Obi Alfred is bringing old R&B to a new audience and serving as a torchbearer for the genre. Born in New Jersey and bred in Texas, the Nigerian-American’s unique approach pays respect to the titans of the genre while pushing into daring, current terrain. Now, with the most captivating songs of his early career, Obi is establishing himself as one of the most significant emerging talents...

The Queens-based Pop/R&B singer-songwriter Nia Marie turns breakup panic into a sleek, replay-ready single with Juan Arango at the controls. "Selfish" hits like the message you typed, deleted, typed again, then sent before courage ran away. Nia Marie is back with a Pop/R&B breakup single that feels close, moody, and painfully honest without dragging its feet. It has that late night playlist pull, but it also...