FIRST PRESS

Side D

R&B

Voices first. The slow burn and the long game.

SZA performing on the Ctrl Tour

R&BFP-007

The Slow Burn Economy

Pop wins the first week. R&B wins the year. Inside the genre's quiet mastery of the long game.

By Staff Writer · June 4, 2026 · 5 min read
Victoria Monét

R&BFP-008

The Writers' Room Takeover

R&B's new stars didn't come out of nowhere. They came out of the credits — and they're rewriting the path to the front of the stage.

By Staff Writer · May 26, 2026 · 5 min read