npr.org/2024/02/08/1229430810/usher-super-bowl-vegas-residency-performance

Read this article from NPR about Usher's Super Bowl performance and the state of Male R&B. In the female R&B space, the idea of curating performances, choreography, showmanship and all of that is really important but in the male R&B space it's become less of a thing. We also have way less of a stan culture when it comes to male R&B singers. My question is, do you think it's possible for men in the R&B space to gain some sort of traction? and if so, how?

In addition, are there any new/current male R&B acts that are inhabiting that energy?

From his era*, CB was at a time for us

I struggle to see how Chris Brown wouldn’t apply here. Sure it seems he’s a bad person, but objectively he had a superstar era

Didn't bruno mars already do a superbowl?

Chris was post Usher and Trey Songz even was on the path for a little while

When does R&B become pop tho?

Abel is the objectively the biggest male artist currently who started his career making R&B

NPR trying to eliminate Chris Brown.

trey never got to superstar level cb there's definitely an argument for he was/is a certified superstar

he was, but would you still consider him one?

realistically its probably cb

Male R&B singers were kind of replaced by rappers in the ‘10s, since rap incorporated singing

The problem is that they are not VOCALISTS. Many of them straight up can’t sing.

abel not traditional rnb tbh he was a superstar when he was fully in pop mode

This is who they list for female r&b:

The women in R&B are as accomplished as ever, as artists and entertainers — take SZA, Janelle Monáe, Jazmine Sullivan, Victoria Monét and Jorja Smith as just a few examples.

So since Usher, I’d say Jeremih, Miguel, Ty$, PND have had success

Yeah but for CB, aren't most of his biggest hits pop songs?

the article a joke then none of the females bar sza are superstars

This is what article states about Chris Brown and Weeknd btw:

None can match Usher for hits or for classics or for oomph. Bruno Mars and Justin Bieber are pop stars cosplaying R&B (though the former is a distinguished, if lesser, performer), and have no real claim. The ship has sailed for Chris Brown. The Weeknd is trying — definitely successful enough, and maybe even talented enough, but look no further than his own Super Bowl halftime show to really get a sense of the distance between him and Usher.

Yes because a combination of blurring the lines between hip hop and R&B, contemporary R&B not lining up with how millennials + gen Z treat/view love and how that’s reflected lyrically, and finally just the fact that Usher is truly a once in a generation talent and niggas barely can sing these days outside of the studio well here we are

na whole 1st album hits were rnb n they still among his biggest hits now

like Tiller who is worshipped on here…

and Brent…
and PND…

Tiller is worshipped here, yet the thread on him is only 7 pages lol

whenever he comes up within 10s R&B artists’ discussions niggas talk about him like he revolutionized the game lol

he literally struggle sang over some moody trap instrumentals so yeah, that’s worship to me, not the amount of pages one of these niggas get

You seen his last MV bro had the shiesty mask on so that tells you all you need to know about where R&B is lol

yea the comparison of weeknd to usher is a little unfair. I think The Weeknd falls more into that Pop category but also they're different type of performances. just because Weeknd can't pop lock don't mean Usher is leagues above him.

The comments about Justin, Bruno and Abel are ridiculous. I'll refrain to say what I really want to say to not derail the thread. 🤐

The Weeknd is an R&B super star idc that he does pop now