Alicia Keys is back in a big way!! Dropping a seriously addictive track, ‘In Common‘ which delivers dancehall undertones perfect for the summer!

Produced by Illangelo, known for producing Drake, The Weeknd and Majid Jordan, the track is a fresh, slightly unexpected sound for Alicia Keys.

Details of a new album are yet to be announced, but fans can catch Alicia as a judge on the new season of The Voice in the US later this year and you can pick up the new track here

@CarlyMond

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YwHRTCyrEo

Another homegrown talent for RnB fans to keep their eye on this year as London based singer/songwriter Rene debuts her first single, ‘Underwater‘. The track showcases Rene‘s rich, soulful and emotive vocal with smoooth electro-RnB Vibes.

Take a listen to the stunning debut below and check back soon for details of an EP dropping this year.

@CarlyMond

Maxwell fans are being spoilt right now! Not only has the legendary singer broken his 7 year musical silence with the release of ‘Lake By the Ocean‘ but he has also been opening up about his personal life to the hosts of US radio show, ‘The Breakfast Club‘.

As any Maxwell fan knows, press appearances for him are not that common. Refreshingly this 30 minute interview gives us a real insight to the man behind the music as he discusses his anxiety about coming back with new music, how he keeps himself grounded, handling female attention and heartbreak, how D’Angelo helped pave the way for him, what to expect from the new album, his desire to work with Jay Z and he even shares a marketing idea about selling a very personal product to fans!

Currently celebrating 20 years since his first album release, ‘Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite‘ and enjoying a continued relationship with Columbia Records ever since, Maxwell proves with the interview below that hard work, humility and a sense of humour are the key to a long lasting music career!

@CarlyMond

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ytqQD34GlA

Following a surprise OVO Sound showcase at SXSW‘s Fader Fort at the weekend, PARTYNEXTDOOR and Drake have dropped their new collaboration, ‘Come and See Me‘.

Fellow OVO member Noah “40” Shebib shines on the production of this ambient track which will feature on PARTYNEXTDOOR‘s forthcoming album, ‘P3’ (release date TBC) check it below:

@CarlyMond

Two years ago I interviewed Eric Roberson for a soul magazine when he gave me the insanely exciting news that he and long term collaborator Phonte (Foreign Exchange, Little Brother) were heading to the studio together to record a collaboration album!

Whilst we have all been patiently waiting, hoping it wasn’t an empty promise, it seems that Erro and Phonte HAVE been in the studio and the album is set for release on the 22nd of July on Erro’s own label, Blue Erro Soul.

No title has been announced yet but we’ll keep you posted of any more info and hopefully some tour dates!

@CarlyMond

It’s been 5 years since he released his last album, ‘Back to Love‘ and let’s be honest the RnB scene has been missing the smokey soulful sounds of the incredible Anthony Hamilton.

Luckily the wait is over and he is back in a big way with the uplifting and anthemic ‘Amen‘ produced by James Poyser and Salaam Remi. Hamilton has been back in the studio working on a new album which will hopefully drop later in the year.

Click the link below to listen and pick up the track here

@CarlyMond

US singer/songwriter has been making waves in the alt-RnB since the release of his debut EP, ‘Zebra‘ in 2014. Last year his single, ‘Weight in Gold‘ caught global attention when Zane Lowe announced it as his debut ‘World Exclusive‘ track on Beats 1.

Currently working on his debut album and crafting a sound that’s somewhere between Maxwell, Sampha and Frank Ocean, Gallant will be performing live at the London Edition Hotel on March 03rd, get your tickets here!

@CarlyMond

Gallant – Jupiter Grayscale

Alt-RnB, Indie RnB, call it what you like this new electro infused style of RnB which has been growing over the past few years is hot! Opal Blue, a new UK based duo are pretty left of this sub-genre but there’s a soulful edge to their sound which is enigmatic, distinctive and at times haunting.

There is little info around Opal Blue at this early stage, but we do know they are getting ready to drop their debut EP soon. If you’re a fan of sounds like Majid Jordan and The XX you will love these guys!

Click the link below and float away to the majestic sound of Opal Blue….

@CarlyMond

Just a couple of weeks after releasing, ‘Keep It Simple‘ ft Stormzy, Raleigh Ritchie is back spoiling us with another new cut from his forthcoming album entitled, ‘Never Better‘.

The track is a heart felt dedication to his long term girlfriend, demonstrating his usual lyrical finesse and the video is as unique and brilliant as Raleigh himself.

Check out Never Better below and pre-order Raleigh Ritchie‘s debut album, ‘You’re a Man Now Boy‘ set for release 26th February here

@CarlyMond

RnB fans will remember the days of killer tracks from Tank in the early 2000’s like ‘Better Man‘ and ‘Maybe I Deserve‘, more recently we’ve seen him make up one third of group TGT alongside Tyrese and Ginuwine. He expressed frustrations via social media last year about the lack of support for RnB from fans and the industry and announced he would no longer be making music of the genre. Luckily he has had a change of heart and is storming back with conviction on his 8th studio album, ‘Sex Love & Pain II‘.

Sex, Love & Pain II is a solid RnB album, with collaborations from Shawn Stockman (Boyz II Men), Chris Brown and Wale, there’s a nice blend of up tempo tracks as well as smooth slow jamz with Tank’s vocals sounding better than ever. There are a couple of weak moments on the album with, ‘She Wit The s***’ and ‘F***** With Me‘ but they are few and Tank proves his relevancy on distinctive, modern cuts like, ‘I Love Ya‘ and ‘#BDay‘ as well as delivering those ballads we know and love him for, ‘Already In Love‘ and ‘Him Her Them‘.

With this album Tank proves that RnB it still strong and that he is here to stay.

Listen to ‘Relationship Goals‘ taken from Sex, Love & Pain II below and add the album to your collection here

@CarlyMond