15 January 25-31, 2024 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | Contents | Letters | news | night+Day | CuLture | Cafe | Music | Forward Fast Seven South Florida R&B artists to watch in 2024. BY SHANAE HARDY R &B’s renaissance year was 2023. Beyoncé embodied R&B’s timelessness during her mag- num opus Renaissance World Tour, where she preceded her disco-pop futuristic performance with a medley of some of her greatest R&B hits, in- cluding “Dangerously in Love 2,” “Flaws and All,” “I Care,” and her rendition of Mary J. Blige’s “I’m Going Down.” SZA’s blockbuster album SOS made his- tory when it topped Billboard’s Top R&B Al- bum Charts for 41 consecutive weeks, and the album’s standout anthem, “Kill Bill,” followed suit when it broke the record for the most weeks at number one on Bill- board’s Hot R&B/Hip Hop chart. The song is also a contender for Song of the Year and Record of the Year at the 66th annual Grammy Awards. The Grammy’s R&B categories also gave proper credit to R&B’s rising stars with nomi- nations for Coco Jones, Alex Isley, Kenyon Dixon, and Victoria Monet, whose hit song “On My Mama,” which sampled Chalie Boy’s “I Look Good,” became an instant summer sensation. R&B luminary Usher ended the year on a high note. In September, he partnered with Apple Music to announce his 2024 Super Bowl halftime performance, and in Decem- ber, he closed out his 100-show Las Vegas res- idency, a culmination of a sprawling, decades-long career. Rolling Stone recently solidified his legacy by naming his 2004 smash “Confessions Part II” the best R&B song of the 21st Century. Narrowing in on South Florida’s R&B scene, local and regional artists also mir- rored the resurgence of R&B. Miami-based singer-songwriter Cedric Brazle’s What I Know Now EP earned New Times’ 2023 Best Emerging Act. And producer and South Florida native Justin Wiggins joined forces with Canadian singer and rapper Jahkoy to executive produce his latest offering, Heal- ing Phases. A plethora of standouts like Tampa native Destin Conrad and Broward singer-songwriter Q reclaimed South Flori- da’s ties to R&B. From subtle grooves to genre-bending vo- cals, here are New Times’ picks for the R&B artists to watch in 2024. KL.Z KL.Z threads his sound with elements of country, rock, and R&B to occupy a lane of his own. His latest seven-track EP, Alcatraz, is a sobering confession that details a post- heartbreak spiral. He questions where he belongs in “No Place Like Home,” He emotes the emptiness after a breakup in “Just Short of Heaven” and tries to defeat hopelessness in “The River.” Electric guitar solos and powerful crescendos punctuate that project’s somber lyrics, giving it a modern rock texture. Clearly, KL.Z doesn’t just bend multiple genres; he molds them to create a unique, succinct sound. Kozy Kae A Broward County native, Kozy Kae’s sound is nestled in contemporary R&B. Last Octo- ber, he released two singles, “Waste Time” and “From Da Jump!,” a side-by-side itera- tion of his soulful-pop sound. He doesn’t waste time getting to know a new love pros- pect on the effervescent “Waste Time” and realizes the root of his relationship’s demise on the infectious groove, “From Da Jump!.” The nascent singer brings a cozy, modern twist to South Florida’s R&B scene and is on track to earn a spot among some of R&B’s re- freshing newcomers. Melodia Hailing from Las Vegas, the Cuban-Puerto Ri- can songstress grew up lip-synching to Mariah Carey songs before cultivating her multigenre signature. She’s a cha- meleon singer-song- writer whose distinct songs are an amalga- mation of pop, R&B, and electronic music. She flaunts sultry, powerful vocals on her romantic ballad “Luv On Me,” and her pop vocals undergird the hypnotic dance track “Collide.” Melo- dia is emblematic of South Florida’s diverse R&B landscape, but her multi-faceted sound deserves its own spotlight. Nadirah Naima Miami native Nadirah Naima bears vulnera- bility in her soulful voice. Last month, she released back-to-back one-offs where she embraced the burden and buoyance of hon- esty. Her emotive lyrics are a gateway to emotional and mental liberation on “Re- lease,” while she second-guesses her jour- ney as a singer on “Ambition.” She went viral last year after teaming up with writer and R&B artist AJ McQueen for a duet re- mix of Bilal’s “Soul Sista.” Their video racked up three million views on Instagram in only a month. Naima’s timeless vocals and poignant lyrics put her in the same league as peers like Ari Lennox, Ebony Ri- ley, and Alex Vaughn. Nemchel A Vero Beach-bred singer-songwriter of Hai- tian descent, Nemchel wields slick verses over melodic beats. Last year, her post- breakup hit, “B.A.N,” racked up more than 500,000 views on TikTok while amassing a million streams on Apple Music. Her clever wordplay has earned recognition from pro- ducer extraordinaire Timbaland and a stream of collabs with North Carolina hitmaker JStacks, whose catalogue includes hip-hop and R&B artists like NBA YoungBoy, Anthony Hamilton, and DaBaby. A ferocious talent with a vicious pen game, she’s continued her ascent right into the new year with her latest single, “Shooting Stars.” P90Pope Ashaari Pope (AKA P90Pope) is a singer- songwriter hailing from Lake Worth. Her songs groove on a lustrous soundscape that transports the listener to her vantage point. Whether she’s admiring an attractive woman or tucked away on a romantic getaway, her music can easily become the soundtrack of your next rendezvous. Last year, she released her “Fine Women Are Angels” album as well as her follow-up EP, After Hours. On the four- track EP, her melodic signatures are dis- persed across four tracks. She seduces on the blushful track “Supernatural” and is ready to risk it all for love on “Home,” a flirtatious track with an Afrobeats tempo. P90Pope can hold her own next to fellow melodic crooners like Bryson Tiller and Blxst, making her one of the most exciting artists to rise out of South Florida. Scribbles Who A songwriter turned R&B artist, the Pom- pano Beach native fits snugly into a new generation of experimental R&B artistry. Her 2023 EP, 12 Nights Under the Sun, is a zesty sojourn infused with a sensual Afro- R&B sound and up-tempo reimagining of classics like her Lisa Stansfield “Been Around the World” sampled song, “No Stress,” a blithe track about the euphoria of a ganja-induced high. Whether she’s proudly paying homage to her Haitian heritage (Zoe Baby) or reflecting on her wanderlust life- style on daydreamy tracks like “Outside,” she’s a liberated butterfly ready to soar to the top of her genre. [email protected] ▼ Music Nadira Naima’s vulnerable lyricism and soulful tone resonate with listeners. Photo by Passion Ward ON “RELEASE,” NADIRAH NAIMA’S EMOTIVE LYRICS ARE A GATEWAY TO EMOTIONAL AND MENTAL LIBERATION.
