Explore the Rhythm: Various Characters of R&B Music
I was at a very young age that time, seated in the backseat of my dad’s car. The sunrays were hitting my small forehead as I was heeding to the melodies that were blasting out from the radio. Chris Brown’s marvelous voice and lovely tune filled out the whole car, making it one good trip to my grandparents’ house.
I just can’t get those rhythms off of my mind ever since — like I was spellbound. I tried to get to know more about those songs and what kind of songs they were and from that, I just knew that there’s a music genre named R&B — sparked my lifetime love for it afterwards and there’s no way I could spend a day without listening to it. Every music has unique ability to touch our souls, evoke emotions, and create lasting memories. For me, that magical connection has always been found in the rhythmic embrace of R&B music. I’ve been captivated by the soulful melodies, emotive lyrics, and irresistible beats that define this genre.
I became the girl who made all her friends listen to this music while we’re doing our makeup, on our way to parties, doing our thesis, and even when we’re just laying around in bed. I describe it as my life’s background music, the best companion in everything I do. It comes to a point where whenever I don’t feel so good, just listening to some of it will instantly clear up the mess in my head — and it pretty much feels like an antidepressant pill to me.
R&B, which stands for Rhythm & Blues, is a musical genre that was developed by the African-Americans in the 1940s and blew up in urban centers like New York, Detroit, Chicago, Los Angeles, etc. I’ve been listening to various musical genres, and R&B struck a chord deep within me. The smooth grooves and heartfelt vocals resonated in ways that transcended my lack of physical presence. Everytime. Everywhere.
My year-by-year addiction to R&B music led me to always wanting to know further about the music, until I found out that there are so many types of it from decade to decade. From the earliest, there’s classic R&B that is also known as old-school R&B, which started around the 1940s. R&B from this era was heavily influenced by jazz, blues, and gospel music featuring upbeat rhythms, brass instruments, and call-and-response vocals. Classic R&B remains popular today, and its influence can be heard in modern R&B and other genres of music. Contemporary R&B — or usually called modern R&B — is the newer version of the latest R&B music from the 1980s. It is recognized by its use of electronic instruments, synthesized sound, and sense of pop. Some of modern R&B stars that remains popular until this day include Michael Jackson and Mariah Carey. Modern R&B then branched out into numerous types, such as Funky R&B that gives off a touch of grooved-based rhythm, Neo soul which is a blend of Soul and R&B, Alternative R&B which combines Neo soul and Contemporary R&B, and the Latest Contemporary R&B that emerged in the late 1990s until now.
From the word ‘funk’, which is labeled as informal or unusual, Funky R&B is known as the most raw and aggressive form of its kind. It is featured with groovy rhythm — that kind of melody that your body can’t resist to dance it away. Artists that popularized Funky R&B are James Brown and Earth, Wind & Fire.
Some of my favorite R&B artists are Aaliyah who has risen since the 1980s with her Modern R&B music, The Weeknd that creates very popular Alternative R&Bs, and Ne-Yo, one of the Latest Contemporary R&B stars from the 2000s. Music from that era has always been my favorite kind.
R&B music has evolved and divided into various sub-genres through the years, each with its own uniqueness and characteristics. With their soulful melodies, upbeat rhythms, and emotional lines could hypnotize every soul that listens to it. R&B music keeps branching out and continues to explore more styles as it gains more attention and enthusiasts day by day.
