10 Up & Coming R&B Artists To Watch in 2021
1. Reggie Becton
The talented PG county singer has been building anticipation over a full length project for a while now, if you’re invested in R&B Twitter then chances are you’ve seen one of his clips on your timeline. After making the transition from PG County to Los Angeles, Reggie has mentioned that his move to LA has inspired his latest music due to the different experiences that come with living out west. All this builds anticipation for his full length project, which would follow up the well received and critically acclaimed EP “Thank You For Listenin’”.
2. DAVESTATEOFMIND
HTX. One of the more notable names coming out of Houston, TX is DAVESTATEOFMIND. While Houston has seen a new wave of rappers come into the game and pop over the last half of the 2010s including artists such as Megan Thee Stallion and Travis Scott, the R&B scene in the city is alive and well led by Dave. His melodic flows and vocal range shows his very artistic background and project how he’ll be able to elevate his name to higher levels because of the ear appeasing melodies. After a successful 2020 that lead him to being featured on Cole Bennett’s Lyrical Lemonade, 2021 is projected to be very huge for HTX singer.
3. ELHAE
ELHAE hasn’t put out a high volume of music, but he still found a way to produce one of the best R&B tracks of 2020 with his Rick Ross featured single, “Fun Fact”. If this is the type of music that ELHAE has in the tuck then we should be hearing him a lot in 2021. A talented vocalist with a collaboration with Ty Dolla $ign and Rick Ross under his belt already.
4. KRollin’
Live from Oakland, CA. KRollin’ looks to further the legacy of the Oakland R&B artists before her such as the likes of Kehlani and Keyshia Cole. She blends dark instrumentals with an angelic voice to present a beautiful contrast in her music. Tracks such as “Pull Up” featuring another talented Bay Area R&B artist in ZaE showcase he potential as an artist. With only a few songs out, 2021 will be dictated by how much music she is able to release in 2021.
5. Rayven Justice
Rayven Justice has been grinding for a good minute. Another Oakland, CA product that is starting to see his fanbase grow very quickly. He’s able to blend hip hop elements into his style of R&B very well. Do It Justice 2 is one of the most slept on projects of 2020. With collaborations from the likes of E-40, Too $hort and many others, Rayven Justice was incredibly active last year. With his talent and level of activity it wouldn’t be a surprise if he lands more big time collaboration in 2021.
6. Michael From The East
New York City. Michael From The East was a factor in 2020 that you had to recognize. The numbers back up the talent level of Michael. A singer’s singer. Tracks such as “Lie To Me” show you the vocal abilities of Michael, his voice is the instrument. Much of the production he decided to get on in 2020 and years prior were very stripped down beats which allowed him to do more with his voice and center it as the main attraction. Expect a huge 2021 for Michael From The East.
7. NBDY
A relatively quiet year from NBDY still landed him major Spotify playlist placements as he released the acoustic version to his 2019 project Admissions in 2020. The talented singer has built his fanbase on his “quality over quantity” approach to music. The anticipation for new music from NBDY is very high. Not much is known of him, fitting for an artist named NBDY. This next project will present a great opportunity for NBDY to reveal more of himself in the music.
8. Dee Gatti
The Fort Worth/Dallas area is home to both Dee Gatti and Kaash Paige. Dee Gatti knows how to set a vibe. A lot of her music sounds like late night activities. It’s very dark, spacious R&B music. She lets the beat breathe a lot, but when she does decide to sing it’s impactful. She floats over beats with ease and has a lot of “quotables” in her music, a lot of her lyrics could double as Instagram caption. In 2021, we just need a full length project from Dee Gatti to truly take her to the next level of her career.
9. Savannah Christina
Savannah Christina had an excellent 2020. She released her single “F’d Up” which featured Flo Milli, the rising star rapper who had a big 2020 herself. Savannah also put her best foot forward by releasing her 2020 project Self Care. Savannah Christina provides incredible diversity in her music; while Savannah may have upbeat anthems such as “First Time”, “Healing” off of the Self Care project is a soulful and deep record as she goes through the phases of healing. It’s one of the more powerful records of 2020 and really shows how Savannah is capable of producing any type of R&B record out there.
10. Asiahn
Asiahn gave us two great singles in 2020 with “Get Away” and “Gucci Frames”. After also featuring on Motown’s Christmas EP we’re all hoping for a very active year from Asiahn because she too has a lot of versatility in her music. Her “Gucci Frames” single incorporates a lot of trap drums while her other single “Get Away” is a much more smooth and angelic sound. She’s signed to Motown for a reason, she’s extremely talented. She’s someone you have to keep an eye on in 2021.