Top 10 Modern RNB Acts

Your career must be on the right path when your vocals have been compared to the legendary and often incomparable Michael Jackson. This Canadian singer-songwriter is now seeing mainstream success after thriving as an independent artist with his first three mixtapes, “House of Balloons”, “Thursday”, and “Echoes of Silence”. As his vocals, songwriting, and production has become more consumable for a pop audience, his crooning falsettos still depict stories of drug usage, love, and partying, and are just too tantalizing to stray away from.

Frank Ocean was seen as the calmer, less vagrant member of the Odd Future rap collective featuring Tyler, The Creator. If you ask some music fans, he may be seen as the best of the group, and probably the most intriguing. Once a songwriter for artists such as Justin Bieber and John Legend, Ocean has gained much acclaim for his solo work, including the Grammy Award-winning album Channel Orange. At this point, fans are practically restless for a new album from Ocean, something that’s been teased for what feels like an eternity.

R. Kelly is regarded as one of, if not the, best of his genre, as his controversial, yet successful career has spanned from the 1990s to the present. From tracks like “Bump N Grind” to the “Ignition” remix, R. Kelly has produced and sang sensual and quality R&B tracks that have been able to stand the test of time, and has even ventured into newer and fresher material in the 2010s. We’ll even forgive him for his rendition of the U.S National Anthem. Okay, maybe not.

Chris Brown is yet another entry on our list that cannot seem to escape controversy, but is an indisputable talent in the world of R&B. Brown was even named Top R&B Artist by Billboard in 2012, and captured his only Grammy for Best R&B Album for his album F.A.M.E that same year. Despite his troubles, and there are quite a few, it seems as if Brown will always find a way to smash the charts with his charm, vocals, and dancing ability.

He went from being hired to singing hooks on early tracks from Kanye West, to being regarded as one of the biggest artists in the R&B genre. Legend, who actually got his stage name from Kanye, first caught mainstream’s attention with his debut album “Get Lifted”, where he won a Grammy for the smash hit “Ordinary People”, and the album has since been seen as one of the best of the decade. Legend has continued to produce and sing quality R&B tracks since then and has even won an Academy Award for his efforts.

Mary J. Blige has been the voice of some of the best R&B songs spanning over the modern R&B era. Blige has also been recognized as one of the most successful artists in the genre, as six of her nine Grammies have come from R&B-related categories. In fact, Mary J. Blige’s track, “Be Without You”, was regarded as the top R&B song of the 2000s according to Billboard and spent 75 weeks at the top of their R&B/Hip-Hop singles chart.

We all know about the Mickey Mouse Club upbringing, but Timberlake’s legacy will be remembered more for his impact in pop and in R&B. After being presented as a clean-cut, pop pretty boy with boy band NSYNC, Timberlake began putting out solid R&B material during his solo career, beginning with his debut album, “Justified”. Timberlake’s sound continued to become more sensual, and of course, he saw more success in the R&B genre with numerous Grammys and top 10 hits to his name.

She began the new millennium as the best selling new R&B artist, and Alicia Keys continues to be a juggernaut in the genre. Keys is an extremely talented pianist who infuses R&B, soul, jazz and cites Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones as her influences. Each of Keys’s albums have reached number one on Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop albums chart, and all but one have attained the top spot on the Billboard 200, making her one of the R&B genre’s most successful artists.

Usher’s career has spanned over 20 years and he’s seemingly seen success at almost every turn. His 2004 album, “Confessions”, featured lasting R&B tracks that defined the 2000s and made him into one of the best-selling artists of that decade. While his last few tracks and albums have featured more of a pop sound, it hasn’t stopped Usher from having albums that have reached number one on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, while refining his sound for a new audience.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honourable mentions
- Ne-Yo

- PARTYNEXTDOOR

- Miguel

- Ciara

- Pharrell Williams

- Jill Scott

While the powerful Queen Bey is on another stratosphere when it comes to musical attention, she is clearly rooted in R&B and soul. Beyonce has one of the most unmistakable voices in the genre and has managed to remain popular from her Destiny’s Child days to her dominant solo career. A great deal of Beyonce’s awards have been for R&B, including Grammy’s for best R&B song, and even awards for best R&B video. It should go without saying that Beyonce will go down as one of the most iconic artists of any genre, R&B or otherwise.

Do you agree with our list? Which modern-day R&B artist is your favourite? For more sensual top tens published every day visit Watchmojo.com.