@Cassandra Gerrish

Discover new music from artists we think you'll like. Refreshed every Friday.

Here’s an R&B playlist that strips things down to the essentials: no bells, no whistles, no studio magic—just voice, instrument, song, and spirit. Some of the tracks here are reworks, instances of an artist recording a new, more minimal version something they’ve already released. Some were just born this way. Ballads, slow jams, new and old, here’s the sound of R&B at its barest. We update this collection regularly, so if you hear something you like, add it to your library.

Good R&B can be balm for the soul. Here's a playlist of new and contemporary stuff highlighting the mellower, more acoustic side of the sound: some retro, some progressive, some ballads, some with just a slight bump in the beat. Tracks here change regularly, so if you hear something you like, add it to your library.

Focused on the mellower, mature side of R&B, the tracks here capture the music as an offshoot of soul and jazz, of quiet storm and adult contemporary—Black pop at its most contemplative and sophisticated, but still deeply connected to real life. Our editors update picks regularly, so if you hear something you like, add it to your library.

The hits and only the hits—this collection brings together great songs from the top of the charts.

Change is good, but a lot of the best R&B points back to the source. Focusing on current stuff with some classics sprinkled in, this playlist highlights grown-up R&B tunes with hints of the classic tradition: relaxed new sounds with the same old soul. Our editors are always switching things out, so if you hear something you like, add it to your library.

Great songs aren't just songs—they're vessels for feelings we might not have the bandwidth to access otherwise. This set of emotional pop and R&B tunes—some classics, some new—is designed to help you open up and let it out. Our editors update this playlist regularly, so if you hear something that hits you way down deep, add it to your library. 

R&B is one of the most dynamic, adventurous sounds in modern music, a place where art both personal and provocative meets the mainstream. From the alt vanguard to modern vets, straightforward to left-field, these tracks capture where R&B is now and point the way to where it’s going. This week at the top of the playlist is Mariah Carey’s “Sugar Sweet” off of her upcoming album <i>Here For It All</i>. The infectious track, which receives an assist from singer-songwriter Kehlani and reggae artist Shenseea, finds the trio in love: “Walk to the car and there you are/Can’t explain the rush that I feel/Open up the door, you pull me towards you/Then you put your lips on me,” Mariah sings on the first verse. We update this playlist regularly. If you like a track, add it to your library.

Like its stylistic cousin hip-hop, R&B has some major overlap with modern pop—at times, the charts are virtually indistinguishable from one another. Put another way, the biggest R&B songs are often the biggest songs in any genre, period. Whether you call it crossover R&B, pop&B, or something else entirely, this is where you’ll find its hugest new chart smashes, updated every week. We always keep this playlist refreshed with the latest tunes. If you like something, add it to your library.