Top 100 R&B Songs of 2018 ...Presented by RnBJunkieOfficial



 

 

As the end of 2018 is approaching us, we couldn't let it go without reflecting back on this year's best in R&B music. From Childish Gambino's first #1 Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charting hit respectively "This Is America", Ella Mai's multi-platinum top 5 hit "Boo'd Up" to the debut singles from Queen Naija, Koryn Hawthorne and Porcelan plus the return of Icons Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Toni Braxton, En Vogue and Peabo Bryson. We countdown the top 100 R&B songs of 2018...

100 CASE (FEATURING TEDDY RILEY & TANK) - MAKE LOVE

99 AMERIE - CURIOUS

98 JEFFREY OSBORNE - WORTH IT ALL

97 EN VOGUE - REACH 4 ME

96 PEABO BRYSON - ALL SHE WANTS TO DO IS ME

95 ANDY STOKES - BEST DAY EVER

94 PORTRAIT - IN THE MOMENT

93 FREDDIE JACKSON - WITHOUT YOU

92 SHAWN STOCKMAN (OF BOYZ II MEN) - FEELIN LIL SOM'N

91 JUSSIE SMOLLETT - HA HA (I LOVE YOU)

90 ELLE VARNER - LOVING YOU BLIND

89 BRIAN MCKNIGHT - '42 (GROWN UP TIPSY)

88 VIVIAN GREEN - VIBES

87 TAMIA - IT'S YOURS

86 SEVYN STREETER - YERNIN'

85 RO JAMES - EXCUSE ME

84 ERIC BELLINGER - NOT A LOVE SONG

83 INDIA.ARIE - THAT MAGIC

82 MAJOR. - I'LL KEEP MY FAITH

81 AFTER 7 - IF I

80 MAXWELL - SHAME

79 MARSHA AMBROSIAS - OLD TIMES

78 K. MICHELLE - SAVE ME

77 MARY J. BLIGE - ONLY LOVE

76 ESTELLE - BETTER

75 NE-YO - APOLOGY

74 BRIDGET KELLY - IN THE GREY

73 MARIAH CAREY (FEATURING SLICK RICK & BLOOD ORANGE) - GIVING ME LIFE

72 TONI BRAXTON - FOH

71 LLOYD - CARAMEL

70 SADE - THE BIG UNKNOWN

69 USHER - PEACE SIGN

68 LUKE JAMES - THESE ARMS

67 KELLY ROWLAND - KELLY

66 MACY GRAY - SUGAR DADDY

65 TEYANA TAYLOR - ROSE IN HARLEM

64 MAJOR. - BETTER WITH YOU IN IT

63 PJ MORTON - FIRST BEGAN

62 MYA - DAMAGE

61 PEABO BRYSON - LOVE LIKE YOURS AND MINE

60 MARIAH CAREY - A NO NO

59 LEON BRIDGES - BET AIN'T WORTH THE HAND

58 K. MICHELLE - CRAZY LIKE YOU

57 PORCELAN - LOIS LANE

56 TINK - GET YOU HOME

55 KENNY LATTIMORE - STAY ON YOUR MIND

54 EN VOGUE - ROCKET

53 NAO - ANOTHER LIFETIME

52 LLOYD- EXCITED

51 TAMIA - LEAVE IT SMOKIN'

50 MIGUEL - R.A.N.

49 RAHEEM DEVAUGHN - DON'T COME EASY

48 JUSSIE SMOLLETT - HURT PEOPLE

47 GALLANT - DOESN'T MATTER

46 XSCAPE - MEMORY LANE

45 KEITH SWEAT (FEATURING K-CI) - HOW MANY WAYS

44 SADE - FLOWER OF THE UNIVERSE

43 THE INTERNET - ROLL (BURBANK FUNK)

42 LEON BRIDGES - BAD BAD NEWS

41 FAITH EVANS (FEATURING STEVIE J) - A MINUTE

40 TEYANA TAYLOR - GONNA LOVE ME
39 MARIO - DROWNING

38 MARIAH CAREY - WITH YOU

37 MYA - READY FOR WHATEVER

36 NE-YO - GOOD MAN

35 ELLA MAI (FEATURING H.E.R.) - GUT FEELING

34 CHAKA KHAN - LIKE SUGAR
33 ASHANTI (FEATURING TY DOLLA $IGN) - SAY LESS

32 LEON BRIDGES - BEYOND

31 THE INTERNET - COME OVER

30 CALVIN RICHARDSON - CAN'T LET GO

29 JORJA SMITH (FEATURING STORMZY) - LET ME DOWN

28 KORYN HAWTHORNE (FEATURING ROSHON FEGAN) - WON'T HE DO IT
27 JOHN LEGEND (FEATURING BLOODPOP) – A GOOD NIGHT

26 KEHLANI - AGAIN
25 JACQUEES - YOU

24 KHALID (FEATURING H.E.R.) – THIS WAY

23 SZA – BROKEN CLOCKS
22 JANELLE MONAE – I LIKE THAT

21 TANK (FEATRUNG TREY SONGZ & TY DOLLA $IGN) – WHEN WE (REMIX)

20 H.E.R. (FEATURING BRYSON TILLER) – COULD’VE BEEN

19 JANELLE MONAE – MAKE ME FEEL

18 TORY LANEZ - SHOOTERS
17 LIL DUVAL (FEATURING SNOOP DOGG & BALL GREEZY) – SMILE (LIVIN’ MY BEST LIFE)

16 TONI BRAXTON – LONG AS I LIVE

15 MIGUEL (FEATURING J. COLE & SALAAM REMI) – COME THROUGH AND CHILL (REMIX)

14 JANET JACKSON (FEATURING DADDY YANKEE) – MADE FOR NOW

13 DANIEL CAESAR (FEATURING H.E.R.) – BEST PART
12 QUEEN NAIJA - KARMA

11 CHRIS BROWN - TEMPO

10 CHILDISH GAMBINO – FEELS LIKE SUMMER
9 QUEEN NAIJA - MEDICINE
8 ELLA MAI - TRIP
7 KHALID (FEATURING NORMANI) – LOVE LIES
6 JHENE AIKO (FEATURING RAE SREMMURD) - SATIVA
5 CIARA – LEVEL UP
4 ELLA MAI – BOO’D UP
3 THE WEEKND – CALL OUT MY NAME
2 CHILDISH GAMBINO – THIS IS AMERICA
1 BRUNO MARS (FEATURING CARDI B) - FINESSEE (REMIX)

#HBD: 'Breathe Again - Toni Braxton Essentials' Playlist Presented By RnBJunkieOfficial

In honor of Grammy-award winning Toni Braxton who celebrates her birthday today, we have created a "Breathe Again - Toni Braxton Essentials" playlist on Spotify. The playlist consists of several of the 'Living Legend's' best songs. Toni Braxton has had a successful career that spans over twenty years with her debuting in 1993 with her self-titled album, followed by an extensive collection of hits, three stints of Broadway, tours, and various movie roles. Today we are celebrating Toni Braxton for her contributions to music, so check out our "Breathe Again - Toni Braxton Essentials" playlist on Spotify below, and make sure you follow our RnBJunkieOfficial profile on the streaming site. 

Happy Birthday, Toni Braxton!

#IndieArtistSpotlight: Danielle Sinclair - Interview

 This week's #IndieArtistSpolight goes to Danielle Sinclair. Danielle Sinclair is a singer-songwriter from Buffalo, New York. This past Thursday, RnB Junkie Official had the pleasure of interviewing this talented artist. We discussed her introduction into songwriting, her influences, her recent EP 'Ms. Jackson,' and more. Check out our interview with our #IndieArtistSpotlight Danielle Sinclair below.

How would you describe your sound?

Danielle Sinclair: Umm. It’s kind of hard because I don’t think that I sound like what’s out now. I think I have a different sound from what’s mainstream right now, but I will say I’m kind of on the classic R&B side. I would say I'm more classic R&B than what’s out now. I don’t know. I haven’t really pinpointed exactly what I sound like right now. If that makes any sense [laughs]?

When did you realize that not only could you sing, but you were a gifted songwriter as well?

Danielle Sinclair: Umm. I would say I realize that I could sing at a young age. I would probably say I was about seven or eight, and I was actually singing a Toni Braxton song. I believe it was “‘Unbreak My Heart,” and I was like “Oh, I sound kind of good!” So from then on, I started singing in church and choirs through school and stuff. I started actually writing poetry first, and I did that when I was about fourteen. I started writing poetry at fourteen and began writing songs at about sixteen years old.

Being that you’re a singer-songwriter, how important is it to bring your authentic life experiences into your artistry?

Danielle Sinclair: It’s very important, and that’s mostly what I do. If something happened in my life, I pull from that to write songs. It definitely makes people relate to you more because they'll realize that you’re going through similar things that they’re going through. So, it’s really important to pull from what I am going through and put it into my song and put it into my music.

Who are some of your top musical influences?

Danielle Sinclair: I would definitely say, Brandy. I like a lot of old school music like Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Toni, and Janet Jackson, a lot of females. I like a lot of male R&B too. You know, Brian McKnight and Tyrese, people like that.  

Since today is ‘#ThrowbackThursday’, what are three albums you feel every artist, songwriter, or producer need to study?

Danielle Sinclair: Definitely ‘Full Moon’ by Brandy, for the 'Throwback Thursday.’ Umm. What’s another one I can listen to straight through? I’m sorry. I’m just thinking [laughs]. Aaliyah self-titled album that’s something I listen to straight through. I’m stumped on the third one, can we come back to that one [laughs]? 

You released an EP this year titled 'Ms. Jackson'. Can you tell us a little about the concept of the EP?

Danielle Sinclair: Yeah, really what I tried to do on my EP is try to pull from different parts of my personality, so each song kind of a different side of me. Like ‘Janet’s Them’ was the sensual, sexy, seductive side. The second song is called ‘Secrets,’ that’s kind of like I’m going through it. I’m heartbroken and finding out some information that I didn’t know about prior. ‘Sex Back’ is kind of like a liberation song. I’m trying to take back the power from someone who hurt me. ‘Paris’ is a turn-up song, you know a little ratchet [laughs], or a lot of ratchet but it still has an R&B vibe to it.

On your song ‘Sex Back,’ you showed that you could dabble in rap as well?

Danielle Sinclair: Yes, that kind of happened overnight. I think it was a couple of years ago when Monica did the #SoGoneChallenge. Everybody was like rapping; even the people who didn't usually rap. I’m just like "Oh, I should try this,” and I ended up doing the #SoGoneChallenge. I got such a huge response from it, like a positive response and then I started incorporating rap, (well I wouldn’t call it rapping I’m more like a lyricist), into my music. That’s how ‘Sex Back’ came about.

I truly enjoyed listening to your ‘Ms. Jackson’ EP. I admire your skillful usage of words and wordplay. It was refreshing, as well as showed your versatility. Which song from your EP do you feel like you connected with the most?

Danielle Sinclair: The one that pulls on my heartstrings is probably ‘Secrets,’ that’s the second one on the EP. Yeah, definitely ’Secrets.’ I vibe out the most to ‘Janet’s Theme,’ but ’Secrets’ is definitely like the most personal one to me.  

Will you be creating visuals to go along with the songs from your EP?

Danielle Sinclair: Yes, I am working on the visual for ‘Janet’s Theme’ now. That’s in the works, so I am excited about that. 

What’s next for Danielle Sinclair?

Danielle Sinclair: Next, I will be doing a show at the end of next month. Actually, I have a couple of shows coming up. I’ll be doing a show through a local radio station in my hometown, and then I’ll be doing my own show like an EP release of sorts. I’ll be doing that in October, so I am excited about that. I will be releasing a full album probably towards the end of next year.

Where can our followers find your music, as well as reach you on social media?

Danielle Sinclair: They can find my music it’s on all streaming platforms iTunes, Google Play, Tidal, Spotify, Deezer, and Amazon. It is literally everywhere. On social media, Instagram you can find me at @DanielleSinclairSing, on Facebook Danielle Sinclair, and on Twitter @DaniSingclair (that’s @-d-a-n-i-s-i-n-g-c-l-a-i-r).

Thank you for such a great interview!

Danielle Sinclair: Oh, no problem. Thank you for taking the time to do this because I mean as an independent artist it’s hard for us sometimes to get the exposure we need. I really appreciate it.

Toni Braxton’s Top 30 Underrated Songs

Grammy Award-winning R&B songstress Toni Braxton is days away from releasing her ninth album Sex & Cigarettes via Def Jam Recordings, so it’s only fitting we do her the honor of featuring her top 30 underrated songs spanning her 25 year musical career. The selections are based on limited single releases and standout album cuts. Check out our list and see if you Agree/Disagree.

30 Love Affair

29 There’s No Me Without You

28 Candlelight

27 In the Late of Night

26 Spending My Time With You

25 Always

24 Stupid

23 And I Love You

22 Stay

21 Talking In His Sleep

20 Take This Ring

19 Art of Love

18 Melt (Like an Iceberg)

17 Never Just For a Ring

16 Come On Over Here

15 If I Have to Wait

14 Fairy Tale

13 How Many Ways (R. Kelly Mix)

12 Sposed to Be

11 Why Should I Care

10 Why Won’t You Love Me

09 Me & My Boyfriend

08 Maybe

07 I Wanna Be (Your Baby)

06 I’d Rather Be Broke

05 Find Me A Man

04 I’m Still Breathing

03 I Wish

02 Suddenly

01 How Could An Angel Break My Heart



Toni Braxton: Album Art for Forthcoming Album “Sex & Cigarettes”

On March 23rd Grammy Award-winning R&B songstress Toni Braxton will release her ninth overall album Sex & Cigarettes via Def Jam Recordings.

The album features the top 10 Adult R&B lead hit “Deadwood”, “Coping” plus current single “Long As I Live”.

En Vogue and Colbie Caillat make special appearances on the album that’s available now for Pre-order.

HERE!

New Music: Toni Braxton - Long As I Live

Grammy Award-winning songstress Toni Braxton has unleashed the latest offering “Long As I Live” from her upcoming ninth studio album Sex & Cigarettes.

“Long As I Live” follows after "Heart Away", “Coping” and “Deadwood”

Download “Long As I Live”

HERE!

Music News: Toni Braxton | Bobby V

TONI BRAXTON: Grammy Award-winning R&B songstress Toni Braxton has teamed up again with her rumored beau rapper Birdman on a cover/remix of Derez Deshon’s “Hardaway” retitled “Heart Away”.

The song follows Braxton’s stunning singles “Deadwood” and “Coping” from her upcoming ninth studio album Sex & Cigarettes via Def Jam in February.

BOBBY V: R&B vet Bobby V is hard at work on his seventh album Electrik due February 23.

The first offering from the album is the midtempo single “Lil Bit” which features rap legend Snoop Dogg and produced by long-time collaborators Tim & Bob who are responsible for V’s breakout solo debut hit “Slow Down”.

Download “Lil Bit”

HERE!