2012 was the year mainstream R&B became interesting again. Despite the regrettable obsession with pandering to Eurodance trends, and the still-overbearing influence of contemporary hip-hop; this year featured classic vocalists returning to prominence, urban singer-songwriters receiving the kind of acclaim that for the past decade had only been reserved for more middle-of-the-road acts, and creative artists too unbound by convention to be referred to simply as “neo-soul.”
Plus, two beloved acts made unexpected comebacks to critical acclaim and raves from fans.
Which is always nice.
So here are the 10 BEST R&B albums of 2012. Urban contemporary/hip-hop soul/neo soul/whatever else we felt like including…
– stereo williams
