Alt-R&B Pop
tagStarted 2011Peak 2013-2020Last big hit still active
Experimental, atmospheric R&B that bends pop: airy falsettos, cavernous reverb, minimalist electronic beds, distorted synths and unconventional song structures. Cooler and more introspective than mainstream R&B, it trades melisma for mood and space, with detached, sensual, often dark writing about pleasure, alienation and excess.
History
Dubbed PBR&B or alt-R&B around 2011 as artists fused indie-electronic textures with R&B vocals. The Weeknd's mixtapes, Frank Ocean's confessional songcraft and Miguel's psych-soul defined the wave; SZA and Solange pushed it into critically adored, chart-topping mainstream pop through the late 2010s.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_R%26B
- https://pitchfork.com/artists/29973-the-weeknd/
- https://www.allmusic.com/style/alternative-r-b-ma0000025293