The Top 9 R&B Albums We Need to Hear in 2012

Trey Songz

D’Angleo

D’angelo’s long-awaited third album has been pushed back on and off through the last decade. After releasing Brown Sugar and Voodoo, D’angelo left the industry when in popular demand especially from the single and music video “How DoesIt Feel?” The artist faced several setbacks with the law, with drug possession and DUI charges. However, Questlove of The Roots is working with D’angelo again on this upcoming release and announced that he is “97 percent complete” with the album.

It’s been four years since we’ve heard an official release from this songbird. Her last album Human was Brandy’s lowest-charting. However the singer’s been keeping her name in the air with a stint on ABC’s Dancing With The Stars, and reality show with younger brother Brandy & Ray J: A Family Business. Now signed to RCA records Brandy’s working on her sixth studio album. She told VIBE earlier this year, “I just want to do R&B that is very forward where it’s not just what you hear on the radio now.”

Alicia Keys

Now ten years deep in the game, Alicia Keys has done her share of writing and producing and releasing multi-platinum selling albums (along with winning Grammys). Ms. Keys produced and composed songs for her Broadway play Stick Fly. In a recent interview with Good Morning America, Ms. Keys spoke on releasing a new album in the coming months. There is no official release date, but the singer wants to take her time to release quality to her fans so, “when you hear this music, you’re blown away.”

Singer and songwriter Ne-Yo, known for his singles “So Sick” and “Because of You” is gearing up for his fourth studio album for release in 2012. The album’s title, The Cracks in Mr. Perfect, alludes to a theme of taking a peak at the man behind the Ne-Yo moniker. His 2010 release Libra Scale did not reach the chart-topping success of his previous albums, having no top-ten singles, and failing to reach platinum status in the U.S. However, Ne-Yo told ThatGrapeJuice.net that he’s back in the studio, hoping to release a new project in the coming new year.

The Dream

Since The-Dream’s last album Love King was released in 2010, the singer/songwriter has been working in the studio with Rihanna for her Talk That Talk album and Beyonce’s 4, and recently released the mixtape 1977. Known for his catchy R&B lyrics, which have achieved chart-topping success, The-Dream plans to release his fourth solo album The Love, IV: Diary of a Madman sometime in 2012.

Estelle is best known for her top-ten hit “American Boy” featuring Kanye West, from her second album Shine. Most recently, Estelle released a mixtape with Don Cannon, dubbed The Prequel in October. She built the momentum for her third release All of Me. It features from Rick Ross and Nas, and has a tentative release date for February 28, 2012.

Maxwell returned in 2009, after an eight-year hiatus from releasing music. The album, BLACKsummers’night featured his hit “Pretty Wings,” which was a number one hit on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and the album won two Grammys. Even though Maxwell originally claimed a follow-up to a planned trilogy would be released in 2011, the album has yet to surface. There has not yet been an official release date. However, Maxwell has been teasing his Twitter followers about the album with tweets using the hashtag “#Summers.”

This R&B veteran released five albums since her multi-platinum debut Miss Thang in 1995. Her upcoming album New Life will be her seventh studio album. The release was originally scheduled for 2010, however Monica and her team decided to take some more to work on the project. The singer took to her Twitter to fill her fans in on the delay, tweeting “RCA & I are restructuring the entire plan for the album & the entire movement.” New Life is currently set to release February 28, 2012.