Spotify link: fool’s peace
Around April 2022, it dawned on me that I don’t have to make playlists that last as long as traditional albums. In the same way that there are LPs and EPs, you can have longer playlists and shorter playlists. So I came up with a shorter playlist based on a set of songs I was really vibing to. I called it, “fool’s peace.”
There are a lot of new voices in R&B that I love to hear. Alex Isley is undoubtedly one of those. She’s featured twice on this playlist with “Love Again” and “On & On” (with her frequent collaborator, Jack Dine). When I hear Isley’s music, I am reminded of all the warm all-encompassing emotions around love. Kehlani has been one of my favorite new R&B artists since 2016, and I think “blue water road” is an amazing album. I’ve included “everything” here – which is an absolute favorite of mine. It’s another one that reminds me of the good vibes of falling in love with that special someone.
Giveon and Kevin Ross have unique sounds and super polished voices. Their music falls across the R&B spectrum of problematic (Giveon lol) to wholesome (Kevin Ross). But I’ll say that both of these touch on love that didn’t quite hit the mark. And although he got pummeled for fumbling the bag with his fanbase, Daniel Caesar makes really good music. I enjoyed “Please Do Not Lean On” partly because it’s beautifully made, but mostly because of the absolute honesty of it. Finally, smack dab in the middle is “Yebba’s Heartbreak” from Drake’s “Certified Lover Boy.” This is a really good emotional song – both in tone and content. It fits right in the middle of this small playlist. (As an aside, I’m not downplaying the absolute impact he’s had on R&B, hip-hop, and music culture, but I think Drake’s albums are greatest when he features other artists entirely on their own – almost like a curator of sounds. Of course there are some albums that I thought were really impressive but that’s for another day.)
This was really fun for me to put together. It’s the “new R&B” sound but keeping things in line with what you’d expect. In terms of a playlist, the short length makes it feel more “punchy.” Anyways, I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I did putting it together.
