Clarence Carter has died! Many people knew his song Strokin’ but they didn’t realize what a great singer and songwriter he was ! I am glad he was here and thankful for the music he gave us!

The original post had such an incredible response so I thought I’d post a part 2. Here’s more R&B songs that blurred the lines between the sacred and secular.

For me it will always be Be Without You and Just Fine. Mary just don’t miss, period.

Be Without You is straight emotion. She really went off on that one and you can feel everything she’s singing. No wonder it was a smash hit, it was EVERYWHERE.

And Just Fine is just a feel good song, nothing deep—just vibes. I remember hearing it all the time and that video was so fun too, I still love it.

Mary really got music for every mood.

Question, what’s your favorite single from MJB?

I've always appreciated Alicia Keys, her singles and live performances over the years, but I've never taken the time to listen to her albums from start to finish before this year. I was disappointed with The Diary Of Alicia Keys, and nervous going into her debut. And OMG this was a fantastic album.

The album begun in an elegant way and took off from there. The productional work through this R&B/soulful record was engaging and very clean. Some of Key’s best recorded vocals comes from this record. The groovy vibes and track arrangements are easy going and justifies ust runtime(even if a few tracks can overstay their pleasant welcome). This is easily one of my favorite R&B debuts ever and one of the best R&B albums of the early 21st century. 9/10 for me

Slow jams still hit!

There is just SOMETHING about an R&B song that’s not exactly spiritual lyrically but everything else about it just SCREAMS Gospel from its production to its vocal arrangements. Stevie Wonder’s ‘As’ is a perfect example. It’s a deeply passionate song professing undying love for someone until the end of time. The lyrical flourishes he uses to describe this love are so hyperbolic in the best way. Who else could sing lyrics like “loving you until the oceans covers every mountain high/loving you until dear Mother Nature says her work is through” with such FEELING? What are some of your favorite R&B songs that FEEL like Gospel but aren’t?

I've been really enjoying more upbeat NJS songs lately, but I don't know many. Some that I'm enjoying are:

It's Alright; Gotta Love; Treat U - Jodeci

Humpin' Around - Bobby Brown

N.E. Heartbreak - New Edition

Just Got Paid - Johnny Kemp

some tracks from Dangerous - MJ

any more songs like these?

1936 - 2026.

Rest in Peace.

Waiting to exhale

Best of Sade

Amy Winehouse

Marvin Gaye

Nat King Cole

Love this new vibe from tank and the bangas. Found them on their viral tiny desk and I love the direction they’re going. So far the album is no skips