SoulBack R&B Podcast

Can Bruno Mars save R&B? – YouKnowIGotSoul R&B Podcast Episode #34

We are back with a brand new episode of our R&B podcast to give you the real on Bruno Mars' new album "24K Magic" which just came out Friday. The project has a very heavy early 90's vibe to it, so we try to figure out if it will bring back R&B to the radio. We also discuss the longevity of new albums these days. Our guest Lachele claims that most people only listen to new albums for about a month before they go back to the old stuff.

We also rank our top 5 male and female vocalists. Artists such as Eric Benet, Brian McKnight, Faith Evans and Kelly Price appear to be names that top everyone's list.

The Death of the R&B Group – YouKnowIGotSoul R&B Podcast Episode #33 (Special Guest Digital Black of Playa)

We're back with another podcast. It's been a minute since we had a special guest, so we decided to reach out to Digital Black of the R&B group Playa. If you don't remember them, they had the hit single "Cheers 2U" and they also wrote songs for the likes of Aaliyah, Ginuwine and Nicole Wray. We started off the podcast by talking about Da Bassment and all of the artists that came from that camp. We also talk about Timbaland's impact on R&B and whether it had a negative impact on the genre.

We also talk about some of the R&B artists who have gotten forgotten like Tevin Campbell and Al B. Sure. We discuss whether the impact of Jodeci and Mary J. Blige had a part in a lot of the New Jack Swing artists fading away. We talk the lack of R&B groups and slow jams in today's industry. We also talk about Joe's new album and whether it passed the YouKnowIGotSoul review.

For the food discussion, we discuss fried chicken and whether KFC is at the the top of anyone's list. Being that Digital Black is from Kentucky, you would expect him to say yes but stay tuned.

The Greatness and Inconsistency of Alicia Keys – YouKnowIGotSoul R&B Podcast Episode #32

Alicia Keys' new album "Here" is finally out and as always, we're here to give you the real on the album. We talk about the promotion behind the album, the omission of the lead single "In Common" and the disappointing first week sales. The album is projected to sell 33-38k which is a huge drop off from her last album. We also try to figure out how Solange has managed to sell more than the 2000's superstars Alicia Keys and Usher.

We also talk about Tinashe's new mixtape "Nightride" and her journey being on RCA records since signing with them a few years back. We've seen her going in a lot of different directions so we try to figure out what the best lane for is right now. Afterwards we talk about some of the new R&B releases that have come out this year including the chart topping single "Thick Of It" by Mary J. Blige and the new Bruno Mars joint "Versace On The Floor" which sounds like it's straight from 1991. We also briefly debate whether Bruno Mars could possible bring R&B back.

End Of An Era With Joe Thomas' Potential Retirement – YouKnowIGotSoul R&B Podcast Episode #31

YouKnowIGotSoul is back to bring you the latest in R&B. We start off the podcast by talking about Joe’s potential retirement. He mentioned to us in an interview that his upcoming album “My Name Is Joe Thomas” may be his last because of low album sales across the board for R&B. We also talk about Alicia Keys’ upcoming album “Here” which is set to come out next week. The release is a surprise to us as there hasn’t been any buzz for the album. We then get into our discussion about Usher and his decision to release “No Limit”.

We also talk about some recent R&B releases such as Solange’s surprise album, Bobby V’s movie soundtrack, Eric Benet project as well as After 7’s return to the industry. One song we highlighted on the After 7 album is “Runnin’ Out”. We touch on some other news going on in R&B right now such as the 112 comeback and Sevyn Streeter’s recent national anthem incident at the Philadelphia 76ers game.

Finally we talk about some of our favorite Halloween candies as well as the ones that we hate. Pink starbursts all the way.

Should We Be Concerned About Usher's Album Sales? – YouKnowIGotSoul R&B Podcast Episode #30

It’s finally that time. Usher has released his new album “Hard II Love” and we give you the real on the album. Do yourself a favor and check out our review on the album and then give the podcast a listen to digest our disappointment with the album. Along with our special guest and part time contributor Zeplyn, We talk about the overall project as well as the impact that the album has on Usher’s legacy. Afterwards we talk about the low first week sales of the albums and try to figure out contributing factors.

We also talk about some of the new releases that have come out this month including AZ Yet, Dave Hollister and the very mysterious project by RCA recording artist H.E.R. She is an artist that popped of nowhere and managed to hit #1 on the R&B iTunes charts through word of mouth from various artists such as Tyrese and Alicia Keys. We take the time to talk about the marketing strategy behind the project as well as the long term effects.

This is a podcast you don’t want to miss!

Should Usher Release His New Album On Tidal? - YouKnowIGotSoul R&B Podcast Episode #29

It’s been quite some time since the last podcast, but we’re finally back to talk about new music and new albums in R&B. We start off the podcast talking about the new singles from Tinashe (“Superlove”) and Sevyn Streeter (“Prolly”). We discuss the younger generation of R&B fans the pressure that they face when competing with Hip Hop artists on the radio. BJ The Chicago Kid is an artist who has managed to make it work, so we look at his situation to see how he’s been able to survive in today’s R&B scene.

We talk about some of the latest R&B releases including CDs from Fantasia (“The Definition Of…”), Chrisette Michele (“Milestone”), Maxwell (“blackSUMMERS’night”), Anthony Hamilton (“What I’m Feelin”). We’ve seen some solid releases this year, but we talk about how it’s been disappointing that none of the releases have been great.

Usher will be dropping his new album “Flawed” later this year, so we talk about whether it’ll make sense for him to release the album via Tidal. Other superstars like Kanye West, Beyonce and Rihanna have gone that route, but it might not be the best idea for Usher. Afterwards we talk about Usher’s fanbase and discuss whether his fanbase from the “Confessions” album is still there.

Lastly we talk about some new music that we can be expecting soon including Jon B who is now signed to Warryn Campbell’s label My Block as well as the R&B group AZ Yet who have reunited.

Is Beyonce Stan Culture Hurting R&B? - YouKnowIGotSoul R&B Podcast Episode #28

The three most dangerous men in R&B are back with another podcast. We’ve been gone for a good minute, but we’re back to talk about all things in R&B. We start off the podcast talking about Beyonce’s “Lemonade” album and get into a discussion about the stan culture. We look at the damaging effects that cyber bullying has on the world of R&B. Kyle and Tom reflect on the origins of stan which actually from the message boards a decade ago. As for Beyonce’s new album, we rank her discography from best to worst.

We talk about some new music that come out including Mario’s new single “I Need More”. The single features a new sound for Mario, so we debate whether it’s the right move for his career. We also talk about Lloyd’s comeback to R&B with his new single “Tru” and his commitment to bettering himself as he just completed his GED recently. We look into his discography and compare it to Bobby V’s, so you’ll have to listen to see which one we think is better.

A couple of new albums we preview on this podcast are Keith Sweat’s “Dress To Impress”, Slim of 112’s “Refueled” and Ro James’ “Eldorado”. Finally we wrap up the podcast by talking about Musiq Soulchild’s latest release “Life On Earth” .

A lot for us to catch up on in R&B, so you don’t want to miss this episode of the podcast!

YouKnowIGotSoul R&B Podcast #27 - 03/23/2016 (Special Guest Gaetano)

Our friend Gaetano is back with us on this episode of the podcast. We start off by talking about T-Pain’s run with autotune and how that’s backfired on him in recent years. We can all agree that he’s actually talented vocally, but relying on a gimmick made it hard for him to sustain longevity. We then talk about some of the new R&B albums that have come out recently including Jaheim’s latest project “Struggle Love”. Edd and Gaetano agree that it was a solid project, but it could have used some work on the track sequencing.

This upcoming Friday we have Anthony Hamilton’s new album “What I’m Feelin” as well as K. Michelle’s new album “More Issues Than Vogue”. Another album we’re excited about is Musiq Soulchild’s album “Life On Earth”. We’ve been impressed with both of his singles “I Do” and “Heart Away” so we’re expecting big things from him.

We talk about Tank‘s latest album “Sex, Love & Pain 2” album and Gaetano (who by the way is a huge Tank fan) is disappointed with the direction of the album when we compare it to the original “Sex, Love & Pain” but he understands why Tank went in a new direction. Another album that’s coming up in the coming weeks is Slim of 112’s solo album. We debate on whether we need another 112 album seeing as it’s been more than decade since “Pleasure & Pain”. Lastly Gaetano brings up Mario and asks if he’s capable of making a comeback. Tom brings up the article we did on the 2000’s R&B singers and how it’s been a challenge for them to maintain relevancy in this new era of R&B. One of the ways that they’re trying to keep their buzz up is going on together like J. Holiday, Pleasure P and Bobby V are.

YouKnowIGotSoul R&B Podcast #26 - 03/14/2016 (Special Guest Mike Hamilton of Atlantic Records)

YouKnowIGotSoul is back with a brand new R&B podcast. On this episode, we have Mike Hamilton of Atlantic Records as a special guest. We've had an opportunity to bring in various people in the industry from artists to producers so that everyone gets to see R&B from different angles, so it was interesting to see the perspective of R&B from someone at a major record label.

In this episode, we talk about some of the exciting projects that are being released from Atlantic Records including K. Michelle's "More Issues Than Vogue" and Sevyn Streeter. Mike also talks about some of the artists he's most excited about right now like Jill Scott, Tank and Trevor Jackson.

Barry also talks about the state of R&B right now and the trends that he's seeing with the sound. He points out that melodies have become the focus in music as opposed to singing which would explain why we are hearing so many hits by artists who aren't as talented vocally. Kyle talks about the key to sustaining the singing which is to fuse the current trends in Hip Hop right now with the more traditional sound and Mike points out Tank's new album as a perfect example of that.

Tom makes a bold statement and says that R&B will not return to the point where vocals are at the forefront anymore. Barry make the case that it just takes a special artist like Leon Bridges to turn things around and change the music industry, but Tom points out that people don't consume music the same way that they did before so R&B gets lost in the shuffle because no one has the attention span for that type of music anymore.

Lastly we talk about some of the new albums that's coming out including Silk's "Quiet Storm" and Jaheim's "Struggle Love". We make predictions on first week sales which we also agree isn't a good indicator on success anymore because so many people stream these days.

YouKnowIGotSoul R&B Podcast #25 - 02/28/2016

YouKnowIGotSoul is finally back with a brand new podcast. We used some cool technology this time around, but it came with some minor technical difficulties (which will be fixed in future episodes!!) In the future, you will have the opportunity to not only see the YouKnowIGotSoul team on camera, but you'll also have the chance to participate live on our podcast. More details on that to follow in the future but in the meantime...

In this episode of the podcast, we talk about some of the latest releases in R&B including Tweet's new album "Charlene". The album is actually the first official release from Tweet since her "It's Me Again" which came out in 2005. "Charlene" is led by the single "Magic".

We also talk about Mya's new album "Smoove Jones" which quietly came out last week. Mya hasn't put out an official album in a minute, but she's back with a new project that she funded by herself. We also talk about Brian McKnight's new album "Better" and look at his current status in the industry today compared to someone like Joe who came out around the same time as him.

The Urban AC charts is also discussed on this podcast. We make some points about the unusual appearances on the charts including artists like Adele, The Weeknd and Drake. Lastly we talk about some of the best songs to listen to when someone has broken up with you in a relationship. Edd believes Keith Sweat is the way to go, Tom believes it's all about Mobb Deep and Kyle is rolling with Mariah Carey.