14. Tinashe – "I'm Every Woman"
Every 20 years or so the baton of this song is passed to the next generation, from Chaka Khan to Whitney Houston – is this Tinashe solidifying herself in history? Covering a song like this, after powerhouses like Whitney, is not easy but Tinashe did exactly what she had to do. She flipped the track into something of her own, and it completely worked. Not losing the traditional disco elements but adjusting it to her tone, this is now a perfect summer track to get the feet moving.
15. ELHAE – "Separated"
If you're tired of all the love songs that came out in February, here's a breakup anthem instead. ELHAE has returned with his second song of the year and as usual, hits us with lyrics that ring a little too true.
16. Bryson Tiller – "Timeless Interlude Pt. II"
Ariana is not the only one that dropped a deluxe album this month. Almost six months after the initial release of ANNIVERSARY, Bryson has blessed us with five more songs and just like Ariana Grande, the interlude is the stand out track. If there is one thing Bryson is going to do, it's have a fire interlude and this is part two of an already heavenly track. Reminiscent of TRAPSOUL, Bryson has given his fans exactly what they've been asking for since ANNIVERSARY dropped, will we be seeing more?
17. Justine Skye – "Intruded"
One of the things I enjoyed the most last year while stuck inside, was Justine Skye and Timbaland making little tracks together over what I assume was Facetime or Zoom. When Timbaland makes an artist his new project, the sky's the limit and if you grew up on Tumblr in the early 2010s, you know exactly who Justine Skye is and her talent is neverending. "Intruded" starts off with a Ginuwine sample and instantly solidifies itself as a classic. No date set yet for the EP release, but we'll be on the edge of our seats until then.
18. JVCK JAMES – "No Drama"
Everyone that says UK R&B doesn't exist has never listened to artists like JVCK JAMES. This is the perfect teaser ahead of his project release JOYRIDE on March 19th. This track is a perfect blend of old school and the new school, and even has a sample of Aaliyah "More Than A Woman" to pay true homage to the R&B greats that paved the way.