In the 1990s, the rise of hip-hop led to the rise of R&B. At this point, R&B blended the beats and rhythms of hip-hop with soul vocals. 90s R&B artists created timeless ballads that guided millennials through their first experience with love. Love may hurt sometimes, and these R&B hits taught us how to really feel it.

“Always Be My Baby” by Mariah Carey

This song will make it hard not to think of a former lover. Even if you don’t have someone to miss, and many teenagers didn’t, this track almost made you wish you had someone to miss. Released in 1995, “Always Be My Baby” fell right in the middle of Mariah Carey‘s dominance on the charts in the 90s. She earned an incredible 14 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 during the decade. “Always Be My Baby” topped the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Chart in February 1996. Her fifth album, Daydream, generated three No. 1 hits out of five singles released. She’s still among the most decorated artists of all time.

“Every Time I Close My Eyes” by Babyface

For this 1997 single, Babyface brought together some of the best musicians in mainstream music. Famous saxophonist Kenny G provides soprano saxophone, while Mariah Carey provides additional vocals. On the drums, we hear the “Queen Of Percussion”, the one and only Sheila E. When you bring together these world-class artists, the result is a hit single. “Every Time I Close My Eyes” peaked at No. 5 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in early 1997.

“All My Life” by K-Ci & JoJo

This one has millennials singing along to “All my life, I’ve prayed for someone like you” when we hadn’t even been on Earth for more than two decades. We weren’t really waiting that long, but it felt like it. That’s the power of 90s R&B ballads like this. They could make anyone feel like they’ve been praying all their lives for a love like this. Soul and passion in R&B peaked with this. It earned the duo three Grammy nominations. Released in March 1998, “All My Life” peaked at No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming one of the most successful R&B singles of the latter half of the decade.

Photo by Paul Bergen/Redferns

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Britney Spears has long been the prototype pop star for many. When looking at the modern superstars today, all of them emulate what she did to some degree. Whether it’s the dancing, the singing, or just the general look and aura of her, she was the blueprint for a lot of artists.

But Spears didn’t become this influential out of nowhere. Even she admired other pop and R&B stars to become the seismic force in pop culture she became. For her, that person was always Janet Jackson. On an Instagram post, she paid tribute to The Velvet Rope legend.

In the caption, she recalled being a young teenager, watching her music videos in awe. For Britney Spears, it was an experience she could hardly understand. But she knew she wanted to experience her magnetism over and over again.

“At 13 years old, if a Janet Jackson video came on the TV, my mouth dropped open,” she wrote. “I kept repeating in my head, ‘No, no. Please come back, I wanna see that again. Where the hell did that come from?’ It was her ability to be incredibly mysterious, so dark with a vibe that sucked you in immediately, and then this haunting, simple, angelic tone.”

Britney Spears Honors Janet Jackson With a Post on Instagram

Then, Spears admired her stylistic choices as a vocalist and as an entertainer. “[Janet Jackson’s] not trying to be sexy, she just is,” she continued. “She can’t help it. She has always been god to me. She’s not just a singer, she is an entertainer in people’s eyes. Not only do adults feel her presence in such a spellbound way, she’s able to captivate the hearts of children as well! I was so young, and she spoke to my heart and soul like no one else.”

Then, at the end of her tribute, Britney Spears even admitted that she was kind of rambling. Still, she felt the need to give flowers to an artist that means so much to her. “I have no idea why I’m writing this, but I do believe people like her are here for a reason … Just her smile alone changed the world forever … She’s my girl crush this month,” she concluded.

Janet Jackson’s impact on Britney Spears is especially evident when looking back at some of her forays into R&B. Her Neptunes-produced “I’m a Slave 4 U” nods to a lot of the same whispery, sensual qualities that made Jackson such an alluring presence throughout her career.

Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

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R&B is finally regaining its presence in the mainstream. With rising acts like Kehlani and Leon Thomas and established artists like Chris Brown, it has quietly become a part of pop culture as it did in decades past. It’s no longer just a launching pad for artists to go pop or an extra skill for rappers like Drake to wield. Hopefully, in time, we’ll go back to having the energy Jodeci and Usher once brought to the table.

But in the background, artists in the underground kept R&B alive and fresh for die-hard fans of the genre. Moreover, some of them have been holding down the fort for years while pop culture lagged behind. So, we’ve spotlighted three underground R&B singers who have been integral to the genre’s spirit for years and still thrive today.

Three Underground R&B Singers That Have Quietly Made Great Careers for Themselves

Liv.e

The neo-soul label tends to get tossed around a ton very loosely. Frankly, anyone even vaguely earthy and not mainstream contemporary might get the claim. But not many of them capture the true essence of artists like Erykah Badu or D’Angelo. Typically, they’re derivative copies that don’t bring anything fresh to R&B.

That’s what makes Liv.e’s music especially potent. The Dallas born crooner takes the funk and grooviness and applies it to the modern world. She’ll take the universal aspects of love and relationships and juxtapose it with social quirks and problems of today. For instance, her album with Karriem Riggins as GENA saw her go from lovesick to needing an emergency therapy session due to her anger. There’s a nuttiness to her songwriting that differentiates her from anyone working in R&B today.

Phonte

You could easily argue Phonte is just as good of a singer as he is a rapper, if not better. Naturally, underground hip-hop fans adore his work with Big Pooh as Little Brother, rapping on classic 9th Wonder beats. But it’s his work with Nicolay as Foreign Exchange that has made for some of my favorite R&B songs of the 2000s and 2010s.

Additionally, Phonte doesn’t let the traditions of R&B forsake the mature songwriting and sense of humor that make him such a distinct artist. Records like Leave It All Behind shows Phonte singing about the trials and tribulations of long-term, committed relationships. Sometimes, those moments will lead him to having to sleep on the couch or having to quell anxieties amidst the mundanities of a healthy love life.

Other times, you’ll get songs like “Beverly Hills” where Phonte croons about a sweet West Hollywood romance while Devin Morrison prods at the annoying artificiality of LA socialites and how that manifests in some truly horrid dates. You’re unlikely to get any R&B artist provide such a fresh perspective in R&B as a whole, let alone the underground. The fact he’s been able to do it for decades is a testament to the good will and discography he’s built.

JMSN

Save for some viral moments on X with his music video for “Soft Spot“, JMSN has been operating in R&B’s underground for decades now. When he wasn’t producing for rappers like Kendrick Lamar, he wielded a wild falsetto and fused rock and funk with a gorgeous old soul.

Take “Talk is Cheap”, an old-fashioned sex jam that would’ve thrived in the 70s performing in smoky bars. In a sense, you could say he was born in the wrong generation. But I’d argue he’s simply suggesting we go back to a time when R&B was loved and adored and expand on its roots.

Photo by Todd Williamson/WireImage

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Anyone would think suffering a heart attack would mean taking a long time away to recover. However, for R&B singer Angela Northern, it took only days to be cleared to sing again after a medical emergency onstage. During a performance at a B.B. King’s Blues Club in Memphis, she revealed that she had “100% blockage” in one of her arteries. As a result, she needed a stent immediately. Thankfully, she’s no longer in the ICU after such a massive health scare.

“Fortunately, I was surrounded by friends and loved ones who immediately went into action and I received life saving medical assistance,” Angela Northern wrote on Facebook on October 10, 2026. “Sooooo many things could have gone soooo much worse, but I’m sooo grateful that they didn’t. I love all of you guys that helped me in the middle of it as well as those who checked on me afterwards. Full recovery is in view!”

Naturally, you would think that full recovery would take quite some time. After all, the body needs some time to adjust after such a traumatizing experience. However, mere days after the emergency, she revealed she’s hitting the road once again to perform. After clearance from her doctors, Northern will go back to B.B. King’s and then play a festival in Brownsville, Tennessee.

R&B Singer Angela Northern Brushes Off Heart Attack in Order to Get Back on Stage

“I am at home, and I’m very grateful,” she shared in a video on Facebook. “I’m so grateful to God for giving me a way to come through this ordeal practically unscathed. I drove myself home from Memphis. The doctors cleared me to perform this Friday and Saturday. I’ll be at BB Kings this Friday and Saturday again. We are going to try it one more time and see what happens. Also, Saturday, I’ll be in Brownsville, Tennessee at a fall fest.”

Naturally, fans and supporters were overjoyed to see Angela Northern make such a tremendous recovery, especially in such a short time. “Thanks be to God for giving you another opportunity to be a blessing to many with your beautiful personality. May your experience be a testimony to to many!” one person replied to Angela Northern.

Photo by John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images

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