Welcome back to our R&B Season playlist update, which is getting into colder temperatures up north as we come closer to ending the year. But that doesn't mean new releases aren't still heating up, as we got a killer throwback-vibe track from Kali Uchis and Ravyn Lenae.
"Cry about it!" takes it back to the doo-wop era with all the bright sheen and gorgeous instrumentation you would expect not just from that era, but considering both artists' previous work. The bilingual cut has a lush array of strings, keys, chimes, and guitar lines to dive into, and a lot of melodic embellishments throughout keep it feeling fresh.
Most importantly, though, both vocalists share solid chemistry on the cut and provide some distinct performances to contrast. Kali is more smoky by comparison whereas Ravyn's soft delivery makes for a very tender moment.
Hopefully both artists continue to play with this aesthetic and songwriting in the future, as they've done a great job of it on previous LPs. More traditional Latin instrumentation towards the end of "Cry about it!" ties it all up with a grand bow.
HNHH R&B Season Playlist
Elsewhere on R&B Season, we also wanted to shout out 4batz for the release of his new album, Still Shinin. Across 15 tracks, he expands on his songwriting approaches and aesthetic directions with more full and glossy revamps to his minimal soulful artistry.
One highlight of various to mention is "act xi: she ain't no angel" with an assist from Leon Thomas, who does a great job of fitting over a spacey and dreamy beat. While it isn't a complete 180 from previous material, the hype and hate circling around 4batz's original blow-up doesn't tell the full story of his potential.
Finally, Yoko Gold came through on R&B Season with "Beaming," which shuffles through a sandy drum beat and regal pianos with more atmospheric elements to elevate the mood. His passion is palpable thanks to his dynamic but still melodically engaging flows, a hard feat to pull off. Yoko takes the spotlight on here to little surprise, and it's one of this week's catchiest offerings.
