Spring 2021 Part 3.

 

 

 

 

The History of R&B Music Part 6: The 2000's

 

The era of the 2000's saw many changes in American society. It was a time of my early adulthood. The war on terror and debates about civil liberties were heavily abundant. The Internet reached new levels of power. Music became more accessible to the people. Reality TV shows were popularized in another level. Napster soon was gone, but you have the growth of digitized music by the end of the decade. Many CD stores and VHS locations went out of business by 2009. In the mean time, music in R&B was very glorious. Dance anthems, creative beats, the further fusion of hip hop and R&B, and the growth of unique, exciting artists were themes of the time. The songs of the first decade of the 21st century had the elements of old school sounds from Toni Braxton, Maxwell, Mary J. Blige, Sade, and Tamia. Also, this decade saw the growth of young talent with outstanding charisma like Ciara, Keyshia Cole, Usher, Kelis, Jennifer Sullivan, Beyonce, Destiny's Child, Fantasia, Ashanti, Mario, Brick and Lace, Keke Wyatt, and other artists who knew the basis of musical expression. The elephant in the room is that this era had pop stars from Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Justin Timberlake (who made a comment disrespecting Prince) utilized a lot of R&B/soul elements in their music. Many people found music as a form of escape from the tragic realities of the war on terror and social injustices. Other human beings used music as a way to make a point of developing social consciousness. Drums, percussion sounds, and futuristic beats make up the music of that decade. Fashion in the 2000's was heavily influenced by the 1960's, 1970's, and the 1980's. There were Pelle Pelle, BAPE, Nike, Fubu, along with jerseys along with more skinny jeans by the late 2000's. 

 

Yet, people should realize that R&B and soul music originated from us (who are black people). Any artist of any color has to respect black music in order to respect real music in general. That is the principle. R&B music of the 2000s saw a fusion further of hip hop and R&B genres in collaborations and songs. Music in general saw hip hop as most the powerful genre of this 21st century. The end of 2009 saw R&B changing once again into allowing new talent and legendary artists to continue to shine their talents. That is why I will always say that the 2000s had some joints from the music from 3LW, Lfye Jennings, Anthony Hamilton, Melanie Fionna, Leona Lewis, Alicia Keyes, Amerie (whose song of All I Need from her 2005 Touch album was one of her most powerful songs vocally. Amerie is a very underrated R&B artist), Jagged Edge, Craig David, Floetry, Brandy, Monica, Mya, Tweet, Corrine Bailey Rae, Kelly Rowland, and other excellent artists. People as diverse as Vivian Green, Heather Headley, Keri Hilson, Erkyah Badu, Avant, Lloyd, Jill Scott, and Lil Mo, and Cheri Dennis made us dance and think. The 2000s experienced a massive expansion of social media. YouTube, Wikipedia, Twitter, Google Maps, Myspace, and Facebook were all born in the 2000s. While there was an expansion of globalization, the later third of the decade saw the massive recession spreading all over the globe. The rise of autotune spread during that era. The first decade of the 21st century saw new horizons and new opportunities for a diverse amount of individuals. 

 

 

 

Underrated vocalists (2001-2003)

 

 

The year of 2000 in R&B music had a smorgasbord of underrated classic and underrated vocalists constantly. If you loved dance music, it was there. If you love romantic or love songs, they were in abundance. If you love songs with a message or with conscious issues, there flourished too during the year of 2000. By January of 2000, songs like Donell Jones' U Know What's Up and Hot Boyz (with Missy, Nas, Eve, and Q-Tip) were very much popular in the charts. The 1999 song of Montell Jordan's Get It On Tonite was still high on the charts on February of 2000. Mariah Carey worked with Joe on a song named Thank God I Found You. In the year of 2000, Destiny's Child's song of Say My Name was everywhere, especially starting in March of 2000. That song was from their 1999 album of The Writing's on the Wall. Toni Braxton made her third studio album called The Heart on April 25, 2000. It had a more urban sound which departed form her usual ballads. Yet, it was a great album in its own right. The album had people on it like Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, Dr. Dre, and production done by Keri Lewis (a former member of Mint Condition. Keri Lewis was Toni's Braxton former husband). Songs on it were Just Be a Man About It, He Wasn't Man Enough, Spanish Guitar, and Maybe. She won one Grammy for it during the 2001 Grammy Awards for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. Cal Thomas in 2000 had the song I Wish. One of the most underrated singers of the year 2000 is Avant. His song with Separated is a classic. Many marriage had the album of Let's Get Married by Jagged Edge. Sisqo did a music video with the actress Lisa Raye called Incomplete. The year 2000 had many songs about relationships like No More from Ruff Endz, Wifey from Next, and other music. Xscape had the song of Bounce with Me featuring Bow Wow. Profyle had the song called Liar. Erykah Badu had the women's anthem of Bag Lady. R Kelly had I Wish. The end of the year of 2000 had many anthems like Ms. Jackson from Outkast which is about the tensions among child support and parents. 

 

Destiny's Child had the song of Independent Women Part 1. This song was from the Charlie's Angels' movie and the album of Survivor. It featured Beyonce, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams. In that same year, D'Angelo had the song of Untitled (How Does it Feel), Lucy Pearl had the song of Dance Tonight, and Aaliyah had the song of Try Again. Try Again was part of the Romeo Must Die soundtrack. Timbaland produced the song. Aaliyah was the perfect artist to sing over futuristic beats. Try Again was one of the greatest songs of the 2000s. Mya's Case of the Ex in 2000 was the time where Mya shown the world that she is a grown woman. Mya danced greatly in that video. That song was part of her album called Fear of Flying. The album had the song of The Best of Me featuring Jadakiss, Free, etc. The gospel music duo of Mary Mary had the song of Shackles (Praise You). It mixed R&B beats with gospel music. 3LW had music like No More. Ja Rule worked with R&B musicians at this time. Even in 2000, this was taboo, but now many hip hop artists are doing it all of the time. The British artist Craig David had 7 Days. A lot of people didn't know that Pink did the song of There You Go which is opposite of her rock sound now. Pink admitted that her rock sonund is her authentic self. Crazy from K-Ci and JoJo was one of their emotional records. Sammie made the song of I Like It. Tamia in 2000 had Stranger in My House which dealt with romance. Kelly Price's He should of Told Me, Dave Hollister's One Woman Man, and Avant ft. Keke Wyatt's My First Love were classics. Avant and Keke Wyatt had great musical chemistry (both of them sang on that record beyond just signing). That is why they made more records. 

 

Sade made another comeback with the song of By Your Side. Her album in that time was Lovers Rock. When that album came about, I was a senior in high school at November 13, 2000. It had reggae influences too. King of Sorrow was another song on that classic album. Lonnie Lynn made the Light song. Janet Jackson made the song of Doesn't Really Matter with an important message about how true love can work despite distractions. Musiq Soulchild released Love to represent for the neo-soul crowd. That Other Woman was released by Changing Faces, and Joe released Treat her like a Lady (including the club banger Stutter). Gerald Levert, Whitney Houston, Debelah Morgan, Shaggy, Nelly, and other artists shown their musical talent. Jill Scott is one of the most soulful, neo-soul singers of all time. She had co-writing the song of You Got Me (filled with Erykah Badu, the Roots, and a rap verse from Eve). Jill Scott's debut album was "Who is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1, which was released on July 18, 2000. One of her signature, popular songs was the single of "A Long Walk." Another song in the album was the sensual song of "He Love Me."  The album is one of the greatest albums of the 21st century. Jill Scott is a gorgeous black woman from Philadelphia with excellent musical gifts that fans always appreciate. She is an actress and philanthropist too. 

 

2001 saw 9/11. By 2001, Stutter was high on the charts too. 112 released the song It's Over Now. This was part of their album Part III. Slim and Daron shared lead vocals on the song. Jagged Edge's Promise was about commitment in relationships. All for You from Janet Jackson showed amazing dance  choreography from her. Janet Jackson was 35 years old during that time, and the song was part of her album of All for You. That song caused her to get a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording. Janet Jackson has always been an expert singer, dancer, and entertainer for over 35 years now. Usher had the song of U Remind Me. This was part of her album of 8701. This album took him into another level of being a musical star. It had singles like U Got it Bad, U Don't Have to Call, U-Turn, and Can U Help Me. The Neptunes and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis had production on the album. He won Grammys and BET Awards. R Kelly worked with Jay Z in the song Fiesta. Mariah Carey had Loverboy with Cameo. Guinwine had Differences, Mary J. Blige had Family Affair, and Jagged Edge ft. Nelly had the club anthem of Where the Party At. Destiny Child's Survivor album in 2001 had the song Survivor. One of the great verses in the song came from Kelly Rowland saying the following words:

 

"Wishin' you the best

"Pray that you are blessed

Bring much success, no stress, and lots of happiness

(I'm better than that)

I'm not gon' blast you on the radio

(I'm better than that)

I'm not gon' lie on you and your family

(I'm better than that)

I'm not gon' hate on you in the magazines

(I'm better than that)

I'm not gon' compromise my Christianity

(I'm better than that)

You know I'm not gon' diss you on the Internet

'Cause my mama taught me better than that." 

 

Alicia Keys made her debut with the song of Fallin'. Alicia Keys sings greatly and could play the piano. Fallin' was a huge hit. The melodies and sounds of the song had gospel influences. It won many awards. Her first album was Songs in a Mirror from June 5, 2001. Her music like A Woman's Worth, How Come You Don't Call Me, and Girlfriend were powerful. She is a great songwriter too. The start of Alicia Keys was similar to others in that Alicia first came out and people knew that her career would be long and legendary. She was part of the nu-soul revolution. Many unsung artists released music like Sunshine Anderson 's Heard it All Before, Blu Cntrll's Hit Em up Style, Jaheim, Tank, Faith Evans, Babyface's There She Goes, Jimmy Cozier, City High, etc. 2001 was the year of the tragic passing of Aaliyah by a plane accident. Her 2001 album of Aaliyah was a classic too. She had old school songs with new school flavor. Aaliyah was so ahead of her time that would be on the level of Beyonce and Rihanna if she was alive today. People don't know that Aaliyah was a great actress too. Michael Jackson's Invincible album had the old school songs with songs like You Rock My World and Butterflies. Lady Marmalade was a song with Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Pink, and Mya. 

 

It's Over Now from 112 in 2001 was popular, Jon B's Don't Talk was popular, and the Isley Brothers had the song of Contagious. Brian McKnight's Love of My Life, Ebony Vibe Everlasting, Ja Rule ft. Ashanti's Always on Time, Ray J, Lil' Mo's Superwoman Part II, Tyrese, Koffee Brown's After Party, Mis-Teeq, Missy Elliot, and other artists made 2001 an excellent year of music. 2002 saw the growth of rappers singing with R&B singers like Ja Rule and Ashanti. Back then, that was very taboo. Tweet had the song of Oops with Missy Elliot. Tweet is one of the most unsung, great singers of the 21st century. She has a very sweet, sultry voice. She was born in Rochester, NY. She can sing and play the guitar. Tweet is an excellent songwriter too. She grew up in the church playing multiple instruments. Her debut album was Southern Hummingbird. She worked with Bilal and Ms. Jade on the album. 

 

Ashanti made her song of Foolish in 2002. Ashanti is always a humble woman. This was part of her debut album of Ashanti. Nelly worked with Kelly Rowland in the song of Dilemma. Missy made the song Work It with innovative sounds. Erykah Badu made the album of Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip Hop). This was part of the Brown Sugar movie soundtrack. It's a very inspirational, excellent song. That song helped to bridge the gap among hip hop and R&B music. Eve worked with Alicia Keys in the 2002 song of Gangsta Lovin'. Amerie had the 2002 song of Why Don't We Fall in Love. Amerie is another of the most underrated artist of that time period. She has harmonies, soul, singing ability, and a great voice. She was from the D.C. area and many of her beats are influenced by the go-go sound. Rich Harrison produced many of her songs. She worked with Nas and LL Cool J plus other hip hop artists. All I Have was Amerie's debut album. She later won many BET and Soul Train Music Awards. 2002 was an outstanding start for Amerie's career as a musician. Later, she would make more music, go out to write, and have a family. Other artists with music in 2002 were Donell Jones, Sean Paul with Gimmie The Light, Ginuwine with Stingy, Avant, Musiq Soulchild, Addictive with Truth Hurts, Mario, Mariah Carey's Through The Rain, B2K, Brandy's Full Moon, Glenn Lewis, Jennifer Lopez, Jaheim, and Dru Hill. 2002 was the time when there were tons of hip hop and R&B collaborations. 

 

 

2003 would be a year in transition. There was one R&B artist who would just blow up to be the musical icon of the 21st century. We know what her name is, and she was born in Houston, Texas. Before that, there were outstanding R&B music in diverse ways too. She is Beyonce. The song Miss You by Aaliyah was high on the charts in early 2003. This song celebrated the life and legacy of the great artist of Aaliyah. The music video of the song featured diverse artists like Missy, Lil' Kim, Tweet, Queen Latifah, Jaheim, Lyric, Lil Jon and the Eastside Boyz, Jamie Foxx, DMX, Quincy Jones, Amanda Lewis, Free, and other human beings who gave tribute to the legend Aaliyah. Monica released the song of So Gone in 2003. This song was part of her album After the Storm. Monica is one of the greatest singers of her generation. This album was about her struggles, her joy, and her power as a young black woman. One of the greatest songs on the album is U Should've Known Better. 2003 saw more rappers singing on records like Jay Z's Excuse Me Miss and 50 Cent ft. Nate Dogg's 21 Questions. Pharrell worked with Jay Z in 2003 with the song Frontin. Baby Boy was the song with Beyonce ft. Sean Paul. Alicia Keys had the song of You Don't Know My Name. R Kelly had Step in the Name of Love. I don't agree with R. Kelly's crimes against girls and women. I want to make that clear. On June 17, 2003, Beyonce released her album of Dangerously in Love. Before, Beyonce made very few solo records, but with that 2003 album, she went into another level of power. Beyonce wrote songs, danced, and entertained crowds. 

 

 

Beyonce is the first black woman named Songwriter of the Year from ASCAP back in 2002. Beyonce made hit after hit from her first solo album like Me, Myself and I, Crazy in Love (ft. Jazy Z), Naughty Girl, Yes, Signs, etc. Her ballads were powerful, and she was interviewed by Oprah Winfrey in 2003 as well. That Dangerously in Love album made her won 5 Grammy Awards, BET Awards, etc. Beyonce is just a phenomenally talented black woman, and she was 22 when she made her first solo album Dangerously in Love. In 2003, Ginuwine made In Those Jeans, Ashanti had Rock Wit U, and Marques Houston had Clubbin. Jagged Edge with Walked Outta Heaven, Avant with Read Your Mind, Lumidee's song of Never Leave You, Mary J. Blige's Ooh!, and Mya's My Love is Like Woo focused on love and relationships. Andre 3000 made the song of Hey Ha which was ahead of its time. Many classic records in 2003 were The Isley Brothers' What Would you Do?, Kelis' Milkshake, Ruben Studdard's Superstar, Lil' Mo ft. Fabulous 4 Ever. Luther Vandross's 2003 song of Dance with My Father was one of his final songs before his passing. Black Eyed Peas had the song Where is The Love? featuring Fergie. Kem had the song of Love Calls, Thalia had I Want You, and That Girl was the song form Marques Houston. 2003 had classic albums like The Senior from Ginuwine, Body Kiss from the Isley Brothers featuring Ronald Isley, Ashanti's Chapter II, Luther Vandross' Dance with My Father, Mary J. Blige's Love and Life, Jagged Edge's Hard, Gerald Levert's Stroke of Genius, and the Diary of Alicia Keys. Alicia Keys had songs by the end of 2003 like If It A'int Got You, Diary, and Karma. Alicia Keys continued with her legacy with that second album. 2003 ended with R&B showing music that touched the human soul.  

 

 

 

New sounds (2004-2005)

 

In 2004, it was a year when new school R&B artists rose up in the space to express their God-given talents to the world, and it was a time where legends of music excelled too. By January of 2004, Alicia Keys' You Don't Know My Name was already a huge hit. Jamie Foxx started his R&B singing career in a huge level as he dreamed about doing for years before 2000. By 2004, he worked with Kanye West and Twista plus other artists to make music. Jamie Foxx can do comedy, act, sing, and play the piano. One of the great hits of 2004 was the R&B club banger of Yeah! done by Usher featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris. That song was so popular that it was played everywhere with the crunk beat. This was the time when the South just dominated the R&B and hip hop musical culture. Alicia Keys' If I Ain't Got You and Usher's Burn were ballads that described the journeys of romance. Usher was personal in this year with the song of Confessions Part II (even admitting his flaws). Ciara came out with the breakout single of Goodies featuring the North Carolina hip hop artist of Petey Pablo. I knew from the beginning that Ciara was a different type of singer. She could dance very well, and she can sing with a melodic voice. Her debut album was Goodies with songs like 1,2, Step, Oh, and And I. The album was triple platinum. A lot of people don't know that she was born in Austin, Texas to a military family. She settled in Atlanta, Georgia later on. Ciara is a songwriter too writing music for Blu Cantrell's debut album of So Blu and Fantasia Barrino's Got Me Waiting (for Fantasia's debut album of Free Yourself). Ciara graduated from Riverdale High School in Riverdale, Georgia in 2003. She signed with LaFace Records headed by L.A. Red. She worked with producer Jazze Pha. Ciara by 2004 is the First Lady of Crunk&B. As time goes on, Ciara will continue to make more accomplishments, be blessed, and married a real humble man that is highly spiritual. Usher and Alicia Keys made their duet of My Boo. Both of them are great singers, made classic albums, and had musical chemistry. 2004 saw the merging of R&B and hip in music like with Snoop and Pharrell in many songs. In 2004, Kelis made the song of Milkshake. Christina Millian (who is also a famous Afro-Latina actress too) had the song of Dip It Low. 

 

Destiny's Child had many songs called Lose My Breathe, etc. among their final album of Destiny Fulfilled. Destiny's Child was one of the greatest groups of the 90s and 2000s. Destiny Fulfilled was released on November 16, 2004. Beyonce, Kelly Rowland,Michelle Williams,  LaTavia Roberson, LeToya Luckett, and Farrah Franklin  paved the way for so many women to perform on the stage today of the 21st century.  Destiny's Child further worked with frequent collaborators such as Rockwilder, Swizz Beatz, and Rodney Jerkins as well as several new producers. Destiny Fulfilled was Destiny's Child's 5th studio album. 2004 saw many new artists like Nina Sky's Move Ya Body, Houston's I Like That, Chingy featuring Chris Weaver with One Call Away, Ruben Studdard with his album of Soulful, Mario Winans with his album of Hurt No More, etc. R. Kelly shown his music of U Saved Me and Happy People. Jill Scott released her album of Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2. Jill Scott's song of Cross My Mind caused her to win her first Grammy Award for the Best Urban/Alternative Performance category in 2005. Her album was released in America on August 31, 2004. One of her greatest songs on the album was the song Golden. Anita Baker released her album of My Everything on September 7, 2004. Her songs like You're My Everything and How Does it Feel outline her classic, soulful voice. She worked with producers like Barry J. Eastmond, George Duke, and Babyface. Beyonce's song of Me, Myself, and I was huge on the charts in 2005 too. Other R&B and soul singers who made music in the year were Ashanti, Eamon, Jamelia, Jennifer Lopez, Mario (with Let Me Love You), etc. Brandy released her 4th album of Afrodisiac on June 28, 2004. She worked with Timbaland, Candice Nelson, and Kanye West on that album. Her songs like Talk About Our Love, Who is She 2 U, and Afrodisiac personified the Brandy sound. The album used hip hop sounds, experimental sounds, and was one predecessor to alternative R&B (that is commonly shown in the 2020s). Nivea made the song of Okay with Lil Jon and YoungBloodz. John Legend had his album of Get Lifted in 2004 too.  The end of 2004 saw talent flourish. 

 

The year of 2005 involving R&B music was the time of huge comebacks by legends of R&B. During the early part of 2005, the singer Mario had the song of Let Me Love You being high on the music charts. The singer Olivia worked with G Unit in music. One of the most popular songs of 2005 was Amerie's 1 Thing. The vocals, beats, and melodies of the song was magnificent from Amerie (who is from the DMV area). Amerie is one of the greatest R&B singers of the 21st century without question. The song was influenced by go-go rhythms and a sample of Meters' 1970 funk song of Oh, Calcutta! The song was from the soundtrack of the film Hitch. The remix had the rapper Eve on it. Amerie's singing ability on that song was great. It was her most commercially successful song. In the year of 2005, Bobby Valentino had the son of Slow Down. Ciara had the duet with Bow Wow called Like You as both of them dated in real life for a time. Gold Digger was a song with Kanye West and Jamie Foxx. Akon using music singing with Young Jezzy on the record Soul Survivor. Chris Brown debuted in 2005 with the song Run It. Chris Brown was born in Tappanhannock, Virginia. He was in the church choir and his debut album was in 2005 where it was double platinum. Chris Brown is a great entertainer, controversial, and there are many things that I don't agree with him on. 

 

Yet, this is history, and you have to record all R&B history filled with objectivity. Chris Brown said that he has been influenced by Michael Jackson, Usher, Marvin Gaye, New Edition, etc. One artist with a great comeback was Mary J. Blige with her album called The Breakthrough. It was released on December 20, 2005. Immediately, the album was well liked. It was probably the greatest album of Mary J. Blige of the 21st century. Songs like One, Be Without You, Take Me as I am, MJB da MVP, etc. are classics. She worked with all star group of songwriters and producers like 9th Wonder, Rodney Jerkins, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Bryan-Michael Cox, JUSTICE League, Raphael Saadiq, Chucky Thompson, Cool & Dre, Ron Fair, and will.i.am. The Breakthrough debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. It sold about 3,100,000 copies. The album showed her R&B and hip hop style. The song Be Without You won Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B song, and the album The Breakthrough won the category of Best R&B Album. 

 

 

Mariah Carey made an outstanding comeback with her 2005 album of The Emancipation of Mimi. It was released on April 12, 2005. She continued her legacy as one of the greatest singers of all time with that album. She worked with hip hop artists too like Snoop, Twista, Nelly, Pharrell Williams, etc. She also worked with Jermaine Dupri and James Wright. Songs like It's Like That, We Belong Together, Shake It Off, Get Your Number, Fly Like a Bird, and Say Somethin' were powerful. It debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 selling over 404,000 copies in its first week. The Emancipation of Mimi sold over 10 million copies worldwide. We Belong Together was at number one in America for 14 weeks. Mariah Carey proved to the world that she still had it. Mariah Carey won many awards for the album like Garmmys, Soul Train Awards, and a Vibe Award. In 2005, Mario promoted his music of Let Me Love You, Bobby Valentino had the song of Tell Me, Keyshia Cole had the song of Love, John Legend had Ordinary People, Fantasia had Free Yourself, and Omarion released his album of O. Faith Evans released her album of First Lady on April 5, 2005. She wanted move forward after having a long career with Bad Boy records. The Neptunes, Mario Winans, Chucky Thompson, and others worked on her album too. Kem released his album of Album II. Alicia Keys had Unplugged. Keyshia Cole had her debut solo album of The Way It Is in 2005 too. She is from Oakland, California. When she was young, she talked with the late Tupac Shakur. She worked with artists like Jadakiss, Eve, Kanye West, and others. The album described romance and love in complex terms. Singles like I Changed My Mind, I Just Want It to be over, Love, etc. have themes that women relate too. Many people compare her to Mary J. Blige when Cole first came out. Keyshia Cole represents the new generation of R&B artists with new school and old school flavor that has motivated future artists as well. 

 

 

Another shift: techno, hip hop beats (2006-2007)

 

R&B in 2006 was the start of a shift. It saw the growth of 2nd generation singers of the 21st century to come alive along with legendary icons continuing to make music. By early 2006, Mary J. Blige's song of Be Without You was very high in popularity. Cassie had the song of Me and U. Cassie, back then, was very new on the scene. Cassie is a singer with a multiracial heritage. She was born in 1986 at New London, Connecticut. Her mother is African American, Mexican American, and West Indian. Her father is Filipino. She was a model when she was 14. Her album of Cassie was released on August 8, 2006. It sold 321,000 copies in America. Her other single in 2006 was Long Way 2 Go. This year saw massive R&B singers and rapper collaborations like Beyonce and Jay's Deja Vu, Chingy ft. Tyrese's Pullin' Me Back, Ciara ft. Chamillionaire's Get Up, P Diddy ft. Nicole Scherzinger's Come to Me, and Janet Jackson ft. Nelly's Call on Me. Chris Brown has the song of Say Goodbye. Beyonce in 2006 had another hit of Irreplaceable. Beyonce's 2nd solo album was B'Day being released on September 4, 2006. This came with her 25th birthday. It sold 541,000 copies in its first week and debuted atop the Billboard 200. 

 

This was Beyonce's 2nd consecutive number one solo album in America. Deja Vu and Irreplaceable from the album became women anthems. She had on the albums more songs like Ring the Alarm, Get Me Bodied (co-written by her sister Solange), Freakum Dress, and Green Light. In 2006, Beyonce was in the films Dreamgirls and The Pink Panther. She used funk, hip hop, and R&B in the music. Many people saw controversies with the album from alligators used in a video to the suggestive, sexual lyrics. Back in 2006, it was very controversial to show sexual innuendo in music videos. B'Day was an album was Beyonce became more liberated to touch on more adult subject matter. It was her first visual album. Upon its release, B'Day received generally favorable reviews from critics and earned several accolades, including the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards in 2007. Rihanna increased her powerful presence in the music industry by 2006. She is an Afro-Barbardian powerhouse of talent and business skills. She was born on February 20, 1988 in Saint Michael, Barbados. Her name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty. Rihanna has two brothers, Rorrey and Rajad Fenty, and two half-sisters and a half-brother from her father's side, each born to different mothers from his previous relationships. Rihanna's mother is Monica Braithwaite Fenty and his father is Ronald Fenty. Rihanna loves reggae music and saw her mother being physically abused by her father. Later, Rihanna more a musical trio with her classmates in 2003. Producer Evan Rogers found Rihanna and allowed her to go to America to perform. She made Pon de Replay in 2005 and the Last Time. Her debut album was Music of the Sun. Rihanna sent a demo to Jay Z and L.A. Reid. Jay Z never left the building until Rihanna signed a contract. She waited in Jay-Z's office until 3:00 in the morning to get lawyers to draft up a contract because he wanted to prevent her from signing with another label. Rihanna once lived with Rogers and his wife.

 

 

Rihanna's 2nd album was A Girl Like Me being released on April 2006. It had R&B and guitar sounds. It was her first album going platinum. Her lead single was SOS. Other songs were Unfaithful, We Ride, and Break It Off. In 2006, there were artists like Akon, Ray J, Ne-Yo, Fergie, Justin Timberlake, Keyshia Cole, Cherish, Christina Milian, Omarion, Nelly Furtado, Trey Songz, Jamie Foxx, Kelis (with Bossy ft. Too Short), and other artists making music. LeToya Luckett made the song Torn, establishing her own solo career. The Ohio artist Lyfe Jennings made huge records. Avant had the son of 4 Minutes. Monica worked with Dem Franchize Boyz with Everytime tha Beat Drop. Ruben Studdard, Vivian Sakiyyah Green (from Philadelphia), Lionel Richie, Anthony Hamilton, and Heather Headley released music. Heather Headley is a great vocal artist. In 2006, Jaheim released Ghetto Classics, Ne-Yo released In My Own Words, Prince had 3121, Avant had Director, The Isley Brothers had music, Donell Jones released Journey of a Gemini, Monica had the Makings of Me, Ciara had Ciara: The Evolution, and Janet had 20 Y.O. Janet Jackson's album of 20 Y.O. celebrated 20 years after he third studio album of Control (that was made in 1986). She worked with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, her then boyfriend Jermaine Dupri, and L Roc, plus other producers on 20 Y.O. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified it platinum, becoming Jackson's eighth consecutive platinum album. Worldwide, the album has sold 1.5 million copies. 20 Y.O. earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Contemporary R&B Album in 2007. Songs on it are Call on Me, So Excited, and With U. 

  

In 2007, R&B saw new old school sounds and techno sounds. By early 2007, Beyonce's Irreplaceable and Ciara's Promise along with Lloyd ft. Lil Wayne's You were high on the charts. Fantasia made the song When I see U. Fantasia is one of the most talented vocalists of our generation. She has been praised by Patti Labelle and other legends like Debbie Allen. She is that great. Fantasia has been an actress too. Fantasia was born in High Point, North Carolina on June 30, 1984. She sang with great singers like Kem and Rashaan Patterson. Her self titled album Fantasia was released on December 12, 2006. Robin Thicke made the song Lost Without U. The anthem of Let It Go had Keyshia Cole, Missy Elliot, and Lil Kim. J Holiday had the song of Bed. One of the most popular songs of 2007 was Alicia Keys No One. That song was shown everywhere. In 2007, Omarion had his album growing called 21. The Dreamgirls movie soundtrack was very popular (with the great voice of Jennifer Hudson). Pretty Ricky had their songs. Gerald Levert's album In My Songs was highly inspiring. Artists like Prince with Planet Earth, R. Kelly, Bobby Valentino, and other people released music. Keyshia Cole released Just Like you. Angie Stone made her comeback with The Art of Love and War. Alicia Keys released her third album in November 9, 2007 with As I Am. She worked with Kerry Brothers, Jack Splash, and Linda Perry. The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling 742,000 copies in its first week, and was eventually certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It became an international commercial success and spawned four singles that achieved chart success, including "No One", which became the song most listened to of 2007 in the United States. Alicia Keys won many awards including 3 Grammy Awards. It sold over 5 million copies worldwide. Alicia Keys's Superwoman was another one of her anthems. 

 

In 2007, Leona Lewis released the Bleeding Love song. Leona Lewis has a great voice and is one of the nicest, humblest vocalists of our generation. She is a woman born in London. She was on X-Factor before releasing albums. Leona Lewis was born on April 3, 1985. She is an actress, activist, and songwriter. Her debut album Spirit was released in 2007 selling over 10 million copies.  Spirit (2007), which was certified 10× platinum in the UK and became the fourth best-selling album of the 2000s and one of the best-selling albums in UK chart history. According to the Official Charts Company, Spirit is officially the best-selling debut album by a female artist in the 21st century.  The lead single, "Bleeding Love," spent seven weeks at number one in over 30 countries, including the UK where it became the best-selling single of 2007 and the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming the best-selling single of 2008. Its follow-up single, "Better in Time", was also successful. As a result, Leona Lewis was proclaimed Top New Artist by Billboard in 2008. The Spirit album had other great songs like Run, I Will Be, A Moment Like This, and Better in Time/Footprints in the Sand. At the 2008 Music of Black Origin Awards Spirit won the MOBO award for Best Album and Lewis was nominated for Best UK Female. In the US, Spirit debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 208,607 copies in its first week,  which made Lewis the first British solo artist to top the chart with a debut album,  and the first British woman to hit number one with an album in over twenty years when Sade Adu topped the chart in February 1986 with Promise. 

 

 

 

The music from Kem, Beyonce, Janet Jackson, Fantasia, Floetry, Musiq Soulchild, Alicia Keys, and other artists prove that the 2000's had some joints. 

In 2007, Rihanna released Good Girl Gone Bad. It was her 3rd studio album. It featured producers like Christopher Stewart, Terius Nash, Neo da Matrix, Timbaland, Evan Rogers, Carl Sturken, and Stargate. It was a R&B record with dance pop music. It was a turning point in her career. It propelled her career into another level. The music, sound, and lyrics were edgier. The album received seven Grammy Award nominations and one win in the Best Rap/Sung Collaboration category for "Umbrella" at the 2008 ceremony. The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart and sold 162,000 copies in its first week. Certified six-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), it sold more than 2.8 million copies in the United States. The album reached number one in Canada, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. As of 2017, the album had sold over 9 million copies worldwide. The single of Umbrella was one of the most popular songs of the 21st century. It was shown everywhere. Her other singles in the albums were Don't Stop the Music, Rehab, Shut Up and Drive, and Hate That I Love You. Ne-Yo co-wrote and provided vocals on the song Hate That I Love You. "Umbrella" (which featured hip hop artist Jay Z) reached number one in more than seventeen countries worldwide, including on the UK Singles Chart and the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. In the United Kingdom, the song topped the singles chart for ten consecutive weeks, while in the United States, it was at the top for seven consecutive weeks. As of June 2013, "Umbrella" has sold 4,236,000 digital copies there, making it Rihanna's fifth-best selling single in the country. To further promote the album, Rihanna embarked on her first worldwide and second overall tour, the Good Girl Gone Bad Tour (2007–09). She performed in Europe, North America, Oceania, Asia and Africa. During the concert shows she wore S&M-inspired outfits and high boots. The Girl Good Gone Bad album from Rihanna caused Rihanna to be a total international super star of music. 2007 saw Akon, Trey Songz's Can't Help But Wait, Sean Kingston, Omarion, Mary J. Blige, Usher, R. Kelly, Musiq Soulchild with B.U.D.D.Y., Ciara's Like a Boy, Lloyd, Tank,  Neo-Yo, Pretty Ricky, J. Holdiay,  Robin Thicke, Jennifer Hudson, Joe, Gerald Levert, Chris Brown's Wall to Wall, and other artists who their music to the world. 

 

 

Legends Still motivate us (2008)

 

In 2008, R&B music saw new artists establishing themselves as musicians to be taken seriously. It was the time when Barack Obama won the election to make him the first elected African American President in American history. By early 2008, Alicia Keys' song of Like You'll Never See Me Again was very popular.  Keyshia Cole's I Remember was one of her greatest songs. It was very popular in 2008. It came from her 2007 2nd album of Just Like You. With the ballads on that album, some called her the Princess of Hip Hop Soul. She consulted a variety of producers and songwriters to work with her on the album, including Missy Elliott, Bryan-Michael Cox, Scott Storch, Rodney Jerkins, The Runners, J. Wells, Pete Rock, and Soulshock. Guest vocalists include Missy Elliott, Lil' Kim, Too $hort, Amina Harris, Anthony Hamilton, Young Dro, T.I., Chink Santana, and Piper. R&B saw more hip hop collaborations with Usher ft. Young Jeezy in Love in This Club and Lil Wayne ft. Static Major with Lollipop. Heaven Sent was a song from Keyshia Cole was very popular in 2008. Rihanna's Take a Bow dealt with breakup. Jazmine Sullivan made her debut album in 2008. Her famous song of Need U Bad was very vocally powerful. Jazmine Sullivan is a young singer with an old school soul. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on April 9, 1987. 

 

Jazmine Sullivan can sing for real. She is that talented. Her debut album was called Fearless being released 2008. The producers on the album are Missy Elliott, Stargate, Carvin & Ivan, Wyclef Jean, Jack Splash and Salaam Remi.  The album earned Sullivan seven Grammy Award nominations and has sold 517,000 copies in the United States and since been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for exceeded sales of 500,000. Jennifer Hudson is another singer with an outstanding voice, and she released the song of Spotlight in 2008. Ne-Yo had the song of Miss Independent praising hard working women. Ne-Yo is underrated as a singer and songwriter. He is probably one of the greatest songwriters of the 21st century, and I'm not being facetious. He has written songs for legends from as diverse as Celine Dion, Beyonce, Leona Lewis, Alexandra Burke, Whitney Houston, Anastacia, Ciara, Corbin Bleu, Enrique Iglesias, Dima Bilan, and to other musicians. He was born in Camden, Arkansas and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. He won many awards too. His third studio album, Year of the Gentleman (2008), saw continued success and further Grammy Award nominations for Best Contemporary R&B Album as well as Album of the Year. Its singles "Closer" and "Miss Independent" were also nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, and Best R&B Song. Year of the Gentleman has been certified platinum twice in the US, selling two million copies, also platinum three times in the UK and once in Japan. Ne-Yo has a tenor voice. His influences are Michael Jackson, Luther Vandross, Babyface, Blackstreet, and Usher. The end of 2008 saw Beyonce's song of Single Ladies (Put a Ring Ont It) being shown as another women's anthem of empowerment.  In 2008, Mary J. Blige released Growing Pains, Raheem DeVaughn released Love Behind the Melody, Alicia Keys had As I Am, Day 26 had music, Ray J had All I Feel, Mariah released E=MC2, Lyfe Jennings released Lyfe Change, Keith Sweat had Just Me, Usher had Here I Stand, Lloyd had Lessons in Love, and John Legend had Evolver. Musiq Soulchild released Onmyradio too. 

 

 

On November 12, 2008, Beyonce released her 3rd studio album of I Am...Sasha Fierce. Sasha Fierce is her alter ego. It was a double album. The album had electropop and Europop elements. Jay Z and Etta James inspired her on songwriting and artistry. Beyonce worked with people like  Babyface, Tricky Stewart, The-Dream and Ryan Tedder. The albums of Sasha Fierce boasted production from Darkchild and Sean Garrett. The album had songs like If I Were a Boy, Ego, Diva, Sweet Dreams, and Halo. Beyonce worked with Lady Gaga with Video Phone. It's an album that garnered seven Grammy Award nominations at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards ceremony (2010), including a nomination for Album of the Year, winning five and eventually collecting a record setting six wins—the most awards won in one night by a woman artist. I Am... Sasha Fierce won a Soul Train Music Award for Best Album of the Year at the 2009 Soul Train Music Awards. Beyoncé won the American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist at the American Music Awards of 2009, while I Am... Sasha Fierce garnered a nomination for Favorite Soul/R&B Album.  Beyoncé also won a BET Award for Best R&B Artist at the BET Awards 2009. By the end of 2008, Beyonce just went into another level. 

When Prince, Patti Labelle, Alicia Keys, Tina Turner, Celine Dion, Diana Ross, Mary J. Blige, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Donna Summer, and other legends praise Beyonce as a great singer and performer, it shows that Beyonce is one of the greats of the 21st century without question. In 2008, songs and music like Just Fine from Mary J. Blige, J. Holliday songs, Can't Help But Wait from Trey Songz, Never from Jaheim, Take You down from Chris Brown, Crying Out for Me from Mario, Touch my Body from Mariah Carey, The Dream's music, Woman from Raheem DeVaughn, Magic from Robin Thicke, Get Like Me from David Banner ft. Chris Brown, Shoulda Let You Go from Keyshia Cole ft. Amina, No Air of Jordin Sparks ft. Chris Brown, Usher's Love in this Club Part II ft. Beyonce and Lil Wayne, Erkyah Badu's Honey,  etc. Jordin Sparks is a singer from Arizona. She is a person with a naturally nice personality, and she was in the film of Sparkle back in 2012 later on. Janet Jackson's Discipline album was released on February 22, 2008. She worked with old school and new school producers like Darkchild, Ne-Yo, Shea Taylor, Stargate, Johntá Austin, Jermaine Dupri, Tricky Stewart, and The-Dream.  The album experimented with the electropop, house, and dance-pop genres and also contained R&B and hip hop-oriented tracks. one of her greatest songs on the album was Feedback. Her dance choreography on Feedback was amazing. Rock With U, Luv, Greatest X (which is one of her greatest songs on the album vocally), and Can't B Good were other songs on the album.  

 

 

A New Generation of Artists (2009)

 

In 2009, R&B music saw the growth of a new generation of musicians. The start of 2009 had Beyonce's single Single Lades being top on the charts. Jamie Foxx featuring T-Pain had the song Blame It. Jeremih released the song of Birthday Sex. Keri Hilson had the song Knock You Down in 2008 with Kanye West and Ne-Yo. Keri Hilson is an artist who is underrated too. Keri Hilson is also a great songwriter for many famous musicians too. She is from Georgia. She worked with Timbaland and other legends. Maxwell's Pretty Wings was one of the greatest songs of his career. Jay Z worked with Alicia Keys with the NYC anthem of Empire State of Mind. Usher had the song Papers detailing the issue of breakup and divorce. Trey Songz ft. Drake had the bold song of "I Invented Sex." In 2009, the Notorious film soundtrack had hip hop and R&B music. Albums with popularity in 2009 and coming out in late 2008 were A Different Me from Keyshia Cole and Intuition from Jamie Foxx. Bobby V had the album of The Rebirth in 2009. Charlie Wilson made the comeback album of Uncle Charlie too. The Dream had Love vs. Money. Keri Hilson released her album of In a Perfect World on March 24, 2009. 

The album earned Hilson Grammy Award nominations for Best New Artist and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration during the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards ceremony on January 31, 2010. Keri Hilson is a woman who loves the art of music. Songs like Return the Favor ft. Timbaland, Slow Dance, Energy, Alienated, etc. showed the diverse emotions and experiences of women in general. Prince and Bria Valente had the album of LOtUSFLOW3R / MPLSound / Elix3r. Day 26 released Forever in a Day. Chrisette Michele had the album of Epiphany in 2009 too. This was her 2nd album. Chrisette Michele is one of the new school, very talented vocalists. She was born in New York state. Ne-Yo co-wrote and co-produced many of its songs. Chrisette Michele is an outstanding vocalist, and some compared her voice to Ella Fitzgerald. Songs like Epiphany, Notebook, Blame It On Me, etc. are part of her album. Jeremih released his album of Jeremiah. Maxwell made a huge comeback album with BLACKsummers'night on July 7, 2009. The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 316,000 copies in its first week. It became Maxwell's fourth consecutive US Platinum album and produced four singles that achieved Billboard chart success. He won 2 Grammys with the album. Ledisi released the album Turn Me Loose in 2009. This was her fourth album. 

 

Ledisi does jazz too and is one of the most underrated great singers of our time. Letoya released Lady Love in 2009. Whitney Houston's album of I Look to You was certainly a classic. She made records like Nothin' But Love and Million Dollar Baby. On July 21, 2009, Houston hosted a listening party with Davis in New York City. Among those in attendance were Alicia Keys, Diane Sawyer, Martha Stewart and Vivica A. Fox.  The album preview triggered a standing ovation, and the song Million Dollar Bill was among those that received critical acclaim. I Look to You was one of her greatest last songs of her life. Michael Jackson passed away in 2009, and her album of This is It was certainly a memorial to his contributions to music. Michael Jackson broke down barriers and contributed so much in the development of modern day music in enumerable ways. That is why he is the greatest entertainer of our generation. Chris Brown released Graffiti. R. Kelly had Untitled. Rihanna had the album of Rated R. This album was about Rihanna saying this is who I am, take it or leave it. It was released on November 20, 2009. It had a different direction using rock, dubstep, dancehall, and other elements. Will.I.Am worked with her. Songs like Rude boy, Rockstar 101, Wait Your Turn, Hard, etc. had a more adult edge to it. Rated R was the album from Rihanna that influenced her future releases to this day. Many of the songs are about love and overcoming adversity. The album was about promoting her independence from a situation (we know what that situation) and living her life in full freedom. Her future albums of Loud (2010) and Anti (2016. Some say that Anti is her best album) existed from the root of Rated R. 

 

 

As we shall see in the future, Rihanna's Anti album would evolve R&B music into another level of creative power. Another new artist of the new generation is Melanie Fiona Hallim. Her parents are of Afro-Guyanese, Indo-Guyanese, and Portuguese descent. Her debut album was The Bridge. For years, I always love her voice, her talent, and her lyrical skills. Fiona was born in Canada. She was part of a singing group before establishing her own solo album. collaborated with Future Cut, Vada Nobles, Stereotypes, J. Phoenix and Peter Wade Keusch. Her debut single, "Give It to Me Right", was sent to radio stations on February 28, 2009, and peaked at number 20 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart and number 41 on the UK Singles Chart.  The second single, "It Kills Me", became her breakout song on the Billboard Hot 100 where it entered the Top 50, along with topping the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The song earned Hallim a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. The song "Monday Morning" is her biggest hit in Europe to date. The Bridge also earned her a NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding New Artist. In 2012, Hallim won two Grammy Awards for Best Traditional R&B Performance and Best R&B Song for the song "Fool for You" with CeeLo Green. Melania Fiona Hallim has a great voice. What a great way to end 2009 with acknowledging the superb talent of an excellent musician like Melanie Fiona Hallim. 

 

  

 

Conclusion

 

The R&;B music of the 2000s had many powerful, inspirational musical songs. From club anthem to powerful ballads, the music of that decade were prominent and influential. The 2000s was the time of the start of the war on terror, the growth of romance-related reality TV shows, and political debates galore. Likewise, talented musicians made their way to show their talent like Mario, Amerie, Ciara, Fantasia, Melanie Fiona, Sunshine Anderson, Kelly Rowland, 3LW, Jill Scott, Lloyd, Jaheim, Musiq Soulchild, Rihanna, Ledisi, Jordin Sparks, Chris Brown, Akon, and other singers. The sounds of that era included the growth of neo-soul, love ballads, and by the end of the decade filled with electronic sounds. A lot of the music then was a continuation of the melodies and rhythms found in the late 1990's. The rise of a younger generation artists were widespread in that time period too like Vivian Green, Jazmine Sullivan, Shontelle, Leona Lewis, Keyshia Cole, Floetry, Lyfe Jennings, and the outstanding singer of Jennifer Hudson. Many artists got their start from TV shows like American Idol. Many of them would expand their careers by going into acting in various movies including TV shows. One of the most underated songwriters of that time were Ne-Yo and Keri Hilson. Legends rose up to the occasion during the 2000s like Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, Toni Braxton, Gerald Levert, and Brian McKnight. 

 

 

The modern R&B movement today came about from 2010 to the present. Modern R&B in the 2010's and 2020s is characterized by new school soundcloud sounds, romantic songs showing introspection, political music, hip hop influenced artists, and comebacks from legends like Babyface and Toni Braxton (whose album in the 2010's was one of the greatest R&B albums in the 21st century. That is why their duet album won many awards including a Grammy). Many artists of the 2010s and 2020s involved in R&B are human beings like: Bryson Tiller, Rihanna, Miguel, Usher, Beyonce, Alicia Keys, Estelle, Natalie La Rose, Kali Uchis, Ne-Yo, Tinashe, Ciara, Jennifer Hudson, Janelle Monae, Lianne La Havas, Audra Day, Emeli Sande, Snoh Aalegra, Toni Braxton, Victoria Monet, Glenn Lewis, Chloe and Halle, Tamar Braxton, Justine Skye,  Elle Varner, Trey Songz,  Sevyn Streeter,  Kem, Queen Naija, Jacquees, Carolyn Malachi, Kelly Rowland, K. Michelle, Monica, Brandy, Dinah Jane, Ann Marie, Ari Lennox, Esperanza Spalding, Maxwell, Anthony Hamilton, Corinne Bailey Rae, Tyrese, RaVaughn Nichelle Brown, Jazmine Sullivan, Solange, Mariah Carey, Summer Walker, Toni Braxton, Nikki Hayes, Savannah Cristina, Russ, Babyface, Alessia Cara, Niki, Weeknd, Khalid, Normani, Khelani, H.E.R., John Legend, Daniel Casear, SZA, Tiara Thomas, and other artists. R&B like any form of music constantly evolves. There is great talent out here in our generation, even in 2021. Later on the future, the modern essence of R&B music will be shown here. 

  

The next part of the History of R&B series will deal with R&B music of the 2010's and the 2020's (representing modern R&B music). 

Peace Y'all.

  By Timothy