Introduction
The genre of RNB appeared across the Southern areas of the United States in the 1940s, featuring electric guitar, piano, and drum sounds. Numerous blues musicians were able to release their new music specifically in the South, where the level of appreciation in regard to blues and derivative genres was the highest (Davis, 2020). Another important stage in the development of RNB was the amalgamation of rock’n’roll vibes (e.g., James Brown and Fats Domino). Throughout the following decades, the genre of RNB underwent significant changes that have to be covered in order to explain the importance of the 2000s era of RNB music.
Key Elements of an RNB Song
There are three essential elements that contribute to the creation of an RNB song. The first is the keyboard-based instrumentation which creates a positive mood and engages the listeners. Another element to consider is a focus on melismatic vocals intended to entice the audience and communicate a certain message in the smoothest way possible. According to Hall (2018), the ultimate element that can be utilized to describe an RNB song is its basic structure of it, where the hook-verse-hook-verse-bridge-hook scheme (ABABCA) is followed.
The Phenomenon of 2000’s RNB
The 2000s RNB music became a huge step forward compared to the 1990s because most artists were creating songs that were either slow or mid-tempo but barely resembled the slow jams that were released closer to the end of the 20th century. Instead of capitalizing on the legacy of the previous decade, RNB artists switched to musical experiments and genre mashups during the 2000s (Coelho & Mendes, 2019). Thus, the fundamental phenomenon that made 2000’s RNB so popular and iconic was the willingness of new and experienced artists to find fresh sounds that would elevate the genre.
Biggest Female RNB Artists of 2000s
Destiny’s Child is a former RNB group that consisted of Beyonce Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams. Their biggest hits were Say My Name, Survivor, and Independent Women. Another exceptional performer from the era is Alicia Keys, with the most popular songs being Fallin’ and You Don’t Know My Name. Mariah Carey gained top positions across different RNB charts since the 1990s, with We Belong Together remaining one of the most remarkable female RNB songs from the 2000s. Mary J. Blige also transitioned successfully from the previous decade. One of her most popular songs to this day is Be Without You, released in 2005. Lastly, one could pay attention to Erykah Badu, with Honey remaining arguably the biggest hit of her music career.
Biggest Male RNB Artists of 2000s
Usher is arguably one of the biggest figures in the RNB of all time. U Remind Me remains one of the most streamed RNB songs on Spotify and Pandora. Mario’s Let Me Love You is another timeless gem that is covered and sampled to this day. Ne-Yo took over the charts with So Sick in 2006, popularizing romantic breakup RNB songs. Interestingly, Ne-Yo was the one behind the lyrics of Mario’s Let Me Love You. Even though Maxwell was not particularly successful in financial terms, his Pretty Wings appealed to the audience that he was able to generate during the second half of the 1990s with his first two studio releases. As for D’Angelo, his biggest hit to this day is Untitled (How Does It Feel). It is a sensual love song that was released in 2000, right in the middle of the transition to a significantly different RNB genre.
2000’s RNB
Main Song Topics
The majority of RNB songs released during the 2000’s dwelled on love and affection. According to Sloan and Harding (2019), it was important for the singers to preserve the themes and ideas developed during the 1980s and the 1990s while also remaining relevant to the contemporary audience. One of the best examples could be Bobby V.’s Slow Down, where he told the story of meeting a girl and instantly falling in love with her looks and attitude. The topic of adultery was broadly addressed by numerous RNB singers, but Ashanti was one of the best artists to cover it with her song Foolish. The music video to Foolish even featured Terrence Howard, a famous American actor. The topic of confessions often amalgamated adultery and love and affection in 2000’s RNB. For example, in Usher’s Confessions Pt. I and Confessions Pt. II dwell on how the main character cheater on their partner with his ex-girlfriend.
Political Background
Even though RNB music is mostly renowned for being the so-called “lovers’ music,” political and social agendas were present in certain RNB songs starting from the civil rights era. Serious political and social commentary was mostly injected during the 1970s and the 1980s in order for the artists to send out messages to the audience (Davis, 2020). Even though the tradition faded away, it was never forgotten completely. John Legend is an active RNB artist who released his If You’re Out There to support Barack Obama in 2008. With his song, he tried to express a hopeful mood and reflect the expectations the people of America had toward their new President.
A Closer Connection to Rap and Hip-Hop
Due to the changes that occurred to hip-hop during the 2000s, many RNB artists became interested in building effective partnerships with rappers in order to gain more popularity via features and powerful hooks. The lovers’ music became somewhat inferior to club music, with heavier rhythms and an upbeat tempo (Sloan & Harding, 2019). For example, Ciara was featured on 50 Cent’s Can’t Leave ‘Em Alone in 2006, and Justin Timberlake had a feature by T.I. on My Love in that same year. Therefore, the trend appeared to be rather tangible at the time, showcasing a transition from smooth-sounding love songs to utter club music.
Commercialization vs. Artistry
Another important change that occurred slightly after the beginning of the 21st century was the evident commercialization of sound and artist image. With club music taking over the RNB genre, many relevant artists had to penetrate even deeper into the rap and hip-hop industry to remain on top of the charts. Consequently, the 2000s can be considered the iconic era when more singers started sounding differently on purpose so as to be in line with the upcoming trends (Davis, 2020). One example of such an artist is T-Pain, whose hooks were on almost every 2000s rapper hit song. T-Pain was the originator of using Autotune, but his biggest advantage was that he could sing without it as well.
2000’s RNB vs. 2010’s and 2020’s RNB
Comparing the 2000s RNB to its contemporary counterpart can be particularly hard due to the complete transformation of musical arrangements and song designs. Nevertheless, there are several artists who preserve the so-called old-school vibe and tend to release RNB songs that do not have anything in common with rap and hip-hop compositions. For instance, Summer Walker’s Playing Games (2019), Ella Mai’s Boo’d Up (2018), or Childish Gambino’s Redbone (2017). These songs can serve as examples of the moods and topics that were popularized during the 1990s and capitalized on during the early 2000s.
The Future of RNB
Despite the changes that have affected the RNB genre throughout the past two decades, it can be safe to say that the future is relatively bright. With many RNB songs coming back to the top of different musical charts, the positive trendline cannot remain unnoticed. Bryson Tiller released his T R A P S O U L album in 2015, causing the whole music industry to start mixing heavy trap drums and basslines with smooth vocals. Numerous artists nowadays still follow the conformist rules of RNB song creation, and it can actually make songs about love and affection popular again.
Conclusion
RNB music went through a number of significant transformations during the course of its development. Nevertheless, it was always the music of love and positivity, with rare inclusions of socially and politically aware commentary. Therefore, RNB music remains one of the key instruments for communicating human feelings and emotions despite being commercialized.
References
Coelho, M. P., & Mendes, J. Z. (2019). Digital music and the “death of the long tail”. Journal of Business Research, 101, 454-460. Web.
Davis, J. S. (2020). Historical dictionary of jazz. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
Hall, J. (2018). Boys, bass and bother: Popular dance and identity in UK drum’n’bass club culture. Springer.
Sloan, N., & Harding, C. (2019). Switched on pop: How popular music works, and why it matters. Oxford University Press.