@Kamaje Grier

Sometimes you just wanna get close. What follows is a mix of R&B slow jams for the modern age, a sonic fireplace to keep things cozy. So shut that door, dim those lights, and turn down—way down. Oh, and if you hear something you like, add it to your library—our editors regularly update these selections.

Ranging from intimate and sexy to fearless and flirty, the best R&B fuses dynamic soundscapes with confessional lyrics that linger just a little longer when listening to them in Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos. Whether it’s introspection laced with chilly, ambient synths or the 808s of an infectious anthem, R&B in Spatial helps you step into love — or the club — whether you’re at home or shutting down the dancefloor.

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.

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, Ella Mai’s “100” is at the top of the playlist. The soulful track off her forthcoming album <i>Do You Still Love Me?</i> finds the singer-songwriter reassuring her partner that she will always be devoted to their relationship, even when hardships come their way. We update this playlist regularly. If you like a track, add it to your library.

“Hey Siri, play the Slow Dancing playlist.”

If you’re after just the hits, this is where you’ll find them: a handpicked selection of R&B's biggest songs of the past few years. Our editors update this playlist 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.

Sing along to your favorite R&B songs.