The Best Male R&B Singers Of 2022
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- Bruno Mars was born Peter Gene Hernandez on October 8, 1985, in Honolulu, Hawaii. His multi-faceted talents as a singer, songwriter, record producer, and dancer have propelled him to the zenith of stardom, earning him numerous accolades and making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Mars's journey into the music world began at a tender age, heavily influenced by his musically inclined family. He moved to Los Angeles after high school to pursue his music career, signing with Motown Records in 2004. However, his career truly took off when he signed with Atlantic Records in 2009. With a unique blend of different musical styles, including pop, R&B, funk, soul, reggae, hip hop, and rock, Mars soon became a force to be reckoned with. His debut studio album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans (2010), was a critical and commercial success, spawning hit singles like "Just the Way You Are," "Grenade," and "The Lazy Song." Over the years, Bruno Mars has proven his mettle not just as a performer, but also as a songwriter, penning hits for other artists before his solo career took off. His contribution to the music industry has been recognized with numerous awards, including multiple Grammy Awards. Beyond his own albums, Mars's collaborations with other artists, such as Mark Ronson on the international blockbuster "Uptown Funk," have further amplified his global popularity.
- Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. A prominent figure in contemporary popular music, he is noted for his unconventional music production, artistic reinventions, and his signature use of the falsetto register. His accolades include 4 Grammy Awards, 20 Billboard Music Awards, 22 Juno Awards, 6 American Music Awards, 2 MTV Video Music Awards, a Latin Grammy Award, and nominations for an Academy Award and a Primetime Emmy Award. Among the world's best-selling music artists with over 75 million records sold, Tesfaye holds several streaming and Billboard chart records. Tesfaye was listed by Time as one of the world's most influential people in 2020, and was dubbed the "world's most popular artist" by Guinness World Records in 2023. An advocate for racial equality and food security, he was appointed a World Food Programme Goodwill Ambassador in 2021.
- Giveon Dezmann Evans (born February 21, 1995), known as GIVĒON, is an American R&B singer and songwriter. He rose to prominence with his collaboration with Drake on their 2020 single, "Chicago Freestyle". That same year, Giveon released the EPs, Take Time and When It's All Said and Done, the former being nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album, and the latter reaching the Top 10 on the US Top R&B Albums chart. He released "Heartbreak Anniversary", as the second single from Take Time, which reached the Top 40 in the US and was certified Platinum by RIAA. In 2021, GIVĒON was featured alongside Daniel Caesar on the Justin Bieber single "Peaches", which debuted at number one on the Billboard Global 200 and US Billboard Hot 100 charts.
- John Legend, born as John Roger Stephens in Springfield, Ohio, is an acclaimed American singer-songwriter and musician recognized worldwide for his soulful voice and thought-provoking lyrics. Legend's journey towards fame began when he was just four years old, singing gospel songs in his church choir. His musical abilities were further honed during his time at the University of Pennsylvania, where he directed a co-ed jazz and pop a cappella group. Legend's breakthrough came when he was introduced to then up-and-coming hip-hop artist Kanye West, leading to collaborations that would eventually propel him into the limelight. His debut album, Get Lifted, released under West's GOOD Music label, won him his first Grammy Award for Best R&B Album. This marked the beginning of Legend's successful career, which has seen him release multiple hit singles and albums, earning him numerous awards, including an Oscar, a Tony, and multiple Grammys, making him one of the few artists to achieve the coveted EGOT status. Aside from his music career, Legend is also known for his philanthropy work and social activism. He launched the Show Me Campaign in 2007, an initiative that focuses on education as a key to break the cycle of poverty. He has also used his platform to speak out on issues such as criminal justice reform, education inequality, and other social issues. Despite his fame and success, Legend remains grounded, continuously using his influence to effect positive change in society.
- Ashton Simmonds, better known by his stage name Daniel Caesar (born April 5, 1995) is a Canadian R&B and soul singer-songwriter. After independently building a following through the release of two critically acclaimed EPs Praise Break and Pilgrim's Paradise, Caesar released his debut album Freudian in August 2017, which also garnered widespread critical acclaim. His breakout single "Get You" amassed over 10 million streams on Apple Music since its October 2016 release. According to his management, the singer's catalog has garnered over 20 million global streams on Apple Music and 68 million streams on Spotify, with a listener-ship of over 4,000,000 per month.
- Bryson Djuan Tiller (born January 2, 1993), is an American singer, songwriter and rapper. Tiller initially gained notable recognition following the release of his debut single, "Don't", and his debut studio album, Trapsoul.
- Khalid Donnel Robinson (born February 11, 1998), known mononymously as Khalid, is an American singer and songwriter. His debut single, "Location", was released in July 2016, and his debut studio album, American Teen, was released on March 3, 2017.
- Christopher Brent Wood (born September 19, 1995), better known by his stage name Brent Faiyaz, is an American singer from Columbia, Maryland. Faiyaz began uploading his experimental music (Black Child EP) onto SoundCloud in 2014 and moved from his hometown Columbia, Maryland to Charlotte, North Carolina before settling in Los Angeles, California to further his music career. On September 19, 2016, his 21st birthday, he released his debut EP, A.M. Paradox, which received positive reviews from music critics. He is currently working on a new album, titled Make It Out Alive, which is in the early recording process. On July 1, 2021, Faiyaz released a new single, "Wasting Time" featuring Drake. Following this, he appeared on tracks from Baby Keem's The Melodic Blue ("Lost Souls") and Tems's If Orange Was a Place ("Found"). On December 3, 2021, Faiyaz released the single "Mercedes", after having teased a project titled Wasteland on Instagram.
- Miguel Jontel Pimentel (born October 23, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. Raised in San Pedro, California, he began pursuing a music career at age thirteen. After signing to Jive Records in 2007, Miguel released his debut studio album, All I Want Is You, in November 2010. Although it was underpromoted upon its release, the album became a sleeper hit and helped Miguel garner commercial standing.After Jive's dissolution in 2011, he moved to RCA Records and released his second studio album, Kaleidoscope Dream, in 2012 to critical acclaim. In June 2015, Miguel released his third studio album, Wildheart, which also received critical acclaim. In 2017, his fourth studio album War & Leisure was released to further acclaim. Miguel incorporates R&B, funk, hip hop, rock and electronic styles into his music, and has been compared to vocalists Babyface and Prince.
- Jahron Anthony Brathwaite, better known under the stage name PartyNextDoor, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and record producer from Mississauga, Ontario, who is signed to Drake's OVO Sound record label. He released his first extended play on July 1, 2013, under OVO Sound.
- Brandon Paak Anderson (born February 8, 1986), better known by his stage name Anderson Paak, is an American musician and record producer from Oxnard, California. He released his debut album, O.B.E. Vol. 1 in 2012, under the pseudonym Breezy Lovejoy. He went on to release Venice in 2014, under his current moniker. Paak followed with Malibu, in 2016, which received a nomination for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the Grammy Awards. Apart from his solo career, Paak is also one-half of NxWorries, alongside record producer Knxwledge. He is accompanied by the band The Free Nationals, who play a variety of instruments such as electric guitar, bass, piano, keyboards and drums and also serve as backing vocalists.
- Tremaine Aldon Neverson, famously known as Trey Songz, is a highly celebrated American singer, songwriter, and actor. Born on November 28, 1984, in Petersburg, Virginia, he displayed keen interest in music from a young age. His talent was evident during his early adolescence when he began performing, gaining recognition for his vocal prowess. Trey took his first major step towards stardom when he signed with Atlantic Records in 2003. His debut album, I Gotta Make It, released in 2005, set the stage for his illustrious music career. The album made its mark on the Billboard 200, setting Trey Songz up as an artist to watch. His subsequent albums such as ‚Trey Day‚ Ready, Passion, Pain & Pleasure‚ further established him as a significant figure in the R&B genre. His 2012 album Chapter V debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, underscoring his rising influence in the music industry. Besides his musical pursuits, Trey also ventured into acting. He made his acting debut in the drama series Lincoln Heights and later appeared in films like Texas Chainsaw 3D and Baggage Claim. Despite his success in music and acting, Trey has never lost sight of his roots. He founded the Angels With Heart Foundation, a charity aimed at engaging his fans in acts of kindness and charitable work. Trey Songz's diverse talent and his commitment to giving back to the community truly make him a multi-faceted star.
- David Debrandon Brown, better known by his stage name Lucky Daye, is an American singer and songwriter from New Orleans, Louisiana. He is signed to the RCA joint venture label Keep Cool and released his first EP on the label titled I on November 9, 2018, and his second EP, II, on February 6, 2019. The EP's are part of a series leading up to his debut album Painted, which is set for release in 2019.
- 14Ricardo Valdez Valentine (born June 24, 1992), better known by his stage name 6lack (stylized as 6LACK and pronounced "black), is an American singer, songwriter, and rapper from Atlanta, Georgia. He is best known for his single "Prblms", which was released in June 2016. He is currently signed to LoveRenaissance and Interscope Records. 6lack's music focuses on personal and business relationships frequently, especially the topic of heartbreak. 6lack has said that his songwriting is influenced mainly by his personal experiences and failed relationships. Billboard has described 6lack's music as "moody hip hop" that "spotlights vulnerability and honesty in a way the emoji generation can understand."
- Todd Michael Bridges (born July 13, 1989) known professionally as Leon Bridges, is an American gospel and soul singer, songwriter and record producer from Fort Worth, Texas. He is best known for his song "Coming Home", which received regular airplay and was also a Top 10 Most Viral Track on Spotify. Bridges' debut album, also titled Coming Home, was released on June 23, 2015, on Columbia Records.
- Stephen Lee Bruner (born October 19, 1984), better known by his stage name Thundercat, is an American multi-genre bass guitarist, record producer, singer and songwriter from Los Angeles, California. He has released three solo studio albums and is most noted for his work with producer Flying Lotus and crossover thrash band Suicidal Tendencies. Thundercat appeared on Kendrick Lamar's critically acclaimed 2015 album To Pimp a Butterfly. In 2016, Thundercat won a Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Performance for his work on the track "These Walls" from To Pimp a Butterfly.
- Tyrone William Griffin Jr. (born April 13, 1985), known professionally as Ty Dolla Sign (stylized as Ty Dolla $ign or Ty$), is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. He first gained major recognition in 2010 for his guest feature on YG's "Toot It and Boot It", which he had written and produced for Def Jam Recordings. In the summer of 2013, he signed a record deal with Wiz Khalifa's Taylor Gang Records. In November 2015, he released his debut studio album, Free TC, which peaked at number 14 on the Billboard 200. Ty Dolla Sign is known for his songs "Paranoid", "Or Nah", and "Blasé", as well as his writing contributions to "Loyal", "Post to Be", "FourFiveSeconds", and "Psycho", which was his first track to hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Aside from his solo music career, Ty Dolla Sign is also a member of production team D.R.U.G.S., alongside Chordz 3D, Buddah Shampoo, Nate 3D, James Koo, Fuego, and DJ Dahi.
- Gregory Porter (born November 4, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter and actor. He has twice won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album: first in 2014 for Liquid Spirit and then again in 2017 for Take Me to the Alley.
- Pink Sweats (stylized Pink Sweat$), is an American singer and songwriter from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is managed by Thrice Cooked Media. He released his first EP Volume 1 on November 2, 2018, after the single "Honesty" started to gain buzz, reaching #23 on Spotify's Global Viral Chart and #10 on Spotify's US Viral Chart, and tallied over 2 million streams in under 8 weeks.
- 20Matthew Dean Burdette (born September 17, 1992), known professionally as Blxst (pronounced "blast"), is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer from Los Angeles, California. His record label Evgle partnered with Red Bull Records for the release of his debut EP No Love Lost on September 4, 2020. He is perhaps best known for his hit single "Chosen" featuring Tyga and Ty Dolla $ign.
- 21Ne-Yo, born Shaffer Chimere Smith on October 18, 1982, in Camden, Arkansas, is a dynamic force in the world of music and acting. Raised primarily in Las Vegas, Nevada, Ne-Yo's innate talent for music was evident from an early age. He began writing songs as a young teen, a skill which eventually catapulted him into a successful career in the American music industry. His journey towards musical stardom truly commenced when he penned "Let Me Love You" for R&B singer Mario in 2004. The song's meteoric rise to the top of the Billboard charts caught the attention of many, ultimately leading to a recording contract with Def Jam Records. His debut album, In My Own Words, released in 2006, solidified his place in the music industry, spawning the hit single "So Sick", which topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Aside from his thriving music career, Ne-Yo has also made a significant impact in the realm of acting. His first major role came in 2007 in the film Stomp the Yard. He has since appeared in several notable films and television series, including Battle: Los Angeles and Empire. In addition, he has made noteworthy contributions to philanthropy. Notably, he founded the Compound Foundation, an organization focused on enhancing the well-being of children growing up in foster care and group homes.The Best Ne-Yo Albums, RankedSee all
- 1Year of the Gentleman40 Votes
- 2In My Own Words29 Votes
- 3Libra Scale22 Votes
- Luke James Boyd, better known as Luke James, is an American singer-songwriter. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, he began his musical career singing background for R&B artist Tyrese and later writing songs for recording artists such as Chris Brown, Britney Spears, Keri Hilson and Justin Bieber. Under the management of record producer Danja, James released his first mixtape, #Luke, in 2011. The mixtape's critically acclaimed single "I Want You" earned him a Best R&B Performance nomination at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards. Like the first project, he released his second mixtape, Whispers in the Dark, as a free music download in 2012. His self-titled debut studio album was released on September 23, 2014.
- 23Rodriquez Jacquees Broadnax (born April 15, 1994), commonly known as Jacquees, is an American R&B producer, director, ghostwriter, and songwriter-singer from Augusta and Decatur, Georgia. In 2014, he signed a recording and management contract with Cash Money Records. His 2016 single, "B.E.D.", was on the Billboard charts for 7 weeks, peaking at number 69. His debut album, 4275, was released on June 15, 2018. Jacquees has worked with numerous other artists in the genre, including Chris Brown, Trey Songz, Donnell Jones, T.I., Jermaine Dupri,Young Thug and Wale.
- Sean Fenton (born June 4, 1992), better known by the stage name Elijah Blake, is a Dominican-American singer, songwriter and record producer. Primarily known as a songwriter, he has written songs for Keyshia Cole, Rick Ross, Rihanna, and co-wrote Usher's number-one R&B hit, "Climax". When Blake was 16, he signed with Atlantic Records and worked with Trey Songz on his Ready album in 2009. In December 2012, Blake released his debut mixtape, Bijoux 22, which included the song "X.O.X", co-written and featuring Common. In 2014, he released the EP, Drift. In March 2015, Blake followed his 'Drift' EP release with the new single "I Just Wanna" that would be featured on his album "Shadows & Diamonds". Blake was born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Florida by a Haitian father and Dominican mother. On April 5, 2019, he released his new joint EP “1990 Forever” with pop/RnB singer Jordin Sparks.
- Jon Batiste is an American actor who is best known for his role in "American Symphony." Batiste won an Academy Award in 2021 for "Soul."
- Raheem DeVaughn (born May 5, 1975) is an American singer and songwriter. His debut album, The Love Experience (2005), reached No. 46 on the US Billboard 200 album chart. It featured the singles "Guess Who Loves You More" and "You". His second album Love Behind the Melody was released in January 2008. It features the singles "Woman", and "Customer". DeVaughn was nominated for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance at the 2008 Grammy Awards for the single "Woman". His third album The Love & War MasterPeace was released in 2010. A Place Called Love Land, his fourth album, was released in 2013. In 2015, he had released his fifth album, Love Sex Passion. DeVaughn released his sixth album Decade of a Love King on October 19, 2018.
- PJ Morton is an American R&B singer, musician, producer and one of the keyboardists in the pop rock band Maroon 5. On March 27, 2012, Morton released his first solo recording, the free EP Following My First Mind, on Lil Wayne's Young Money label. Adam Levine was featured on the lead single, "Heavy"; other musicians on the EP include Lil Wayne, Jazmine Sullivan and Chantae Cann. On May 14, 2013, Morton released his first major-label debut album, New Orleans.
- Eric Bellinger, Jr. (born March 28, 1986) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer from Los Angeles, California. Bellinger began songwriting in 2010, and his co-writing credits including "Lemme See" by Usher, "New Flame" by Chris Brown, "You Don't Know" by Tank, "Right Here" by Justin Bieber, and "Disrespectful" by Trey Songz. In 2011, Bellinger won a Grammy in the category of Best R&B Album for contribution to Chris Brown's album F.A.M.E.. In 2014, Bellinger released his debut studio album, The Rebirth, and released the extended plays Eric B for President: Term 1 in 2016, and Eric B for President: Term 2 in 2017.
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Marc E. Bassy
Marc Griffin, known professionally as Marc E. Bassy, is an American singer and songwriter from the San Francisco Bay Area. He is the former vocalist of the Los Angeles-based pop band 2AM Club. His solo works include his 2014 mixtape Only the Poets, 2015 release East Hollywood, and the 2016 EP Groovy People, including the single "You & Me" featuring G-Eazy. After releasing his debut album Gossip Columns through Republic Records in 2017, Bassy opted to go independent, forming New Gold Medal Records and releasing the full-length projects PMD and Little Men in 2019 and 2021, respectively. Before putting out his own works, he was a songwriter, and wrote for artists such as CeeLo Green, Sean Kingston, Wiz Khalifa, and Ty Dolla $ign. - 30
Roy Woods
Denzel Spencer (born April 18, 1996), better known by his stage name Roy Woods (stylized as Roy Wood$), is a Canadian rapper, singer and songwriter from Brampton, Ontario. He is signed to OVO Sound, the record label co-founded by rapper Drake, producer Noah "40" Shebib and Oliver El-Khatib. He is also the founder of the collective Unlock The Underground. Woods has said some of his biggest influences are Michael Jackson, Drake, Nelly, The Weeknd and PartyNextDoor. Woods has also started an artist collective, titled Unlock The Underground, which is a branch of the OVO Sound. The artists on this collective include Toronto talents TRIPSIXX, DRIPXXXX and DOLOINDACUT as Roy's Official DJ. Woods has also had other underground artists open for him at his shows, such includes other members of the OVO Sound group, JYDN, FRVRFRIDAY, 24hrs, and members of his collective. - 31Turran Coleman (born May 20, 2002), known professionally as Luh Kel, is an American singer and songwriter. He gained popularity after releasing his first public song "Wrong" in 2019 which placed at number 37 in the Billboard Hot R&B / Hip-Hop Songs chart.
- Jeremy Biddle (born April 4, 1994), known professionally as Yung Bleu, is an American rapper and singer. He is best known for his 2020 single "You're Mines Still", which peaked at number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 after it was remixed by Drake.
- Anthony Clemons Jr. (born September 26, 1991) is an American singer. He rose to prominence as a guest artist on Kanye West's 2018 single "All Mine". Clemons has since worked with a multitude of artists, including West, Ty Dolla Sign, Beyoncé, Camila Cabello, Justin Timberlake, the Sunday Service Choir and more. Clemons released his debut EP Happy 2 Be Here in March 2020, featuring Ty Dolla Sign, Timbaland, and Pharrell Williams. The project received a nomination at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards for Best R&B Album.
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YK Osiris
Osiris Williams (born September 7, 1998), known professionally as YK Osiris, is an American singer, rapper, and songwriter from Jacksonville, Florida. He initially gained popularity with the release of his songs "I'm Next (Freestyle)" and "Valentine", which was remixed by rapper Lil Uzi Vert. In 2019, he signed to Def Jam Recordings, and his single "Worth It" debuted at number 87 on the Billboard Hot 100. - 35Andrew Bazzi (born August 28, 1997), known professionally as Bazzi, is an American singer-songwriter. His song "Mine", released in October 2017, gained popularity in early 2018 when it became an Internet meme through the use of a Snapchat lens filter with the song. As of March 2018, it has peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has appeared on several other international charts. In October 2017, he released the single, "Mine". The song increased in popularity after becoming an Internet meme. In January 2018, the song appeared on the Billboard Hot 100, debuting at number 56. As of April 2018, the song's peak on the list was number 11. Bazzi also released three new singles in 2018, "Why?", "Gone" and "Honest". He is currently working on a collaboration with Marshmello and a possible track with Camila Cabello. On March 13, 2018, Bazzi was announced as the special guest on Camila Cabello's Never Be the Same Tour's North American leg. On April 17, 2018, Cosmic debuted at number 35 and later peaked at number 14 on the US Billboard 200 albums chart.
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Duckwrth
Jared Lee (born May 13, 1988), known by his stage name Duckwrth, is an American rapper and songwriter from South Los Angeles, California. In the mid-2010s, he began releasing his own songs online under the Duckwrth moniker and expanded his audience when he collaborated and released a split project with The Kickdrums in 2015 titled Nowhere. In 2016, Duckwrth released his first full-length album, I'm Uugly. In late 2017, he released a mixtape, An XTRA UUGLY Mixtape, being his first record with Republic Records. In 2019, he released The Falling Man EP and released his major label debut album on Republic, SuperGood in 2020. Duckwrth's single "Start A Riot" featuring rapper Shaboozey was also featured in the 2018 film, Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse. - Rodney Hulsey (known as PawPaw Rod) is an American singer-songwriter from Oklahoma City. He released his self-titled debut EP on September 15, 2021, through GODMODE.
- Demontcea Howard (born on January 19, 2000), known as Unusual Demont, is an American R&B singer-songwriter from Madison, Wisconsin. He is currently signed with Avant Garden, and he released his debut studio EP, titled HUES., on September 17, 2021.
- Joshua Karpeh (born January 30, 1993), known professionally as Cautious Clay, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Since 2017, he has released three EPs
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BJ the Chicago Kid
Bryan James Sledge (born November 23, 1984), better known by his stage name BJ the Chicago Kid (or simply BJ), is an American singer and songwriter from Chicago, Illinois. Sledge is best known for frequently collaborating with Top Dawg Entertainment recording artists Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, Kendrick Lamar, and Jay Rock. He has also worked with several other prominent rappers, including Freddie Gibbs, Warren G, Nekfeu, Big, Kanye West, and Anderson .Paak. His first work in the music industry was on a Dave Hollister record in 2001, titled "For You", which he co-wrote alongside Gerald Haddon. Sledge's vocals were first featured on a high-profile single in 2006; a song by Chicago rapper Kanye West titled "Impossible" was released in promotion for the 2006 American film Mission: Impossible III. In February 2012, he independently released his debut studio album, Pineapple Now-Laters. Sledge subsequently secured a record deal with Motown, in August 2012.
