15 R&B Songs We Obsessed Over Most In 2018

Leave it to R&B lotharios Ty Dolla $ign and Jeremih to craft one of the catchiest and most salacious tunes of 2018. "The Light," which boldly samples Keni Burke's "Risin to the Top," was the duo's first single under their collaborative moniker, MihTy. At 11 tracks long, their eponymous debut album is a carefree ride that centers pleasure over practicality; "The Light" serves as the perfect example of this. The song details alcohol-fuelled sexcapades of the two singers and the lengths they'll go to guarantee their lover's affections.

Lyrically, the pair offer up their carnal urges and leave little to the imagination ("Let's have sex/But not without the foreplay/But not without the first date/But not before I have to wonder/If you let me hit/If I walk you to your doorway"). Ty Dolla $ign is widely known for his trademark sultry croon across an array of tracks with other artists ("Or Nah," "Swalla," "Paranoid") and Jeremih has become infamous for his infectious club anthems ("Don't Tell 'Em," "Birthday Sex," "Down On Me"); a joint album from the pair seemed both natural and inevitable. The raunchy playfulness of "The Light" is a breezy reminder that both men have hit-making down to a science—and show no signs of letting up anytime soon. —Candace McDuffie

"I Like That" is the song version of the term self-care. Featured on Janelle Monae's Dirty Computer album (Wondaland Arts Society/Atlantic Records), the melody finds the Kansas City native at her most self-assured, perched on the highest plateau of tending to one's needs above all else. "I don't care what I look like, but I feel good/ Better than amazing, and better than I could." How could you not smile to yourself after hearing that line?

Janelle's melodic shrug to her detractors is also encouraging in some ways. It displays how success will still find you if you remain true and genuine to who you are, and to go after what makes you — and only you — happy. It's a liberating feeling when that actually becomes your reality, showing that it's not a far-fetched notion to possess.

Although Janelle isn't foreign to the concept of walking tall in one's personality, "I Like That" presents itself as a breath of unpolluted oxygen for the individuals who don't conform to society's out-of-thin-air rules. From the opening chords in the form of Janelle's vocals to the effortless yet intricate aura of Organized Noize's production, the unapologetic lyrics resonate just as deep as the minimalist beat. And, of course, it's only fitting that Janelle float over a track produced by the legendary beatsmiths. —Camille Augustin

Consummate charmer and superior saxophonist Masego is joined by TDE crooner SiR on “Old Age,” a playful homage to the benefits of dating up. As Uncle Sego himself shared, the song was inspired by his experience with an older woman who ended their relationship because she was convinced age would eventually drive them apart. Produced by duo Jasper and Jah, the single appears as the fourth track on the Kingston-born multi-hyphenate ebullient debut album, Lady Lady, which released in September.

Informed by Masego’s self-described “trap house jazz” sound, “Old Age” manages to strike a breezy, mellow tone without losing its underscoring sensuality, or Masego’s loveable goofballishness. Plus, it’s always a refreshing change of pace to see the older-man-meets-younger-woman dynamic that often rears its head in music and culture inverted. Considering Masego’s stage name quite literally means “blessings” in Tswana, we think it’s also O.K. to say this track qualifies as one. —Stephanie Smith-Strickland

“Trip” was a 2018 song that made just as much noise on the charts as it did in the blogs. After Ella Mai’s mid-tempo love song “Boo’d Up” miraculously took off a year after its initial release, her team at 10 Summers knew the follow-up single needed to be just a strong enough to solidify her entry. “Trip” certainly delivered on that, but the song’s trajectory was briefly interrupted by controversy. Cash Money signee Jacquees who, like Ella, built a following from his covering popular hits, took a stab at “Trip” with his own heartthrob-infused version. It was all in good fun, until Jacquees’ label politics got involved. Once word got out that Jacquees was planning on shooting and releasing a video for his version before Ella, her label quickly put the kibosh on it. Not before long, DJ Mustard released a statement explaining why 10 Summers pulled Jacquees’ remix from all platforms. This was an unpopular decision among fans, who desperately turned to Porn Hub in an attempt to keep the “Quemix” in rotation. But at the core, Ella and her management insist that it was all business.

One could argue that the friction between Ella Mai and Jacquees helped boost the popularity of the record. But truthfully, what sets “Trip” apart is just that it’s a really f**king good song. The melody, cadence and lyrics are just a marriage of good old classic R&B. It’s soothing enough to play while recovering from a breakup, yet catchy and clever to vibe out to your morning commute. If you’re an old school R&B lover, you’d be trippin’ not to have this song—whether Ella’s original or Jacquees’ twist—on your playlist. —Jasmine Grant

Doing it big for California, Anderson .Paak and Kendrick Lamar did the West Coast proud with their single “Tints.” Produced by Om’Mas Keith, the four-minute track straddles the border of hip-hop and R&B by incorporating the sounds of groovy guitar strokes and skillfully crafted beats. Barring the balancing act between a hard-hitting rap lyricist and traditional singing, “Tints” leaves the MCing to Lamar, who delivers the perfect 16 over a manipulated version of the high impact beat, allowing Lamar’s Cali swag to ride over the melody of guitar riffs and bass drums, the verse pairs well with the Oxnard native’s spunky chorus. A song dedicated to riding dirty with the windows tinted, the 32-year-old and the “Bi**h Don’t Kill My Vibe” rapper have created a song that has taken on a new meaning with an innuendo for getting fellatio in the car.

Marking itself as the first single from Anderson .Paak’s most recent album Oxnard, the lyrical exchange is the third to take place between the two California artists. The pair previously linked bringing “Deep Water” from Dr. Dre’s Compton album and “Bloody Waters” featured in the Black Panther soundtrack. “Tints” separates itself from the rest, packing a heavier punch with the high spirited inflections that make this track feel light-hearted. Possibly one of the better hip-hop collaborations of 2018, “Tints” rises above the expectations of any Instagram picture the two could post promoting the track and manages to keep you dancing year-round with its funky spin on hip-hop and R&B. —Zoe Johnson

Summer Walker doesn’t hold back. On her lucid femme anthem, “Girls Need Love,” Atlanta’s ethereal singer is in charge as she makes a candid request for love making. With her warm and serene vocals she plainly sings, “I just need some d**k, I just need some love,” but her plea is not to be mistaken for carnal co-dependence. She’s authoritative and makes note of the power she holds to satisfy her partner or be his “healing” while in the act — it’s mutually beneficial exchange. Walker’s decisive and sexy songwriting quickly resonated with listeners. On the singer’s low-key Instagram account, she’s reposted videos of a few fans and even music artists like Kash Doll and Ella Mai singing along to the liberating tune.

To those who do not acknowledge the validity of a woman’s sexual autonomy, the transparency of the song may only seem tempestuous and bold. But as Walker is forthright about her desires, the track is also a space for her and other women to be tender and vulnerable in this search for satisfaction. In the chorus, Walker takes the time to call out the overwhelmingly misogynistic ideals that push back against women being in command of their bodies, sex, and how they want to experience it. "Girls can’t never say that want it, Girls can’t never say how/ Girls can’t never say they need it, Girls can’t never say now," Walker sings. The song ends on her honeyed ad-libs and runs that lead up to one melodious question, “So what’s a girl to do when she needs loving too?” —Lakin Starling

There’s a certain kind of joy that comes from hearing the musical chemistry two recording artists have on wax, regardless of whether or not that professional interaction translates to their personal lives. However, it’s another pleasure entirely to actually feel it for yourself, especially when it’s a love song.

In an unlikely match, Ella Mai and John Legend’s voices join together in a marriage of melodies that melt through the skin and wrap around the bones. Her tucked away gem, “Everything,” puts listeners in the shoes of two lovers standing face to face, letting every warm emotion swirling in their cores pour out into the tiny space between them. “You notice everything/So I give my everything/My pain and my struggle, my friend and my lover/I put that on everything/Feels like a forever thing,” they sing together, stressing the totality of a love gone right.

Before Ella starts talking at the end of the track as a continuation of her self-titled debut LP’s poetry shtick, Legend’s feathery warbles and Ella’s complementary grounded charm decorate tender instrumentation from guitarist Marlon Williams and Quintin Gulledge. It’s like you can already see the flower-laden rom-com scene playing out on a jumbo screen in front of you. Let the inevitable future window-side serenades commence. —Stacy-Ann Ellis

In 2018, soulful newcomer Jessie Reyez’s gained international acclaim for her earnest singing and songwriting. She snagged four nominations across the MTV Video Music Awards, MTV Europe Music Awards, and the Juno Awards of Canada, winning the trophy for “Breakthrough Artist” at the latter. There, fellow Canadian Daniel Caesar joined her for their re-imagining of her raw heartbreak hymn “Figures” to a chorus of adoring fans.

“Figures, a Reprise” is sonically richer than its predecessor—and layered on top of the more complex instrumental is more righteous indignation in Reyez’s voice as she takes up the space her subject has neglected her. “I got a lineup of girls and a lineup of guys/Begging for me just to give 'em a try,” she sings in the first verse, a boast that shows up much later in the original.

If Reyez’s solo effort of “Figures” is a snapshot of the helpless rage of one lover scorned, “Figures, a Reprise” zooms out to capture another victim deflated by betrayal. “I got a cup full of whiskey/150/Reasons to leave/I just pray that you'll miss me,” croons Caesar in the song chock-full of raw couplets. With her pen behind some of this year’s hottest Calvin-Harris-helmed hits (“One Kiss” performed by Dua Lipa, “Promise” performed by Sam Smith), Reyez will likely be in high demand in 2019. —Mankaprr Conteh

With “Gonna Love Me,” a song that plays to the mood boards of love, Teyana Taylor gently sings its parallels and how we grow through the wins and losses. At a glance, love can be declaring, much like the singer’s proclamations on the first verse. From seeing her partner as a “shining star” to owning her own faults, Teyana discovers what truly matters in her world of love. The second verse follows up with lessons learned under the pain, switching the chorus subject from him to her.

The song’s video takes her love one step higher thanks to raw home videos of her family and dedication to her craft. Footage of her journey in marriage, motherhood and her career reminds us her around the way girl personality, a character trait that sets her apart from other R&B vocalists in 2018. With a diligent and gentle 1970 sample of The Delfonics’ “I Gave To You,” the veil of romance continues, showing a softer side to the fierce entertainer. This summertime-like gem reminds us all of Teyana's ability to foster rich R&B in a time where all eyes seem to be on it the most. The song was a favorite on the Billboard R&B charts and takes us to a place where love is gentle, reassuring and kind. Despite the clouds in her creative process (a la the rollout for K.T.S.E.), at least we get another modern R&B gem to bump from the aux. —Desire Thompson

Mary Jane has always been a temptress. Her alluring green eyes have long been the reason for relaxation, clarity, kinship, and creativity. TDE’s SiR, who has wallowed in throes of her aura for some time, quietly released one of the year’s best albums with November, and of the record’s 11 tracks, “D’Evils” (pronounced dee-evils, not devils) is a hats off to the magic of marijuana.

Sampling reggae musician Billy Boyo, SiR croons about the delicious effects of his main chick. Whether it be talking his sh*t (“never had a problem that I couldn’t solve/it must be official if I get involved”), or just how robust his romance with Ms. Jane actually is (“a quarter pound of fire burning daily/harder to remember getting harder to remember”), in SiR’s world one spliff a day indeed keeps the evils away. Or, at least so says the chorus.

Echoing the high is the sonic bed SiR’s lyrics sit on top of. The bounce is palpable but the vibe is chill. You feel like you’re driving down the 405 right as the sun sets and the top is down, all may not be right, but everything ‘gon be alright. As a woman who doesn’t partake in the festivities of the greenery, I cannot relate to the Nirvana SiR and countless others have sung about. Weed isn’t my thing, I’m more of a red wine gal, myself. But the sense of calm that comes with SiR’s voice and his music, is a drug I can definitely get with. —SG