#rnb dance

A bevy of respected songwriters and hitmakers converged as Bones & Bridges earlier this year. Aside from working with Drake on his single Too Good and Alessia Cara on her smash hit Here, these musicians have come together to deliver a magnificent debut single named Reveries. Revisit our song feature, here. The pop, soul, and rock band now follow up that debut with an alt-R&B and torrid pop dazzler named Go Figure, channeling a bit of fellow Toronto luminaries Drake and The Weeknd in the process. Go Figure reflects on the feeling of loving and supporting someone with all you’ve got, only to find out they never loved you at all. The tragic scenario might be reflected in Bones & Bridges’ smelted cooing, but Go Figure’s uplifting production leaves us glowing and joyously content. The single is available now via major outlets, here.

We continue with our female pop artists spree by relishing in the latest single from Canadian starlet Sara Diamond. She teamed up with producer Brodi on Latter, a sultry gleaming pop song with a chill smoldering R&B soul lilt and a mellow summer groove. The Montreal talent captivates us with her caramelized voice on the balmy winding exploration of the journey we call life. Instead of focusing on the destination, or the confusion that it might entail, Sara Diamond reminds us to embrace that journey. Latter is out and available now, here.

I’m incredibly happy about Lauv’s swift ascent, but surprised I am not. We’ve been in love with this New Yorker’s creamy melting voice and heart wrenching R&B/electronic pop ballads from the moment he decided to share music as Lauv (after first enthralling us as a producer under the name Epique). Lauv is now such a hot commodity that even DJ Snake has tapped him for a collaboration. Behold smash hit in the making, A Different Way, a sharp and dapper dance and pop hybrid featuring Balearic springing production and Lauv’s waxy smooth cooing. It’s a bit like Ed Sheeran meets Mura Masa, with a bit of Diplo moombahton thrown in. Stream/purchase the single, here.

The Endorphins is a Swedish electronic project that couldn’t have chosen a better name for themselves. Just like those very same brain chemicals that help us achieve an inebriated euphoria, this sibling duo lifts us towards the heavens with their funky rapturous disco house on their new track, Enough. It’s the pair’s second single, and it’s a chic and stylish banger. Enough is also ridiculously catchy, which isn’t something you can always say about electronic tracks. This one’s going to stick with you, long after you’ve finished kicking your feet all over the dance floor to its plump, succulent beats. For more of The Endorphins’ sultry, sexy R&B doused disco house, take their debut single Ms. Right Now for a spin below. 

When it comes to burgeoning alt hip hop/R&B soul artists, Thutmose is at the top of our new favorite artists list. We obsessed over his song Blame endlessly late last year. You can re-visit our feature of the song, here. The Nigerian-born, Brooklyn-based artist links up with fellow New Yorker Alex Mali on new single Karma, a swift pumping, opulent thrumming explosion of torrid electro-R&B and hip hop reminiscent of Kid Cudi and Graduation era Kanye gone Bipolar Sunshine and Theophilus London. Thutmose reports that he’s been in Miami, LA, and Atlanta working on a bunch of new tunes with a plethora of amazing artists and producers since the release of prior single WuWu. He continues: “There's lots on the way this year. If you're ready, come 'ride with me' and text me at (347)753-8488 so we can catch up and I can fill you in more!”

It’s quite a special day when new Banks surfaces. The dark R&B pop goddess has taken her time to bless us with new songs this year, so it’s a real treat that Underdog has surfaced, just as Banks is in the midst of three sold out headlining shows in Los Angeles. The new one off is easily one of her more energized offerings with its dance ready beats and a fiery jab. I’m certainly jealous of the folks in LA who get to catch her live this week. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen Banks live; noticing her outside of SOHN’s set at SXSW earlier this year doesn’t count. You can download and stream Underdog via major outlets, here.

We familiarized ourselves with BOYBOY’s luxuriant and opulent touch earlier this year when the Los Angeles producer dropped his song Afraid, so we did not hesitant to dive into a similar lavish resplendence when we encountered his remix of Tei Shi’s Say You Do, the Brooklyn by way of Argentina songbird’s latest single from her acclaimed album Crawl Space. It’s a fitting visit since we’re hoping to make Tei Shi’s return to San Francisco at Popscene on Tuesday. BOYBOY has given Say You Do a luscious pumping, classy shimmering club makeover and it’s as sumptuous and succulent as they come.