It is pretty interesting to know that while being a minority in the industry, the black singers have created their own genre of music.
That genre is R&B music, and its artist is called an R&B singer. Before I dive into the main topic, let’s take a quick look at what R&B music is.
The term R&B music stands for Rhythms & Blues music. R&B is a music genre created by the black singers of the 1940s and 1950s.
In simpler words, the black singers of the 40s and 50s can also be called the first R&B singers. But over time, this genre has more or less changed as per the public demand.
The R&B music that we listen to today is not exactly the same as it was in the 40s and 50s. But that is just how it is, right?
You might have heard: “Change is Inevitable. Growth is Optional.” Without further ado, let’s talk about some of the best R&B singers in the music industry.
Table of Contents
The Weeknd:
The Weeknd is among the most famous R&B singers in the world. Wait! I think calling him the best “R&B Singer” limits his true greatness.
So, instead of calling him one of the best R&B singers, I’ll call him one of THE best singers of all time.
Anyways, The Weeknd’s real name is Abel Makkonen Tesfaye. His birth date is the 16th of February 1990, and he was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
He is 32 years old. When he was young, he didn’t have a good relationship with his dad, and he used to see him rarely.
Thus, their relationship deteriorated. But he never blamed him for any of this; he blamed the circumstances.
However, this childhood trauma led him to do drugs when he grew up. He says that drugs became his “crutch (support)” for him whenever he wanted to do songwriting.
Abel has used all sorts of drugs during his career, like cocaine, magic mushrooms, MDMA, ketamine, and some others.
But as you know, drugs can never be a long-term solution. For that reason, he left drugs and decided to stay sober, but he didn’t leave weeds (marijuana).
And he also drinks sometimes, but, in his words, “he is not a heavy drinker.” Doing drugs before songwriting played out pretty well in his favor.
Initially, he began uploading his music videos on YouTube, and he gained his initial fame from there.
Once, a producer reached out to Abel with an R&B music project, to which he said yes. He officially became an R&B singer in 2009.
After being in the industry for four years, he gave out his 1st album, “Kiss Land,” in 2013 by working with XO and Republic Records.
The cops once apprehended Tesfaye following his alleged punch to a police officer. The judge sentenced him to 50 hours of community service.
In 2015, he released his 2nd studio album, named “Beauty Behind The Madness.” “Starboy” was his third studio album, released in 2016.
“Blinding Lights” is said to be this R&B singer’s best-selling song.
The Weeknd’s Instagram following: 38.6 million+
Spotify monthly listeners: 77.4 million+
SoundCloud following: 6.36 million+
Jhené Aiko:
This R&B is around 34 years old. She was born on the 16th of March 1988 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
Jhené Aiko Efuru Chilombo is her birth name. At first, she began singing with the famous R&B group, B2K. Thus, they used to call her a B2K member.
At a young age, her home was incinerated and destroyed by fire. So, they had to migrate from there.
In their new house, her parents decided to school Aiko at home. After that, she enrolled in high school. She passed out from there with good grades.
Her parents‘ marriage didn’t work out, and they got divorced. Aiko also has a sister who is also a famous R&B singer and rapper.
When she was twenty years old, a baby girl was born to her. During the time of her daughter’s birth, she was taking music lessons.
Some consider Aiko the cousin of Lil’ Fizz (a famous R&B rapper), though she is not. She has worked with Def Jam Recordings, TUG Entertainment, and Epic Records.
She had to see her brother die of cancer. She recorded a special track, “For My Brother,” just for her brother to listen to.
Her brother died soon after listening to her track. In 2013, she met an accident in which her daughter suffered no injuries, but this R&B singer broke her wrist and lost some teeth.
Aiko became an R&B singer in 2002, and twelve years later, she gave out her debut album, “Souled Out,” in 2014.
Among her famous songs, “Sativa” stands out as the best.
Her Instagram following: 14.1 million+
Spotify monthly listeners: 9.3 million+
SoundCloud following: 687,000+
Trey Songz:
Now I present to you Mr. Steal Yo Girl, Trey Songz, who is 37 years old. Songz’s birthday falls on the 28th of November, and his birth year is 1984.
He was born in Petersburg, Virginia, USA. Tremaine Aldon Neverson is his complete name. Trey’s dad was a U.S. Army personnel.
That is why he is a military brat. His mom remarried, and his mom and step-dad raised Trey. He was pretty shy when he was a kid.
And the idea of singing in front of a huge crowd would’ve been the last thing he’d wanted. In simpler words, he didn’t want to become a singer at all, let alone an R&B singer.
But the thing is, he was a great singer; he just didn’t know it. After listening to him sing, many people encouraged him to pursue a career in music.
Still, his shyness was a huge hurdle in his way. But eventually, he overcame his shyness and joined the industry as an R&B singer in 2003.
In 2016, he was apprehended by the police on felony charges. In the early phases of the pandemic, he got COVID positive in 2020.
The charges were proven correct, and Trey was sentenced to 18 months of probation. He has had many other legal issues with some other famous musical artists over time.
He released “I Gotta Make It” in 2005 by working with Atlantic Records. He has given out a total of eight studio albums so far.
Those albums are “Trey Day,” “Ready,” “Passion, Pain, & Pleasure,” “Chapter V,” “Trigga,” “Tremaine,” and “Back Home.”
“Bottoms Up” is considered to be the best song sung by this R&B singer.
Trey’s Instagram following: 13.5 million+
Spotify monthly listeners: 7.1 million+
SoundCloud following: 151,000+
H.E.R.:
“H.E.R.” complete name is Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson. She is 24 years old. Her birthday falls on the 27th of June.
Wilson’s birthplace is Vallejo, California, USA. Some call her H.E.R.; some call her Gabi Wilson. You might be wondering what “H.E.R.” means.
The term H.E.R. stands for Having Everything Revealed. She was born to an Asian (Filipina) mom and an African dad.
Initially, she was called Gabi Wilson. Alicia Keys is considered to be her influence and inspiration, as she used to replay her songs on piano.
She isn’t just a singer but also a famous and rather successful actress. She started acting when she was just nine.
Gabriella has worked with two record labels: RCA Records and MBK Records so far. By working with these labels, she has released one album, “Back Of My Mind,” which came out in 2021.
“Could’ve Been” is this R&B singer’s best song.
Sarmiento’s Instagram following: 5.3 millon+
Spotify monthly listeners: 13.2 million+
SoundCloud following: 277,000+
Summer Walker:
This R&B singer was born on the 11th of April 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. She is 26 years old. She has one kid.
There isn’t much information available about her parents, family, and personal life. However, until 2018, she had a small business, and she was barely making ends meet.
She was also involved in the stripping business. She used to learn how to play guitar by watching YouTube tutorials.
Walker also used the platform to upload her music videos there. She joined the music industry in such a dramatic way.
Once, a lady (who had the same name as Summer Walker) got to know about her. Luckily, that lady used to work for a famous music label, “Love Renaissance (LVRN).”
Summer became an R&B singer in 2017, and two years later, “Over It” came out in 2019, which was her 1st album.
Her best song is considered to be “No Love.”
Walker’s Instagram following: 4.6 million+
Spotify monthly listeners: 13.8 million+
SoundCloud following: 258,000+
Ne-Yo:
Shaffer Chimere Smith is his birth name. He officially became an R&B singer in 1998. Today, he is 42 years old.
You can also call him Gogo. He landed in this world on the 18th of October 1979 in Camden, Arkansas, USA.
Before marrying, he had a relationship with Monyetta Shaw from 2009 to 2013 (for four years), but they got separated.
After three years, Ne-Yo tied the knot with Crystal Renay Williams in 2016, and they are still together. Moreover, he has five kids.
To his luck, his folks were singers themselves. Presumably, they inspired him to become a singer. So, he chose to become an R&B singer in 1998.
Ne-Yo’s biggest hit is said to be “Do You.”
Smith’s Instagram following: 3.6 million+
Spotify monthly listeners: 17.4 million+
SoundCloud following: 306,000+
Ella Mai:
Mai has been singing and songwriting for more than seven years (since 2014). Her first album was “Ella Mai,” which came out in 2018.
Her 2nd studio album, “Heart on my Sleeve,” is yet to be released in 2022. She is 27 years old. Her complete name is Ella Mai Howell.
Mai’s mom belonged to Jamaica, and her dad belonged to Ireland. This R&B singer was born in London, England, on the 3rd of November 1994.
Once, she said that her mom was a fan of American music. For that reason, she and her mom went to New York, USA.
She was twelve years old at the time of their migration. Because she was British, her accent was pretty different from the American one.
That’s why her class fellows used to bully her for that. She stayed in the USA for some time, until her graduation, and then came back to the UK.
Ella Mai’s most famous song is “Trip.”
Mai’s Instagram following: 3.4 million+
Spotify monthly listeners: 6.8 million+
SoundCloud following: 291,000+
6LACK:
6LACK can be pronounced as BLACK. However, his actual name is Ricardo Valdez Valentine Jr. He is 29 years old.
He was born on the 24th of June 1992 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. But his folks went to Atlanta, Georgia.
Valdez’s dad had a studio in which he recorded his initial tracks. He was four years at the time. He started out as a battle rapper in his school.
He also used to get engaged in some rap battles with Young Thug. He has one kid. He has worked with two labels: Interscope Records and Love Renaissance.
6LACK released his debut album, “Free 6lack,” on the 18th of November 2016 by working with LVRN and Interscope Records. “East Atlanta Love Letter” was his second album, which was released in 2018.
“Calling My Phone” is among his top songs.
Ricardo’s Instagram following: 2.2 million+
Spotify monthly listeners: 16.5 million+
SoundCloud following: 400,000+
Lionel Richie:
Lionel is also among the few veteran R&B singers in the whole world. As of May 2022, he is 72 years old, and he has been at it for more than five decades (54+ years).
His complete name is Lionel Brockman Richie Jr. He was born on the 20th of June 1949 in Tuskegee, Alabama, USA.
So far, he has married twice. First, he married Brenda Harvey in 1975, and they got divorced in 1993. After two years, in 1995, Diana Alexander and Lionel Richie tied the knot.
But their marriage also didn’t work out, and they got separated in 2004. There are always a lot of things to talk about every artist on every list.
Still, I like to keep things precise and to the point so that you get entertained as well as educated.
That is why I use an informal tone to write to make you feel like you are being addressed directly by another human being, not a robot or computer.
Anyways, “Lionel Richie” was the first album of this R&B singer, which was released in 1982. “Can’t Slow Down” was his second.
He has given out many great songs, including “All Night Long (All Night).”
Richie’s Instagram following: 1.3 million+
Spotify monthly listeners: 9.2 million+
SoundCloud following: No official SoundCloud account.
Babyface:
He is both a songwriter and a record producer. This “babyfaced” artist is around 63 years old. I don’t know what kind of tonic singers like him drink.
As he looks pretty young and fit for his age. If you show his picture to someone and ask about his age, he’d probably say 35 to 45.
But that’s purely my opinion; you can disagree with me. I, too, know that celebrities like him prefer to keep up appearances.
Probably because they know many of their fans idolize them and see them as an inspiration. Nonetheless, he has a pretty good physique.
Oh! I almost forgot that I’m talking about a singer, not a model. My bad! Coming back to the topic, his first album came out in 1986, which was “Lovers.”
And so far, he has released eight albums and dozens of songs. “Whip Appeal” is among the best of them.
Babyface’s Instagram following: 1.2 million+
Spotify monthly listeners: 1.6 million+
SoundCloud following: 2,100+
Kelly:
R. Kelly or Robert Sylvester Kelly is 55 years old as of May 2022. He isn’t necessarily an R&B singer. The correct phrase would be, “he used to be a singer.”
Why? Because he had been accused of several sexual abuse, racketeering, trafficking, and other charges.
All of this began in late 2000 when he was accused of engaging in sexual intercourse with an underage girl.
Due to lack of evidence, the investigation was dropped. But, the charges against him kept increasing, and they could not be overlooked anymore.
As you know, a celebrity will always have those fans who will always support him no matter what and those haters who will always criticize him no matter what.
With an increase in allegations, the investigation against this R&B singer intensified. Eventually, in 2021, he was found guilty of many (if not all) of those charges against him and was sentenced to 10 years in jail.
I wouldn’t say his career was short-lived, as he started in 1989, and in a 30-year-period, he gave around 17 studio albums. “Born into the 90s” was the first of them.
His most famous song is considered to be “I Believe I Can Fly.”
Kelly’s Instagram following: No official Instagram account.
Spotify monthly listeners: 4.7 million+
SoundCloud following: 4.51 million+
Maxwell:
His complete name is Gerald Maxwell Rivera. He began doing this in 1990 and has been actively singing, songwriting, and record producing since then.
During his career, he has worked with Columbia Records. His birthday falls on the 23rd of May, and his birth year is 1973.
Maxwell landed in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He gave out his first album in 1996, named “Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite.”
This R&B singer’s most famous song is “Pretty Wings.”
His Instagram following: 932,000+
Spotify monthly listeners: 1.6 million+
SoundCloud following: No official SoundCloud account.
Whitney Houston:
She was born on the 9th of August 1963 in Newark, New Jersey, USA. Her birth name is Whitney Elizabeth Houston.
You can also call her among the top-selling musical artists in the whole world, as she has sold over 200 million records.
In 1977, she joined the music industry as an R&B singer, and eight years later, she released her debut album, “Whitney Houston,” in 1985.
“Whitney” was her second, “I’m Your Baby Tonight” was her third, and “My Love Is Your Love” was her fourth album, released in 1987, 1990, and 1998, respectively.
Houston’s most successful song is “I Will Always Love You.”
Whitney’s Instagram following: 755,000+
Spotify monthly listeners: 20.3 million+
SoundCloud following: 28,300+
Smokey Robinson:
Robinson is the oldest R&B singer on this list, as he is 82 years old as of May 2022. His birth date is the 19th of February.
His birth year is 1940. William “Smokey” Robinson Jr. is his complete name. His hometown is Detroit, Michigan, USA.
Smokey became a singer in 1955, and 18 years later, he released his solo studio album, “Smokey,” in 1973.
Before that, he was a member of The Miracles. By working with them, he released many albums, but his solo album came out in 1973.
Among Smokey’s most famous songs is “Being With You.”
His Instagram following: 136,000+
Spotify monthly listeners: 1.1 million+
SoundCloud following: 850+
Al Green:
And last but not least, I present to you the 76-year-old artist, Al Green, whose real name is Albert Leornes Greene.
He was born on the 13th of April 1946 in Forrest City, Arkansas, USA. He says that his strictly religious dad threw him out of the house when he caught him listening to songs.
Green began doing this in 1955, and after twelve years, he released his debut album, “Back Up Train,” in 1967.
He has given out around 29 studio albums so far and hundreds of great songs. Among them, “Tired Of Being Alone” stands out as the best.
Albert’s Instagram following: 61,900+
Spotify monthly listeners: 4.6 million+
SoundCloud following: 10,100+
Conclusion:
The R&B genre of music is pretty famous among the masses, and its audience is always growing.
Out of all of them, my favorite R&B singer is The Weeknd. Let me know in the comments about your favorite one. Thanks.
