Spotify is already known for spotting hot up-and-coming talent across musical genres. Now, for the first time, they’re stepping into the realm of Rhythm & Blues to pinpoint who’s up next.
Spotify’s R&B Rising is the newest playlist for emerging artists, and highlights and amplifies the ten artists that the streaming giant believes are primed to make waves in R&B music this year.
Unsurprisingly, actress and R&B diva Coco Jones tops the list, as her deluxe EP “What I Didn’t Tell You” was recently released around her birthday. Spotify lists her as having 1.2 million monthly listeners before even having a debut album…all on top of a starring role in one of 2022’s biggest breakout hit dramas, Bel-Air.
Another no-brainer on the list is British R&B group sensation FLO. With over 3.7 million monthly listeners, the trio, comprised of songstresses Renée Downer, Stella Quaresma, and Jorja Douglas, is poised to be the next big thing on this side of the pond as well.
Viral singing sensation Alex Vaughn makes the list with over 600,000 monthly listeners, boosted by a groundswell of fan appreciation following her 2022 debut EP Voice Notes, notably constructed entirely by using the voice notes app on her phone. Her debut studio album The Hurtbook has only heightened her profile, placing her among the artists that may take over the R&B scene this year, according to Spotify.
Rounding out the list are artists like JVCK JAMES, Dylan Sinclair, Fana Hues, and more. Check out Spotify’s full list of Artists to Watch below, highlighted in their R&B Rising playlist.
You can check out more of these artists’ signature R&B sounds primed to become the soundtrack of 2023 on Spotify.