1. RAY BLK ft. Giggs – "Games"
R&B is alive and well in the UK and RAY BLK is leading the charge. Pairing up with the people's Prime Minister on her first track of the year is a strong indicator of what is to come from the star. 2021 is going to be a great year for RAY BLK so make sure you keep her on your radar.
2. Bruno Mars & Anderson .Paak – "Leave The Door Open"
When it was announced that Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak would be making an album together, nothing could’ve prepared me for how perfect the combination would be. Bruno Mars is very much in his element on this track, it is reminiscent of the spiritual experience that was the 24k Magic album. Silk Sonic is on course for being the album of the year and we’ve only had one song.
3. Drake ft. Rick Ross – "Lemon Pepper Freestyle"
Something extremely special happens when Drake and Rick Ross come together on one track. They never miss. I could talk about how I’m disappointed that Drake still hasn’t given us Certified Lover Boy but I’ll hold that for another day. Owning over 20 Wingstop restaurants, Rozay had to call the track “Lemon Pepper Freestyle” and I’m not mad at it, you have to plug yourself in this life. The track hints at what we're promised with the upcoming album – old Drake<. It reminds me of NWTS / Take Care Drake, and I couldn't be happier.
4. Ayra Starr – "Ija (TOKiMONSTA Remix)"
It’s been a little while since I’ve fallen in love with a song immediately, but something about the first 30 seconds of this track transcended me to somewhere both calm and enlightened at the same time. If you haven’t heard of Ayra Starr, I would 100% recommend you get onto her vibe and add her to your playlist this summer, because 2021 will be her breakout year.
5. JAE5 ft. Skepta & REMA – "Dimension"
When you hear “JAE5” at the beginning of a song, have you ever been disappointed? Producer JAE5 steps out with his debut single and links up with Skepta and REMA... Who else is doing that on their debut? Skepta represents London, while REMA's the new age of Afrobeats – the combination perfectly encapsulates JAE5's style.
6. Kota The Friend – "Wolves"
“I can’t lose, brought up by the wolves” – the growth of Kota has been exponential and it’s been beautiful to see it in real-time. “Wolves” is on Kota’s second album of the year...it’s March. No one is matching Kota’s work rate, and he doesn’t lack.
7. Tay Money ft. Flo Milli – "Asthma Pump"
This has been my favourite Tik Tok sound for weeks! I love it when a Tik Tok sound turns into a full track later in life. And having Flo Milli jump on the beat has made it that much better. To quote Saweetie. it's "something fun, something for the summertime".
8. Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caeser & Giveon – "Peaches"
People have a lot of thoughts on Justin’s latest album but I think we can all agree that “Peaches” is the best song on it by far, and I'm not afraid to say and it’s because of Daniel Caeser and Giveon. God bless Giveon and his voice that saves 100 souls. I hope there are plans to release the slowed, R&B version Justin played on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert, the world needs it.
9. JVCK JAMES – "What You Want"
JVCK JAMES is one of my favourite UK artists right now, and his latest EP drop is fire. If you’re a fan of artists like Lucy Daye or ELHAE you have to listen to JOYRIDE. “What You Want” is a real breath of fresh air for UK R&B and he's going to have a bright future ahead.
10. reggie – "AIN’T GON STOP ME"
reggie has come through with a feel-good track for the summer. reggie has always given me an Andre 3000 feel and it’s more evident than ever in “AIN’T GON STOP ME”. How can a 90-second track immediately put me in a better mood? That’s talent.
11. CHIKA – "CINDERELLA, Pt.2"
On top of being an A* rapper, CHIKA has a beautiful singing voice that I think we need to pay more attention to. I wish we got to hear more of it as we do on this song. This track is beautiful – so beautiful that if Disney decided to do yet another remake of Cinderella, this should be the leading song on the soundtrack.
12. Peach Tree Rascals – "LEAVE ME"
Peach Tree Rascals have been a recent discovery for me and I haven’t looked back. They're the boys whose cheeks you want to squeeze and take home to meet your mum. If you could package good vibes in a track, this is it. Their debut EP Camp Nowhere is a project you need on your playlist this summer.
13. Joyce Wrice ft. Lucky Daye – "Falling In Love"
This song has been on a solid rotation for days, Joyce put her whole being in this one. Joyce dropped the Overgrown album in mid-March and I can confidently say it's a no skip project. With features like Lucky Daye, KAYTRANADA, and Freddie Gibbs, the project is honestly perfect and really showcases Joyce in all her strengths.
14. Joel Culpepper – "Thought About You"
Firstly let's get into the intro for this song, the baseline is something – special it took me places. The took me back to the days of year three when I would write all over my school diary. And then it took me to the times of being grown-up (ish), enjoying a dark drink in a place where I shouldn’t have been. The song has levels, and I enjoyed them all.
15. Gallant ft. Brandy – "Dynamite"
Has Brandy ever been on a track that hasn’t taken you to heaven and beyond? Exactly. Gallant dropped his second EP Neptune and nothing could have prepared me for how amazing it would be. With features from VanJess and Arin Ray, how could it not be R&B greatness? But let's focus on the Brandy feature right now. Every time you think Brandy can’t better she just does. and I am so happy she is now giving us back-to-back tracks after her hiatus. No one has a tone like miss Brandy Norwood – and Gallant's rich tone complements it so well.“Dynamite” shows off both of their voices in a perfect way
16. Lil Nas X – "MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)"
Do I really need to say anything?