Portal:Rhythm and blues

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wikipedia's Rhythm and Blues Portal

Introduction

Ruth Brown was known as the "Queen of R&B".[1]

Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated within African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to African Americans, at a time when "rocking, jazz based music ... [with a] heavy, insistent beat" was becoming more popular. In the commercial rhythm and blues music typical of the 1950s through the 1970s, the bands usually consisted of a piano, one or two guitars, bass, drums, one or more saxophones, and sometimes background vocalists. R&B lyrical themes often encapsulate the African-American history and experience of pain and the quest for freedom and joy, as well as triumphs and failures in terms of societal racism, oppression, relationships, economics, and aspirations.

The term "rhythm and blues" has undergone a number of shifts in meaning. In the early 1950s, it was frequently applied to blues records. Starting in the mid-1950s, after this style of music had contributed to the development of rock and roll, the term "R&B" became used in a wider context. It referred to music styles that developed from and incorporated electric blues, as well as gospel and soul music. (Full article...)

Selected article

"Untitled (How Does It Feel)" is a song by American R&B and neo soul musician D'Angelo, released January 1, 2000 on Virgin Records in the United States and in the United Kingdom on EMI in 1999. It was issued as a radio single in promotion of his second studio album Voodoo (2000). The song was written and produced by D'Angelo and R&B musician Raphael Saadiq at Electric Lady Studios in New York City. Originally composed as a tribute to influential musician Prince, "Untitled (How Does It Feel)" contains a vintage style and sound similar to that of Prince's early musical work, and its lyrical content is suggestive of a man's plea to his lover for sex and desire. The song exhibits musical elements of soul, funk, rock, and quiet storm. Much like most of Voodoo, the song contains prominent overdubbing of D'Angelo's vocals.

The song received generally favorable reviews from music writers that praised its similarity to Prince's musical style, and it earned D'Angelo a number of awards. "Untitled (How Does It Feel)" proved to be the most commercially successful single from Voodoo, and it also earned notice for its controversial music video. Directed by Paul Hunter and manager Dominique Trenier, the video consists of entirely one shot featuring a muscular D'Angelo appearing nude and lip-synching to the track. It received much airplay on music video networks such as MTV and BET. While initial reaction to the music video was mixed with praise for its sexuality and accusations of sexual objectification, it earned D'Angelo a number of accolades and helped increase his mainstream notice. The video also contributed the success of the single.

The music video for "Untitled (How Does It Feel)" had a considerable impact on D'Angelo's career, as it helped engender an image of him as a sex icon to a younger generation of fans. This status for D'Angelo lead to his period of absence following the conclusion of the supporting tour for Voodoo. In 2001, the song won a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and was nominated for Best R&B Song. The U.K. single's cover artwork is an homage to musician Jimi Hendrix and Electric Lady Studios. Rolling Stone magazine ranked "Untitled (How Does It Feel)" number 4 on its list of the top singles of 2000.

Topics

Featured Articles

Featured articles: "Baby Boy" · "Déjà Vu" · "Halo" · "Irreplaceable" · Janet Jackson · Michael Jackson · Mariah Carey · Sly & the Family Stone · Sons of Soul · The Supremes · Thriller · The Way I See It

Good articles: Afrodisiac · "Burn" · "Caught Up" · Christina Milian · Confessions · "Forgive Me" · FutureSex/LoveSounds · "Get Me Bodied" · "Green Light" · House of Music ·I Want You · LeToya Luckett · Let's Get It On · "Lose My Breath" · Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite · Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music · "My Boo" · My World · "Naughty Girl" · Nina Simone · Off the Wall · "Ring the Alarm" · Soul Food Taqueria · There's a Riot Goin' On · "Untitled (How Does It Feel)Voodoo · "We Belong Together" · "What Goes Around.../...Comes Around" · Winter in America · "Yeah!"


WikiProjects

Selected biography - show another

Norwood in 2019

Brandy Rayana Norwood (born February 11, 1979), better known mononymously as Brandy, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and model. Her sound is characterized by heavy voice-layering and riffs. As of 2024, she has sold over 40 million records worldwide, with approximately 8.62 million albums sold in the United States. Her work has earned her numerous awards and accolades, including a Grammy Award and an American Music Award.

Born in McComb, Mississippi and raised in Carson, California, Norwood beginning her career as a backing vocalist for various teen pop groups. After signing with Atlantic Records in 1993, she released her self-titled debut album the following year at the age of fifteen—which included her first hit song "I Wanna Be Down"—selling six million copies worldwide. Norwood ventured into acting with the UPN sitcom Moesha (1996–2001), which won her an NAACP Image Award, followed by roles such as the titular character in the television film Cinderella (1997), and Karla Wilson in the slasher film I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998). Her musical breakthrough came with her 1998 single "The Boy Is Mine" (with Monica), which became one of the best selling female duets of all time and won her the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. The song preceded Norwood's second studio album, Never Say Never (1998), which saw further acclaim and peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. It has sold over 16 million copies worldwide, making it Norwood's best selling album to date. Her third and fourth albums, Full Moon (2002) and Afrodisiac (2004), were released to continued success and positive reception, while her fifth album, Human (2008) saw a commercial decline. Her sixth album, Two Eleven (2012) saw an improvement before she independently released her seventh album, B7 (2020). In 2022, Norwood signed with Motown to release her eighth studio album, Christmas with Brandy in November of the following year. (Full article...)
List of selected biographies

General images - load new batch

The following are images from various rhythm and blues-related articles on Wikipedia.

Related portals

Subcategories

Category puzzle
Category puzzle
Select [►] to view subcategories

Associated Wikimedia

The following Wikimedia Foundation sister projects provide more on this subject:

Things to do

Sources

  1. ^ "Ruth Brown, the Queen of R&B, was born 93 years ago today". Frank Beacham's Journal. Archived from the original on January 24, 2021. Retrieved 2021-01-18.
Discover Wikipedia using portals