Greatest R&B Songs of 2022: Employees Picks – Billboard

Love was an overriding theme in R&B in 2022 — and given what individuals have been enduring during the last a number of years, between the pandemic, incessant social and political points in addition to financial uncertainty, it’s not shocking. The assorted iterations of the emotion have been rhythmically and lyrically dissected: from new love, non secular love, poisonous love and love misplaced to, above all, self-love.

Established and rising stars alike embraced the oftentimes sophisticated topic in refreshing and illuminating methods. Songwriter Muni Lengthy staked her declare to a solo profession with “Hrs and Hrs,” her sensuous, no-time-limit tackle lovemaking. On the opposite aspect of the clock — towards an infectious two-step observe — The Weeknd grappled with being out of time when his lover calls quits on their relationship.

Beyoncé took followers on a liberating course to self-love through the anthem “Break My Soul,” then extolled the exhilarating feeling of falling in love and having fun with life with abandon on “Cuff It.” Rihanna, additionally marking her long-anticipated musical return, addressed the non secular energy of tolerating love on “Carry Me Up.”

Listed here are R&B’s most memorable songs of 2022: