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Staff Picks: The 10 Best R&B Albums of 2024
Billboard staff selects the top best R&B albums of 2024 including Leon Thomas, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Bryson Tiller and more.
On top of that, Rae Khalil’s raspy-yet-buttery contributions to the tracks “OutTheWay” and “WalkOnBy” give the already-stout project an extra lift and also feature a stellar verse from Earl Sweatshirt, making this album a good pair with some ice-cold Henny on a summer night. Her voice – still as piercing and as sweet as ever – soars across the project, infusing the ethereal “Pilot” with the freedom of trusting the process and raising the flirtatious stakes of the reggae-inflected “Candy.” The pop sheen that lead single “Love Me Not” promised isn’t incredibly overbearing, which is helped by winning duets with Childish Gambino (“One Wish”) and Ty Dolla $ign (“Dream Girl”) that introduce new characters and textures to round out Lenae’s kaleidoscopic soundscape. While the title track – and lead single – is as tantalizing as ever, it’s the way Leon strings together old-school balladry (“Answer Your Phone”), delectable bites of contemporary R&B (“Yes It Is”), and guitar-shredding rock (“Dancing With Demons”) that truly flaunts his eye-popping range and versatility.
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