Can't Escape the Rhythm & the Blues
R&B is an abbreviation for Rhythm & Blues. It is blues-influenced genre name was originally created for use as a musical marketing term by Billboard magazine. Billboard magazine reporter, and now influential music producer, Jerry Wexler, created the term to categorize upbeat popular black music that combined Blues and Jazz. It was also created to replace the problematic term “race music”. Once Hip-Hop arose, it became known as “a bunch of love songs”.
Characteristics
Soul
Funk
Gospel
Swing
Disco
Love
Heavy Beats
Rhythm: Four Beat measures or bars, backbeats with second and fourth beats accented in each measure
Blues: Lyrics and melodies of the songs were sad or “blue”.
R&B was used for convenience
Classic R&B: stacking of vocal harmonies
Elements
Urban attire
Love videos
Sex
Breakup songs
Instrumentation
Ensembles
Political
Piano
Saxophone
Drums
Closely interacts with Hip-Hop
Artists
H.E.R.
SZA
USHER
6LACK
INFLUENCE
Freedom of sexuality
Objectification
Love
Rock & Roll
COMMODIFICATION
Records
Music Videos
Live Performances
