Find your new journey on music, and discover new details about the sounds you love.
I got your back ;) welcome to The Vibes U Need
About the Vibes U need
Music is an important aspect of life, is something that elevates our mood through the most difficult times, elevating ourselves. But also can bring us powerful insights on life, love, social systems and existential truths, that most of the time, are a hard pill to swallow. Music is like the sea, a overpowered neutral force of nature that catch all the good an the bad in us.
The vibes you need is a blog about a simple matters and pleasures of life: discussing and talking about the music you love and wanna share. For me, I have always had a weak spot for the R&B music, as it touch very personal strings and aspects of my life: points of view, love, betrayal and belonging.
You will not find exclusively R&B music tho. As I am not a single-aspect man, I know you won't expect a single-aspect page also ;). You may find other info, reviews, etc of Dancehall, Hip Hop or Trap music.
DISCLAIMER: this site is NOT compatible for mobile version, but stay tuned, we are working for a mobile version for the future :P
Enjoy your ride!
What is R&B music?
R&B (Rhythm and Blues) is a popular music genre that originated in African American communities in the 1940s, blending elements of jazz, gospel, and blues, characterized by strong rhythms, emotive vocals, and often a strong backbeat, evolving to incorporate funk, hip-hop, and pop elements in contemporary forms.
How is it different to other genres?
You can differentiate it by its vocal focus (melodic runs, riffs), rhythmic complexity (syncopated beats, "lazy" feel), instrumentation (keyboard/synth-heavy in modern R&B), and its blend with hip-hop/pop in contemporary forms, contrasting with rock's guitar focus or pure pop's simpler structures.
Why YOU should connect with R&B?
Connecting with R&B (Rhythm and Blues) music offers a deep, emotional, and versatile experience that spans decades of musical evolution. It is a genre that connects with listeners through raw emotion, storytelling about love and heartbreak, and smooth, infectious rhythms. Lets explore other reasons:
1. R&B is all about atmosphere. It’s the perfect genre to, well, vibe to. 2. Let’s be honest—we all need a good cry or a deep reflection session sometimes. R&B is famous for its lyrical depth, exploring love, heartbreak, and personal, human stories. It’s a genre that doesn’t hold back on raw emotion 3. Unlike some genres where you skip tracks to find the radio hit, R&B albums are often designed to be played from start to finish. 4. Connecting with R&B means connecting with history—from Aretha Franklin to modern soul. It's a genre rooted in passion and resilience.
The tracks u need
Some cool songs for you to listen, at your time, at your own pace.
Today's recommendation
2pac - Only god can judge me. From the album All Eyez on Me.
Info
Location: United States
Year: February 1996
Genre: Hip Hop, Rap
Why listen today?
Life has its trials and tribulations, as you grow older you can feel alone in many occassions and feel like everything is against you. In this song Pac guide us thru his life and its struggles as a black man, surfing a beat that makes you feel confident and resilient to keep your head up.
A January like today... 30 years ago
Fu-Gee-La was released. From the album The Score.
Info
Location: United States
Year: January 1996
Genre: Hip Hop, Caribbean Vibes
Best mood for: any day, is a good up-vibe reminder.
More about
A seminal 90s hip-hop anthem, lauded for its unique blend of Caribbean swagger and soulful R&B, a song that talks about the struggles of survival and the proud of having haitian heritage and migrating to America.
Three song with the same title (!New dinamic!)
For this week *drum rolls* rain is present in the title of different songs.
This we selected The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly) by Missy Elliot, In the Rain by Keith Sweat and Rain by Sisters With Voices (SWV).
Info
Keith Sweat - In the rain
Year: 1987
Genre: R&B
Best mood for: wanting to go outside for a walk... in the rain (pretty straight forward huh?)
Missy Elliot - The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)
Year: 1997
Genre: Hip Hop
SWV - Rain
Year: 1997
Best mood for: you sharing and intimate moment with your crush ;)
More about
When it comes to 90s rainy-day anthems, three tracks dominate the forecast, each bringing a completely different "vibe" to the storm.
A faithful cover of the 1972 hit by The Dramatics, Keith Sweat uses the rain as a literal mask for his pain. He wants to "go outside in the rain" so no one can see him crying after a devastating breakup. This track features moody, atmospheric rain sound effects paired with Sweat’s signature nasal, emotive delivery. It’s the ultimate "sad boy" anthem of the New Jack Swing era.
Meanwhile Rain, by SWV, uses rain as a metaphor for overwhelming love and physical intimacy. The lyrics describe being "caught in a storm" of passion, with love falling like raindrops to "cool the fire" within. This track is famous for sampling the intricate bassline of Jaco Pastorius’s "Portrait of Tracy". Coko’s lead vocals provide a nuanced, "old soul" feel that turned this into a definitive late-90s slow jam.
The daily music video U need
The current state of R&B in the world
Hey! learn more about of how is looking this music genre worldwide. Learn more about the new artists of R&B and see our personal recommendations of the music u need :)
Cazzu is an artist which has her print in different genres: mainly trap and reggaeton. But has also combined the R&B in her sound and proved a great mastery at that. Una nina inutil is one of the jewels of this genre in the latinamerican context.
Album u need: Una nina inutil (2020).
Track u need: Conversacion.
One artist that has notables features of R&B is Junior Zamora. From Cali Colombia he is a multi multi-instrumentalist and producer who combines the soulful vocals with Colombian rhythms.
Album u need: Un verano en CaliYork, 2025.
Track u need: Cafecito
The Weeknd redefined modern R&B with a dark, atmospheric sound blending moody textures, hypnotic beats, and high-pitched, emotive vocals, exploring themes of hedonism, heartbreak, and isolation. The weeknd is the kinda of artist you can't miss as an R&B lover.
Album u need: Trilogy, 2012.
Track u need: The morning.
Toronto-based R&B artist PLAZA is characterized by downtempo, ambient soundscapes, floating melodies, and introspective, often melancholy lyrics. His sound is smooth, moody, and a soundtrack for late-night drives
Album u need: Nocturnes (2017).
Track u need: Use me.
Summer Walker is a defining voice in contemporary R&B, known for her deeply confessional, emotionally raw lyrics about love, heartbreak, and self-preservation, set to atmospheric, often 90s-influenced production with lush harmonies and clever samples. Summer narrates her love life through her trilogy masterpiece albums: Over it, Still over it, Finally over it.
Album u need: Still over it (2017).
Track u need: Broken Promises.
Jhene Aiko is a distinctive R&B artist known for her ethereal, whispery vocals, intimate lyrics, and a sound blending soul, hip-hop, and meditative vibes, often exploring themes of love, heartbreak, spirituality, and healing with poetic honesty, setting her apart from powerhouse vocalists through emotional depth and thematic cohesion rather than vocal acrobatics. This is a MUST of your journey of R&B.
Album u need: Chilombo Deluxe (
Track u need: While we're young.
Frank Ocean redefined modern R&B with his poetic, introspective lyricism, exploring love, identity, and vulnerability with raw honesty over atmospheric, genre-bending production, blending soul, funk, and experimental sounds for deeply personal yet universally relatable narratives, cementing him as a pioneering alternative R&B artist. Frank Ocean open new bridges to bisexual and gay artists in the music industry, ruled by hegemonic context for the black men.
Album u need: Blonde (2016).
Track u need: Provider
Jorja Smith is a celebrated UK R&B artist known for her mature, soulful sound, blending jazz, neo-soul, and pop with poignant, introspective lyrics about love, fame, and identity. Jorja has an interest in blending different rythms and styles and giving her unique approach.
Album u need: Lost and found (2018).
Track u need: Blue lights.
Rels B excels as an R&B artist, praised for his smooth, emotive delivery and skill in blending R&B with contemporary urban sounds like hip-hop and Afrobeat. His background as a producer give Skinny Flakk a great insight of how music should sound to make you feel special. As a Mallorca born-and-raised the caribbean beach sounds are a important part of his print.
Album u need: AfroLova (2023).
Track u need: Como dormiste?
Amaarae is a genre-bending Ghanaian-American R&B artist known for her futuristic, fluid sound that blends Afrobeats, pop, and experimental electronica with sensual, confident lyrics, creating immersive sonic worlds that explore pleasure, identity, and Black womanhood. In his debut album,
Album u need: for Afro R&B, Fountain Baby (2023). For genre-bending-explosion, Black Star (2025).
Track u need: Reckless and sweet.
WizKid can be credited as one of the first african artists to put the afrobeat and afro R&B sound in the mainstream eye, opening many doors to newcomers artists to shine. characterized by sultry, feel-good music with velvety production, often focusing on romance and merging Afrobeats with R&B and dancehall.
Album u need: Made in Lagos (2020).
Track u need: No stress.
Feng Suave offers a dreamy, retro-infused sound blending psychedelic pop, soul, and indie, creating a unique vibe with nostalgic grooves, hazy guitars, and often melancholic vibe. Feng Suave plays with the borders of R&B music including its rythms, but can be caracterized mostly in the realm of indie music.
Album u need: Feng Suave (2017).
Track u need: Honey, there's no time.
Sebastian Roca is an emerging R&B artist known for a smooth, alternative sound that blends contemporary R&B with electronic and pop influences.
Album u need: Parkview Demos (2018).
Track u need: Smoke Song (Interlude).
Latest Reviews
Follow Us
