R&B is so back. This week in the genre that’s currently dominating music, hiatuses have ended and new chapters are being written.
From Melanie Fiona, Summer Walker, Mereba, Liamani, and RAY BLK to Aneesa Strings, Elmiene, Jake Isaac, Elijah Blake, Skip Marley, and MARIAH., VIBE’s top new selects are for the lovers. However, there’s always new music here for those honoring their inner child or influential figures they’ve lost.
There’s a buffet of new music offerings to sink your teeth into, so get going.
Melanie Fiona – “Say Yes” And “I Choose You”
After a lengthy musical hiatus, Melanie Fiona has returned with two new singles: “Say Yes” and “I Choose You.”
“Say Yes” is not a cover of the Floetry classic, but instead an earnest plea to be brave enough to welcome love. “I Choose You” was inspired by her wedding vows. It’s the more upbeat record that celebrates the joy associated with choosing to love someone wholeheartedly, confidently, and deliberately.
“These songs come from a very personal place,” Melanie noted about her twofer. “They are about love, choice, and empowerment- allowing yourself to say yes, to the love and life that is waiting for you on the other side of fear.”
Her new EP —of which these singles stem from— is slated for release in 2025.
Summer Walker – “Heart Of A Woman”
Summer Walker is finally over it, and the first single from the concluding her Over It trilogy is out now.
“Heart Of A Woman” is yet another relatable anthem that speaks to the frustration from a back-and-forth tension in a relationship you don’t want to let go.
“Wanna give up on you but damn I know I can’t/ I put the blame on me taking chance after chance,” she sings in the first verse. To drive her point home, the music video stars the newest Love Island USA winners, Serena Page and Kordell Beckham, known by their fanbase as #Kordena.
Mereba – “Counterfeit”
Mereba’s new album is on its way, but first, a single.
“Counterfeit” is an anthem about self-love and resilience. She initially drew inspiration from those around her and sings on the single: “Didn’t sacrifice the feel for the bill/ But then again, how can I judge? N****s need bucks/ And when you make it out the mud/ You’re never goin’ back to the sludge/ Look up high, wild sky/ They’re all high, whole function’s flying.”
However, the record soon reflected something empowering that fit her life. Her next album is her reconnecting with her inner child while “honoring nostalgia” and finding the path back to her most genuine self.
Mereba’s new album, The Breeze Grew a Fire, is out February 14, 2025.
Elmiene – Anyway I Can
Elmiene’s new EP has arrived. Anyway I Can is his next chapter, where he continues to wear his heart on his sleeve, and pour his emotions into his music.
Featuring singles “Crystal Tears”, “Anyways,” “Sweetness,” and “Light Work,” the eight-track project is about “fighting for love, dedication to mending ruptured romances, [and] celebrating the ease of relationships that work and mourning ones that don’t,” per the British crooner.
Give us the album, though. It’s time.
Elijah Blake – elijah! deluxe
Elijah Blake’s latest album was great, but he made it better with the powerhouse deluxe installment.
The original version had no features because he wanted the storytelling to be the album’s focal point. Now, he’s enlisted the likes of Keyshia Cole, Tiana Major9, Salt of Salt-N-Pepa, Kirby, Sevyn Streeter, Kim Burrell, and more to take elijah. to a brand new level.
“You know how when you tell a story, but then someone else gets to reimagine it for you? That’s what I’m looking forward with the deluxe version,” he told VIBE back in August for his V-Sessions performance.
One standout albeit heart-wrenching track is “Does Something Happen When You Hear My Name (Jason’s Song).” It features Maeta and Tone Stith and is a tribute record to their late manager, Jason Hobdy who passed at age 40 in September.
Liamani – “Sunkissed”
Liamani is the direct descendant of Mariah Carey and Ariana Grande. The 16-year-old has the vocal range of a superstar, but after sharing countless viral covers, she is making her formal debut.
“Sunkissed” is her first single and it’s just as dreamy as you’d expect it to be. The Def Jam signee explained, “’Sunkissed’ is a magical song about friendship that I wrote about my older sister, who stars in the video with me! Our bond is so beautiful and special to me. The song and the video have such good vibes, it makes you feel like the sun is beaming down on you and you can feel it on your skin.”
It’s innocent, endearing, and heartfelt. “Sunkissed” is the lead single from her debut project coming in 2025.
Luther Vandross – “Michelle”
Ahead of the limited theatrical release of Luther Vandross‘ critically acclaimed documentary, the late crooner’s estate announced the release of Never Too Much: Greatest Hits.
The full LP will be out on Dec. 13, but fans can now listen to his never-before-heard cover of The Beatles’ “Michelle.” Like most songs he’s made his own, this one is no exception.
There aren’t many details available about the recording’s conception except that his longtime friend and background vocalist, Fonzi Thornton, discovered the cassette in Vandross’ archive that was labeled, “Luther Vandross Michelle 6/1/89.”
The compilation will also include the previously unreleased track “Speak Your Love,” written and produced by Vandross and Thornton.
Aneesa Strings – “We Are The Music”
Aneesa Strings, whose talent we love, has dropped her first single of her new musical era.
“We Are The Music” is described by the layered artist as a “love letter to the music lovers.” It’s one of those songs perfect for a date night scene in a romantic film as two strangers forge a bond over the mutual love of good music.
She explained, “[It’s for] the people who become one with the bass line, the ones who are deeply affected by the lyrics, the ones who remember every part of the song and & collect physical albums. In my musical journey, I have learned that the audience is the most important part of music. We are the ones that carry it forward. We are the ones that become musicians— we have to be fans first. We are the ones whose lives are changed by it.”
If this is an appetizer of what’s on Aneesa’s menu, we’re so ready for the main course.
RAY BLK – A Forest Fire
RAY BLK had us at hello. Her new EP, A Forest Fire, is searing a permanent place in our brains as she offers fans her most honest project thus far.
On “Courage,” she details the harrowing journey of survival after an abusive relationship. On “Sunshine,” she basked in the light of that freedom. On “Disaster,” she’s joined by Tiana Major9 and speaks on the strength that comes with rebuilding one’s self from rock bottom.
Ray shared of the EP, “I made this project during my lowest points in 2022 as catharsis, only to realise it isn’t for me. It’s for anyone else who’s been there, and knows how it feels to not want to go on any longer. I learned through the process of being burned down from every angle of my life, that just like a forest – it brings incredible new growth. I hope it inspires listeners to have hope for the future, and to let go of all the baggage they carry.”
All six tracks are a chilling testament TO where she’s been, where she is, and where she’s going.
Jake Isaac – BENJAMIN
We stumbled upon the greatness that is Jake Isaac today with the release of his new album, BENJAMIN, and now, there’s no going back.
The British crooner described the LP as an “autobiographical portrait” of where he is today as a man and an artist. “I feel like deep down I’ve waited a long time to make this album. An album that truly reflects my musical upbringing and other dynamics in my life that go beyond just the topic of romance,” he explained in a statement.
“SELAH” is a slow-burn instrumental opener that perfectly sets up the soul-stirring “FOOLS FOR LOVE.” Yet, there’s the goosebump-inducing “OKAY” and the funky “GOOD MAN.” As far as our favorite track goes, it’d have to be “EVER YOURS.” However, this was a sonic masterpiece from start to finish.
Skip Marley – “Close”
Skip Marley’s new single, “Close,” isn’t your typical love song. It’s vibrant, groovy, and hypnotizing.
Produced by Rykeyz, Skip puts his own sauce on Maxi Priest’s 1990 classic “Close To You” as lures listeners into a trance.
“It’s modern, but it pays homage to Maxi Priest. I loved the idea of bringing this great song to the new generation,” Skip expressed in a statement. “On one hand, I’m reminiscing about a girl. For me, there’s a bigger meaning too. The song hints that I’m back and about to begin another chapter.”
MARIAH. Feat. Raheem DeVaughn – “Hold On Me”
There’s a new MARIAH. on the block, and she already has a co-sign from an R&B veteran. After a brief pause, she’s back with her new sultry ballad, “Hold On Me,” featuring Raheem DeVaughn.
Co-written by the two and produced by Eddie Spencer and Brekiscus-Hollywood Jackson, the soothing record serves you love on a silver platter.
“This beautiful song serves as an anthem about love and perspective. Love can have powerful effects on the mind, heart, and body, creating an inescapable embrace. The person becomes like an energy pack: charging and elevating his/her intended,” MARIAH. explained in a statement.
There’s plenty more coming from the songbird in the near future.
