SoulBack R&B Podcast

The SoulBack R&B Podcast Episode 148

We're back with another episode of the SoulBack R&B Podcast. The GRAMMY nominations came out so we touched on that, but most importantly we break down the process for listeners out there. We also talk about Coco Jones new EP. We also talk about Chris Brown's "Under The Influence" and the success that it has garnered via Tik Tok. Lastly we talk about the state of Adult R&B and the challenge that veteran artists such as Usher face when trying to crossover to mainstream R&B. Lastly we go over some Gen Z slang words in hopes that we can connect with the younger R&B listeners better!

0:03:50 – Christmas is coming!
0:08:20 – Songs blowing up on Tik Tok and it leading to chart success
0:15:10 – Our thoughts on Babyface's album "Girls Night Out" and what the sound means for R&B
0:09:31 – R&B may not be dead, but the business model for selling R&B is struggling
0:23:47 – Gen Z slang words
0:28:34 – Jermaine Dupri says Usher's current music is too old for mainstream R&B
0:43:40 – The GRAMMY voting process
0:50:58 – R&B Love Letters: Usher - What's A Man To Do

The SoulBack R&B Podcast Episode 147

On this week's episode of SoulBack R&B Podcast, we talk about all the hot topics in R&B. Even though we promised not to engage in Diddy's "Is R&B Dead?" conversation, we do talk about some of the challenges that R&B artists are facing in the industry today. We also talk about new music from Robin Thicke and Babyface. Lastly we talk about some of the current songs charting on the Adult R&B stations to see if we are still in tuned with R&B today or if we're falling behind. Check us out!

0:02:00 – Chick-fil-A sauce
0:03:25 – RIP Jesse Powell and remembering his career
0:06:00 – Robin Thicke's new single "Brown Liquor"
0:09:31 – R&B may not be dead, but the business model for selling R&B is struggling
0:18:31 – Doja Cat is announcing that she's making an R&B album
0:23:30 – Tyga sampled Lil Flip's "Sunshine"??
0:26:02 – Diddy's LOVE" sessions with all the big R&B artists and producers
0:33:27 – Remembering the 106 & Park era
0:42:06 – Looking ahead to Babyface's new album "Girls Night Out"
0:57:24 – Looking at the Adult R&B radio charts
1:04:02 – Love Letters: Tipping at a restaurant

The SoulBack R&B Podcast Episode 146 (25 Year Anniversaries For Usher, Mariah Carey & Jon B)

We actually had a whole different podcast planned for this episode but we had to take some time out to celebrate the classic albums from Jon B ("Cool Relax"), Usher ("My Way") and Mariah Carey "Butterfly". We dissect each album, talk about our favorite songs from each of these projects and talk about the impact that these projects had on the artists' careers. Come reminisce with us and celebrate the release of these amazing albums!

The SoulBack R&B Podcast Episode 145

Beyonce is back with a new album so that only means SoulBack needs to return to talk about R&B. We talk about the “Renaissance” album and dissect the music as well as the marketing for it. We also talk about new music from the likes of Chris Brown, DVSN as well as Men At Large. We also talk about the new supergroup RSVP and the potential that they have. Lastly we talk about some current events such as the Irv Gotti/Ashanti drama as well as Ne-Yo’s recent news and how it will affect his career and his fanbase. Check us out!

0:02:00 – Our thoughts on Beyonce’s “Renaissance” album
0:06:52 – What R&B artists still have a team for quality control?
0:10:47 – The release strategy for the Beyonce album
0:16:40 – The problem with sampling in R&B today
0:19:07 – Even John Legend is dropping a double album at this point!
0:27:02 – Edd paid $100 for VIP Chris Brown Meet & Greet tickets??
0:30:00 – Will the new supergroup R&B RSVP work? (Ray J, Sammie, Bobby V, Pleasure P)
0:36:40 – Taylor Swift doesn’t know 3LW??
0:39:08 – The upcoming Millennium tour has 15 performers…….
0:45:55 – The problem with DVSN’s new song
0:54:20 – The one million dollar question: Bear, Lion, Hippo, Crocodile
0:57:18 – Love Letters: Ashanti/Irv Gotti, Ne-Yo backlash on social media
1:09:01 – Stan culture when it comes to Chloe Bailey and Normani

The SoulBack R&B Podcast Episode 144

We’re back with another episode of the SoulBack podcast to talk about R&B. We touch on Mary J. Blige’s Superbowl performance as well as her new album “Good Morning Gorgeous”. We also talk about new music from Jazmine Sullivan, J. Holiday and Marques Houston. We get into the battle between Anthony Hamilton and Musiq Souchild and VERZUZ’s choice to charge for the showing. Lastly we talk about the success of “Pressure” by Ari Lennox as well as “Hrs & Hrs” by Muni Long and what it means for R&B to have these songs playing on mainstream radio.

0:00:23 – Rihanna’s pregnancy
0:03:03 – Which drinks gotta go?
0:08:21 – Mary J. Blige’s Superbowl performance
0:15:29 – Our thoughts on Mary J. Blige’s new album “Good Morning Gorgeous”
0:25:45 – The importance of “Pressure” and “Hrs & Hrs” being hit records
0:30:37 – New music from Jazmine Sullivan, J. Holiday, Marques Houston
0:36:05 – Do male R&B artists have to step it up?
0:43:40 – Ne-Yo’s statement about ladies wanting to be called the B word
0:49:22 – VERZUZ deserves a Playa Please for charging money for the Anthony Hamilton vs Musiq Soulchild blame
0:54:15 – Edd’s Love Letters

The SoulBack R&B Podcast Episode 143

The SoulBack R&B podcast is back! On this week’s episode, we talk about new music from Ari Lennox and Muni Long. We also talk about Aaliyah's upcoming album which includes the new single "Posion" with The Weeknd. We also talk about the Jodeci reunion and if more R&B groups need to reunite, Lastly we play a fun game to decide which R&B ballads are the strongest from male artists. Check us out!

0:02:10 – JD Vegan Ice-Cream, Taco Bell's chicken wings, White Castle/Fat Joe collaboration
0:06:20 – Which table are you sitting at: Male R&B ballads edition
0:12:36 – What R&B groups need to reunite?
0:17:00 – 90's R&B fans aren't streaming which hurts the genre
0:20:44 - Aaliyah's upcoming album has features from The Weeknd, Future and more
0:29:15 - Brandy and Mariah Carey are working on a song together!
0:31:55 - Albums missing from other outlets' year end lists
0:35:28 - Is there a difference between what The Weeknd is doing with his throwback sound and Bruno Mars' retro music? 
0:39:00 - Muni Long and Ari Lennox land their first hits on the Billboard Hot 100
0:41:10 - Should artists handle their own social media pages?

The SoulBack R&B Podcast Episode 142 (The Top 100 R&B Songs of 2021)

We have been gone for a minute, but we had to finish the year off strong. In this special episode of the SoulBack podcast, we discuss our picks for the top 100 R&B songs of 2021. We published the whole list recently, but find out the rationale behind the picks. There were plenty of great R&B songs that came out this year, so definitely take a listen to each song after you listen to the episode. We’ll be back next year on a regular basis with episodes as well!

The SoulBack R&B Podcast Episode 141

The SoulBack R&B podcast is back! On this week’s episode, we celebrate Andrea Martin’s contributions to R&B. We also talk about the upcoming Silk Sonic album. We also touch on the latest releases from Anthony Hamilton, JoJo, Stokley and Sevyn Streeter. We also talk about R. Kelly's career now that he's officially guilty and what things will look like for him going forward.. Lastly we discuss some of our favorite songs from each artist in a fun segment.

0:01:30 – RIP Andrea Martin
0:06:00 – Silk Sonic announces debut album coming next month 
0:09:08 – The brilliance of The Shindella's debut album "“Hits That Stick Like Grits”
0:14:50 – The art of sampling
0:20:21 - R. Kelly is officially guilty. Now what?
0:27:53 - New albums from Anthony Hamilton, JoJo, Stokley
0:34:20 - Mary J. Blige will be performing at Superbowl
0:37:00 - The Dru Hill burger 
0:40:20 - Favorite songs discussion from these artists...
01:00:0 - Love Letters: Tyrese's Instagram post, Lil Fizz apologizes to Omarion 

The SoulBack R&B Podcast Episode 140

We're back with another episode of the SoulBack podcast. On this week's episode, we celebrate Chucky Thompson's contributions to R&B. We also talk about the success of BET's "The Encore" and the R&B supergroup BluPrint. We also touch on the new group The Chi which consists of Dave Hollister, Carl Thomas and Donell Jones. We also talk about the release of Aaliyah's "One In A Million" to streaming to platforms and what these upcoming Blackground releases mean for her legacy. Lastly we discuss our favorite R&B albums of 2021 so far.

0:00:30 – Remember R&B producer Chucky Thompson
0:04:15 – Why BluPrint was such a success
0:14:06 - Donell Jones, Carl Thomas and Dave Hollister form R&B supergroup The Chi
0:18:45 – The Blackground catalog is finally coming to stream platforms. Music from Aaliyah, Timbaland & Magoo, Tank, Toni Braxton and JoJo
0:28:34 – Love Letters: Aaliyah - 4 Page Letter
0:31:09 – Top 3 favorite R&B albums of 2021 so far
0:47:01 – Which album comes out first: Usher or Silk Sonic? 

The SoulBack R&B Podcast: Episode 139 (Special Guest Kevin Ross)

It's been more than a month but we're back with a new episode of the SoulBack R&B podcast. This week we have our friend and R&B singer/songwriter Kevin Ross with us. We talk about his journey as an independent artist, some of the challenges that he faced while on a major label and also some of the current issues that we're seeing in R&B right now. We also talk about Kevin's new single "Looking For Love". Lastly we get into a special love letters as we discuss the Kevin Ross penned "What's Best For You" by Trey Songz and analyze the lyrics. We compare the approach that Trey Songz takes on that record with Donell Jones' classic "Where I Wanna Be". Take a listen and see if you agree!

0:00:48 – New music from Kevin Ross, Silk Sonic and Kem
0:16:08 – BJ the Chicago Kid leaving Motown and going independent
0:21:32 - Learning to be profitable as an independent artist
0:28:14 - The stigma changing on Adult R&B and Urban AC radio
0:39:44 – Is modern R&B a victim of ageism?
0:54:38 – Is 90's and 2000's overrated in the grand scheme of things?
1:02:00 – Love letters: Trey Songz - What's Best For You
1:08:02 – Upcoming "Drive 2" project from Kevin Ross