Our Top 10 albums lists by genre wrap up today with our staff picks for the best of soul and R&B music this year. Click next to read through the albums one by one, or use the list below to skip ahead to your favourites.
Top 10 Soul and R&B Albums of 2013:
To see more of our Year-End Top Tens, head over to our Best of 2013 section.
10. Mayer Hawthorne
Where Does This Door Go
(Universal Republic)
Charges that Mayer Hawthorne's approach to Motown soul was merely the forced efforts of a dilettante no longer hold weight with Where Does This Door Go. Handing over the production reins to someone like Pharrell frees Hawthorne to freely explore the genre parameters from an authentic and artistically pure perspective. Actively rebelling against the throwback soul category serves Hawthorne well on this project; the end result is a curious mix of the classic Motown sound, J Dilla Detroit swag, and "at their peak" elements of Steely Dan, Hall & Oates, and the Steve Miller band.
Navel-gazing this is not: Hawthorne is confident (as evidenced by his improved vocal abilities) and earnestly passionate in his take on contemporary R&B/pop music. Keeping things minimal on the guest appearance tip — save for Kendrick Lamar's winning turn on "Crime" — Hawthorne does his versions of hangdog love songs ("Back Seat Lover), pays respect via Stevie Wonder reverence ("The Stars are Ours") and even does a winning Paul McCartney impersonation ("All Better"). If you weren't a fan of Mayer Hawthorne before Where Does This Door Go, he may just win you over this time around. (Ryan B. Patrick)
9. Blood Orange
Cupid Deluxe
(Domino)
Devonté Hynes both stands in stark juxtaposition to 2013 and encapsulates it perfectly. In R&B, his Blood Orange project is out of step with both the smoky noir of artists like the Weeknd and Miguel and the more EDM-based pop-R&B of the Top 40 — a fact he happily acknowledges in interviews — and yet, like breakthrough artists Disclosure and Deafheaven did in electronic and metal, Hynes adhered to the 2013 genre crossover narrative with the soulful Cupid Deluxe.
He did it by looking backwards. Cupid Deluxe is more Prince and Lionel Richie than Usher (or anyone else from this decade), in that Hynes prioritizes the R ahead of the B: "Uncle Ace" is a funk-guitar tune lent attitude and romance by Hynes' breathy sing-speak and saxophone melodies peppered throughout; "It Is What It Is" reaches a mid-tempo groove aided by skeletal marimbas, clapping and Samantha Urbani's yearning croon; even the lengthy ballad "Chosen" is driven by a slow rhythmic backbone of plush snares and strong bass plucks.
So while Hi-NRG single "You're Not Good Enough" is the most danceable, it's closer "Time Will Tell," a sparse piano reprise of "It Is What It Is," that best demonstrates Hynes' ability as a songwriter and the power of Cupid Deluxe. By eschewing the worry-free groove of the original, he emphasizes the latent hope, bitterness and triumph of the song, reminding listeners that even tunes seemingly all about having fun can carry potent emotional heft. (Stephen Carlick)
8. Kelela
Cut 4 Me
(Fade to Mind)
Cut 4 Me, the debut release from Kelela, is a breath of fresh air. With her appearance on this year's Solange-curated Saint Heron compilation, Kelela came off sharper and more inventive than her fellow alt-R&B scenesters, trading their already-worn aching vocals and murky rhythms for sugary phrasings and cracking beats.
Released as a free mixtape, Cut 4 Me's 13 tracks sound more like remixes than original compositions. Working with producers like Girl Unit, Nguzunguzu and Kingdom (who she worked with on his 2013 single "Bank Head", included here), Kelela's songs make great use of photocopy grooves and minimal electronic beats. Although tracks like "Do it Again" and "Keep it Cool" seep with dark night of the soul undertones, for the most part, Kelela and her producers keep things light and odd, balanced with a gratifying amount of quirky earworms.
Never playing up R&B/pop image of vocalist as sex object, Kelela carves her own path on Cut 4 Me; one of a standout singular voice among a new wave of singular voices. (Daniel Sylvester)
7. M.I.A.
Matangi
(Interscope)
An inflamed response to the critics? An inward retreat to focus on spirituality? A pressure relief mechanism, a much-needed release? Whatever the intent, Matangi rises above all the noise that has been encircling the public persona of its creator and namesake, relying instead on the songs. Chock full of cleverly disguised verbal daggers, this collection of dense yet laid back anthems relies less on overt agitprop, instead using subtle metaphors to send pointed messages — a technique often employed within the sacred texts of many of the world's religions.
This mature brand of lyricism demonstrates M.I.A.'s penetrating wit, revealing a crafty songwriter who in the past has been unfairly accused of pastiche. Of course, lyrics without music makes for a dull listen, and fortunately, Matangi delivers in spades. Culling from both popular and under-represented song forms, the album is kaleidoscopic in vision, yet decidedly less brash than previous efforts.
Album opener "Karmageddon" immediately sets the stage with its mesmerizing bass throb and almost non-existing percussion. Electro-banger "Warriors" is one of the more riotous tracks, yet repeatedly drops into a lone harp strum, and "Come Walk With Me" marries a sing-song melody to pummelling beats. Matangi is an acerbic album, rife with infectious earworms that warrant repeat listens. (Bryon Hayes)
6. Jessy Lanza
Pull My Hair Back
(Hyperdub)
It's been a funny year for R&B records. On one hand, there are a handful of singers who have chosen a dark alcove in which to voice their introspective tales over moody soundscapes. On the other, there are some who have opted for the lighter hearted influences of '90s soul and house tunes. In the middle stands Jessy Lanza and her stellar debut, Pull My Hair Back. Each track captures the sways and swings of '90s and modern R&B with sharp, sometimes-moody sounding synths that complement, but never overpower, her soft voice.
In the stretch of a half hour, Lanza bounces through the glittery "Kathy Lee" before dialing down the tempo with the rolling wave of tip-toeing keys on the soulful quasi-ballad "Strange Emotion." The album's strength lies in Lanza and co-producer Jeremy Greenspan's ability to compress a collage of different sounds and make them sound wholly their own. Without much strain you can hear Greenspan's electronic influence in the warbling synths that move in tandem with Lanza's voice.
Through and through, Lanza's sonic charm struts up and down Pull My Hair Back's lean-sounding runway with poise, making for one of 2013's best groove albums. (Jabbari Weekes)
5. Quadron
Avalanche
(Epic)
Between his work on Rhye's Woman and Quadron's Avalanche, Robin Hannibal has solidified himself as one of this year's MVPs — Most Valuable Producer. Teaming up once again with vocalist Coco Maja Hastrup Karshøj, the Danish duo polished up their icy, slick sound on this sophomore release, making them now a force in the worlds of both soul and pop.
Avalanche finds Quadron exploring Coco's soulful voice and its endless possibilities, from somber ballads ("Befriend") to grooving R&B numbers ("Better Off," featuring Kendrick Lamar). At their best, though, Quadron swirl all of these elements into one smooth sound that is fluid, effortless and infectious.
Quadron never strain themselves to compete with pop heavyweights; instead, they're content to ease into a perfect place of slow-jam greatness. It lures you in and never lets go, from the first sound of the horns on opener "LFT" to the last notes on the piano on the closing title track. A triumph of production by both members and a perfectly-constructed vessel to deliver Coco's velvety voice, Avalanche is a glossy snapshot of a project that is destined to continue ascending. (Melody Lau)
4. Charles Bradley
Victim of Love
(Dunham)
It can be hard to separate the story of Charles Bradley from his music, since it's such a great story: Bradley is a 65-year-old who spent most of his life just trying to avoid living in a subway station, working whatever odd job came his way, until he miraculously rolled his gig as a James Brown impersonator into some Daptone singles, and eventually, his 2011 debut album, No Time For Dreaming. At the age when most people consider retirement, the "Screaming Eagle of Soul" was just getting started.
On his sophomore album, Bradley continues to express himself with the unwavering honesty that made his thematically darker debut such a success. Set over the lush instrumentals of Menahan Street Band, which present a survey of psychedelic soul and fuzz-bomb funk filtered through a Stax lens, the sound of Victim of Love is so perfectly vintage, one might think it to be a reissue. Yet Bradley's gritty, revealing vocals lend an immediacy to this album, the kind of humble introspection and casual comeuppance that made Rodriguez's records sound revolutionary decades after they were released.
Where so many contemporary artists attempt to hybridize the past in search of subgenres that reek of aimless newness, Bradley made an album that sounds specifically aged, successfully avoiding the desperation of trend-chasing as well as the sterilization of mere regurgitation. His voice has that Otis Redding X-factor, that soul-bearing lilt of hard life experience that underscores his heartfelt lyrics and his band's spirited play. Even if one has never heard his story, which is now available in documentary form for easy digestion, the gravity of Victim of Love is easily felt. (Alan Ranta)
3. Thundercat
Apocalypse
(Brainfeeder)
Few artists sum up the welcome manner in which contemporary musicians are trampling down genre boundaries and thumbing their collective noses at the aesthetic and stylistic rulebook of what is and isn't off limits as an influence than Brainfeeder's Thundercat. L.A.-based Stephen Bruner blends predominantly '70s influences from jazz to prog-rock and funk together with contemporary pop, electronica and R&B in a gloriously unholy marriage, all underpinned by Bruner's bass guitar virtuosity.
Executive produced by Flying Lotus, Apocalypse follows on neatly from 2011's The Golden Age of Apocalypse, which was also made in close collaboration with FlyLo. The album highlight is undeniably the irresistible "Heartbreaks + Setbacks" — surely a serious contender for song of the year — but Apocalypse is a real thrill listened to in its entirety, and like his debut full-length, it's a pretty trippy journey.
Apocalypse ranges from the forward-moving groove of opener "Tenfold" through several R&B-influenced gems to the Zappa-esque "Seven" and the cosmic funk of the "Oh Sheit It's X." Given how many opposing elements and styles are being mashed together here, you'd expect a much more jarring result, but on Apocalypse, Thundercat has managed to build on his debut, weaving an album that's more stylistically cohesive and also more emotionally complex. And despite its druggy spirituality, occasional comedy, awkward time signatures and ADHD nature, it's also somehow strangely comforting. Apocalypse is one of the most interesting musical statements of 2013. (Vincent Pollard)
2. Rhye
Woman
(Polydor)
Both Rhye's Woman and Quadron's debut speak to the talent Danish producer Robin Hannibal has for funky atmospheric synth production. on Woman, Mike Milosh's Sade-like countertenor vocals sit above orchestral assisted instrumentals, making for one of the most romantic sounding albums of the year. "3 Days" exemplifies this vibe, celebrating making the most of a short time together, while "Open" and "The Fall," with their rather exceptional accompanying videos, further add to the amorous narrative.
Those songs play heavily with the theme of young unpredictable love, and the fleeting nature of such relationships. Yet, through the act of reminiscing, those feelings find new life and new smiles. It is as if the central theme of Woman is that all that is good about love is retained even as it fades away. Woman is a short tryst worth revisiting and appreciating all over again. (Michael Warren)
1. Janelle Monáe
The Electric Lady
(Warner)
If Electric Lady doesn't rank somewhere, anywhere, on your best of list for 2013, you probably weren't paying close enough attention. Time will tell if Monáe's brash, loose and unapologetic futurist angle on traditional R&B by way of her "android" alter ego Cindi Mayweather is career-limiting, but for the moment, Electric Lady finds her at an artistic high.
The follow up to the similarly striking ArchAndroid builds upon the previous "secret origin" of Mayweather, filling in the blanks of the backstory behind the utopian freedom fighter. Monáe's approach to musical world-building has always been ambitious, and credit goes to her to continuing to maintain such a heady approach in the mainstream eye.
For hype believers, Monáe's latest lives up to it; for casual listeners, the genre-bending project has something for all tastes. Even at 21 tracks, the album never feels indulgent and maintains a passionate, emotional core throughout, covering inclusive, aspirational themes of tolerance and loving the skin that you're in. Scoring top tier names like Prince and Erykah Badu — on respective tracks "Giving Them What They Want" and "Q.U.E.E.N." — serve to show that she's worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as those artists, while sensuous numbers like "Can't Live Without Your Love" and "Primetime" smoulder. Deeply personal and carefully crafted, Electric Lady is a project destined to hold up over time. (Ryan B. Patrick)
Top 10 Soul and R&B Albums of 2013:
- 1. Janelle Monáe - The Electric Lady
- 2. Rhye - Woman
- 3. Thundercat - Apocalypse
- 4. Charles Bradley - Victim of Love
- 5. Quadron - Avalanche
- 6. Jessy Lanza - Pull My Hair Back
- 7. M.I.A. - Matangi
- 8. Kelela - Cut 4 Me
- 9. Blood Orange - Cupid Deluxe
- 10. Mayer Hawthorne - Where Does This Door Go
To see more of our Year-End Top Tens, head over to our Best of 2013 section.
10. Mayer Hawthorne
Where Does This Door Go
(Universal Republic)
Charges that Mayer Hawthorne's approach to Motown soul was merely the forced efforts of a dilettante no longer hold weight with Where Does This Door Go. Handing over the production reins to someone like Pharrell frees Hawthorne to freely explore the genre parameters from an authentic and artistically pure perspective. Actively rebelling against the throwback soul category serves Hawthorne well on this project; the end result is a curious mix of the classic Motown sound, J Dilla Detroit swag, and "at their peak" elements of Steely Dan, Hall & Oates, and the Steve Miller band.
Navel-gazing this is not: Hawthorne is confident (as evidenced by his improved vocal abilities) and earnestly passionate in his take on contemporary R&B/pop music. Keeping things minimal on the guest appearance tip — save for Kendrick Lamar's winning turn on "Crime" — Hawthorne does his versions of hangdog love songs ("Back Seat Lover), pays respect via Stevie Wonder reverence ("The Stars are Ours") and even does a winning Paul McCartney impersonation ("All Better"). If you weren't a fan of Mayer Hawthorne before Where Does This Door Go, he may just win you over this time around. (Ryan B. Patrick)
9. Blood Orange
Cupid Deluxe
(Domino)
Devonté Hynes both stands in stark juxtaposition to 2013 and encapsulates it perfectly. In R&B, his Blood Orange project is out of step with both the smoky noir of artists like the Weeknd and Miguel and the more EDM-based pop-R&B of the Top 40 — a fact he happily acknowledges in interviews — and yet, like breakthrough artists Disclosure and Deafheaven did in electronic and metal, Hynes adhered to the 2013 genre crossover narrative with the soulful Cupid Deluxe.
He did it by looking backwards. Cupid Deluxe is more Prince and Lionel Richie than Usher (or anyone else from this decade), in that Hynes prioritizes the R ahead of the B: "Uncle Ace" is a funk-guitar tune lent attitude and romance by Hynes' breathy sing-speak and saxophone melodies peppered throughout; "It Is What It Is" reaches a mid-tempo groove aided by skeletal marimbas, clapping and Samantha Urbani's yearning croon; even the lengthy ballad "Chosen" is driven by a slow rhythmic backbone of plush snares and strong bass plucks.
So while Hi-NRG single "You're Not Good Enough" is the most danceable, it's closer "Time Will Tell," a sparse piano reprise of "It Is What It Is," that best demonstrates Hynes' ability as a songwriter and the power of Cupid Deluxe. By eschewing the worry-free groove of the original, he emphasizes the latent hope, bitterness and triumph of the song, reminding listeners that even tunes seemingly all about having fun can carry potent emotional heft. (Stephen Carlick)
8. Kelela
Cut 4 Me
(Fade to Mind)
Cut 4 Me, the debut release from Kelela, is a breath of fresh air. With her appearance on this year's Solange-curated Saint Heron compilation, Kelela came off sharper and more inventive than her fellow alt-R&B scenesters, trading their already-worn aching vocals and murky rhythms for sugary phrasings and cracking beats.
Released as a free mixtape, Cut 4 Me's 13 tracks sound more like remixes than original compositions. Working with producers like Girl Unit, Nguzunguzu and Kingdom (who she worked with on his 2013 single "Bank Head", included here), Kelela's songs make great use of photocopy grooves and minimal electronic beats. Although tracks like "Do it Again" and "Keep it Cool" seep with dark night of the soul undertones, for the most part, Kelela and her producers keep things light and odd, balanced with a gratifying amount of quirky earworms.
Never playing up R&B/pop image of vocalist as sex object, Kelela carves her own path on Cut 4 Me; one of a standout singular voice among a new wave of singular voices. (Daniel Sylvester)
7. M.I.A.
Matangi
(Interscope)
An inflamed response to the critics? An inward retreat to focus on spirituality? A pressure relief mechanism, a much-needed release? Whatever the intent, Matangi rises above all the noise that has been encircling the public persona of its creator and namesake, relying instead on the songs. Chock full of cleverly disguised verbal daggers, this collection of dense yet laid back anthems relies less on overt agitprop, instead using subtle metaphors to send pointed messages — a technique often employed within the sacred texts of many of the world's religions.
This mature brand of lyricism demonstrates M.I.A.'s penetrating wit, revealing a crafty songwriter who in the past has been unfairly accused of pastiche. Of course, lyrics without music makes for a dull listen, and fortunately, Matangi delivers in spades. Culling from both popular and under-represented song forms, the album is kaleidoscopic in vision, yet decidedly less brash than previous efforts.
Album opener "Karmageddon" immediately sets the stage with its mesmerizing bass throb and almost non-existing percussion. Electro-banger "Warriors" is one of the more riotous tracks, yet repeatedly drops into a lone harp strum, and "Come Walk With Me" marries a sing-song melody to pummelling beats. Matangi is an acerbic album, rife with infectious earworms that warrant repeat listens. (Bryon Hayes)
6. Jessy Lanza
Pull My Hair Back
(Hyperdub)
It's been a funny year for R&B records. On one hand, there are a handful of singers who have chosen a dark alcove in which to voice their introspective tales over moody soundscapes. On the other, there are some who have opted for the lighter hearted influences of '90s soul and house tunes. In the middle stands Jessy Lanza and her stellar debut, Pull My Hair Back. Each track captures the sways and swings of '90s and modern R&B with sharp, sometimes-moody sounding synths that complement, but never overpower, her soft voice.
In the stretch of a half hour, Lanza bounces through the glittery "Kathy Lee" before dialing down the tempo with the rolling wave of tip-toeing keys on the soulful quasi-ballad "Strange Emotion." The album's strength lies in Lanza and co-producer Jeremy Greenspan's ability to compress a collage of different sounds and make them sound wholly their own. Without much strain you can hear Greenspan's electronic influence in the warbling synths that move in tandem with Lanza's voice.
Through and through, Lanza's sonic charm struts up and down Pull My Hair Back's lean-sounding runway with poise, making for one of 2013's best groove albums. (Jabbari Weekes)
5. Quadron
Avalanche
(Epic)
Between his work on Rhye's Woman and Quadron's Avalanche, Robin Hannibal has solidified himself as one of this year's MVPs — Most Valuable Producer. Teaming up once again with vocalist Coco Maja Hastrup Karshøj, the Danish duo polished up their icy, slick sound on this sophomore release, making them now a force in the worlds of both soul and pop.
Avalanche finds Quadron exploring Coco's soulful voice and its endless possibilities, from somber ballads ("Befriend") to grooving R&B numbers ("Better Off," featuring Kendrick Lamar). At their best, though, Quadron swirl all of these elements into one smooth sound that is fluid, effortless and infectious.
Quadron never strain themselves to compete with pop heavyweights; instead, they're content to ease into a perfect place of slow-jam greatness. It lures you in and never lets go, from the first sound of the horns on opener "LFT" to the last notes on the piano on the closing title track. A triumph of production by both members and a perfectly-constructed vessel to deliver Coco's velvety voice, Avalanche is a glossy snapshot of a project that is destined to continue ascending. (Melody Lau)
4. Charles Bradley
Victim of Love
(Dunham)
It can be hard to separate the story of Charles Bradley from his music, since it's such a great story: Bradley is a 65-year-old who spent most of his life just trying to avoid living in a subway station, working whatever odd job came his way, until he miraculously rolled his gig as a James Brown impersonator into some Daptone singles, and eventually, his 2011 debut album, No Time For Dreaming. At the age when most people consider retirement, the "Screaming Eagle of Soul" was just getting started.
On his sophomore album, Bradley continues to express himself with the unwavering honesty that made his thematically darker debut such a success. Set over the lush instrumentals of Menahan Street Band, which present a survey of psychedelic soul and fuzz-bomb funk filtered through a Stax lens, the sound of Victim of Love is so perfectly vintage, one might think it to be a reissue. Yet Bradley's gritty, revealing vocals lend an immediacy to this album, the kind of humble introspection and casual comeuppance that made Rodriguez's records sound revolutionary decades after they were released.
Where so many contemporary artists attempt to hybridize the past in search of subgenres that reek of aimless newness, Bradley made an album that sounds specifically aged, successfully avoiding the desperation of trend-chasing as well as the sterilization of mere regurgitation. His voice has that Otis Redding X-factor, that soul-bearing lilt of hard life experience that underscores his heartfelt lyrics and his band's spirited play. Even if one has never heard his story, which is now available in documentary form for easy digestion, the gravity of Victim of Love is easily felt. (Alan Ranta)
3. Thundercat
Apocalypse
(Brainfeeder)
Few artists sum up the welcome manner in which contemporary musicians are trampling down genre boundaries and thumbing their collective noses at the aesthetic and stylistic rulebook of what is and isn't off limits as an influence than Brainfeeder's Thundercat. L.A.-based Stephen Bruner blends predominantly '70s influences from jazz to prog-rock and funk together with contemporary pop, electronica and R&B in a gloriously unholy marriage, all underpinned by Bruner's bass guitar virtuosity.
Executive produced by Flying Lotus, Apocalypse follows on neatly from 2011's The Golden Age of Apocalypse, which was also made in close collaboration with FlyLo. The album highlight is undeniably the irresistible "Heartbreaks + Setbacks" — surely a serious contender for song of the year — but Apocalypse is a real thrill listened to in its entirety, and like his debut full-length, it's a pretty trippy journey.
Apocalypse ranges from the forward-moving groove of opener "Tenfold" through several R&B-influenced gems to the Zappa-esque "Seven" and the cosmic funk of the "Oh Sheit It's X." Given how many opposing elements and styles are being mashed together here, you'd expect a much more jarring result, but on Apocalypse, Thundercat has managed to build on his debut, weaving an album that's more stylistically cohesive and also more emotionally complex. And despite its druggy spirituality, occasional comedy, awkward time signatures and ADHD nature, it's also somehow strangely comforting. Apocalypse is one of the most interesting musical statements of 2013. (Vincent Pollard)
2. Rhye
Woman
(Polydor)
Both Rhye's Woman and Quadron's debut speak to the talent Danish producer Robin Hannibal has for funky atmospheric synth production. on Woman, Mike Milosh's Sade-like countertenor vocals sit above orchestral assisted instrumentals, making for one of the most romantic sounding albums of the year. "3 Days" exemplifies this vibe, celebrating making the most of a short time together, while "Open" and "The Fall," with their rather exceptional accompanying videos, further add to the amorous narrative.
Those songs play heavily with the theme of young unpredictable love, and the fleeting nature of such relationships. Yet, through the act of reminiscing, those feelings find new life and new smiles. It is as if the central theme of Woman is that all that is good about love is retained even as it fades away. Woman is a short tryst worth revisiting and appreciating all over again. (Michael Warren)
1. Janelle Monáe
The Electric Lady
(Warner)
If Electric Lady doesn't rank somewhere, anywhere, on your best of list for 2013, you probably weren't paying close enough attention. Time will tell if Monáe's brash, loose and unapologetic futurist angle on traditional R&B by way of her "android" alter ego Cindi Mayweather is career-limiting, but for the moment, Electric Lady finds her at an artistic high.
The follow up to the similarly striking ArchAndroid builds upon the previous "secret origin" of Mayweather, filling in the blanks of the backstory behind the utopian freedom fighter. Monáe's approach to musical world-building has always been ambitious, and credit goes to her to continuing to maintain such a heady approach in the mainstream eye.
For hype believers, Monáe's latest lives up to it; for casual listeners, the genre-bending project has something for all tastes. Even at 21 tracks, the album never feels indulgent and maintains a passionate, emotional core throughout, covering inclusive, aspirational themes of tolerance and loving the skin that you're in. Scoring top tier names like Prince and Erykah Badu — on respective tracks "Giving Them What They Want" and "Q.U.E.E.N." — serve to show that she's worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as those artists, while sensuous numbers like "Can't Live Without Your Love" and "Primetime" smoulder. Deeply personal and carefully crafted, Electric Lady is a project destined to hold up over time. (Ryan B. Patrick)