Earlier this month, a social media conversation took place on the well-known app Twitter, about the support that R&B artists and curators have been experiencing and not-experiencing across the industry. This conversation in turned became a moment where all the leading curators and editors decided to ban together and show exactly what support means and looks like.
Apart of this conversation came to light some of the minds behind our favorite R&B playlist, YouTube channels, blog sites and much more. R&B as a genre has become a leading genre this year with artists like SZA, who went #1 on billboard with her Album ‘SOS’ for a stretch of 10 weeks. Additionally, we have experienced the rise of many new artists that have started to make a similar impact such as Coco Jones, Steve Lacy, Jordan Ward, Ambre and so many others. Apart of this buildup of emerging talents are the many ‘Behind the Scenes” figures that have been responsible for the support and growth of these growing acts and the genre as a whole. Here are some of these leading figures in R&B that you should know and thank for bringing such good music to your favorite platforms:
Yan Snead (Pandora)
The east coast native has become one of the key figures to the emergence of many names in R&B today. As a lead editor at Pandora for R&B, Yan is a huge supporter of CoCo Jones and has placed over 100 artists on playlist covers and have highlighted many songs that have become renowned. As an editor at Pandora, Yan also designed a few growing stations that highlights signature R&B features such as the mix series known as “Ginger & Soul” which features Afro-R&B (Afrobeats meets R&B). Yan continues to be a leading figure in bringing indie artists to the forefront with several other stations and playlists.
Alaysia Sierra (Spotify)
Spotify’s R&B editor Alaysia Sierra has become a coveted component for the growth of many emerging artists today. As the lead editor for R&B, Alaysia has curated some amazing playlist but most recently has been responsible for a live music series known as #RNBFirstNights which is dedicated to giving emerging artists their first headline shows. Names like Victoria Monet are among the shortlist of artists who have been featured in the #RNBFirstNights series with an outstanding performance in LA. It’s safe to say Spotify’s R&B is in good hands.
Keithan (RatedR&B)
As an ‘OG’ R&B supporter, Keithan is the founder and editor-in-chief of the renowned Rated R&B website and social media powerhouse. What began as a blog site in 2011 has spiraled into becoming one of the leading sources for finding all things R&B. The content from this site has been covered by major publications like ABC, BET, BBC News, and so many others, as Keithan and his team have developed a history of finding the best in R&B and brining these talents and stories to the forefront.
MELKNEE (YouTube Music)
As a Crypto expert, societal conversation leader and overall music fanatic, Melknee (real name Melanie McClain) has had a huge impact on the conversation around music. During the pandemic and early days of Clubhouse, Melknee developed a voice that music artists, executives and fans took a close listen too. Her advanced knowledge of music and technology made her a center piece in many Clubhouse rooms and helped Melknee develop several spaces, like her Blurred Lines brand, for cultures, sounds and interests to mix. Since those early developments, Melknee has recently become a Hip-Hop & R&B music programming consultant at YouTube for their many Music channels. Melknee is responsible for shining light on a wide collection of up-and-coming artists while creating space for R&B as a whole to grow.
Mika Sunga (Vevo)
With many artists focus on the leading DSPs (Distributed Service Platforms), a quiet giant in the music industry world is the Music Video platform known as Vevo. The re-emergence of the Music Video has once again become a focus factor for artists to gain growth and awareness. Helping R&B artists get their visuals in front of millions is the R&B editor/programmer Mika Sunga. The Hip-Hop historian is also a R&B savant who has become a signature supporter for many indie acts. Popular playlist like DSCVR R&B, Incoming R&B and several others are some of the supporting experiences Mika has spearheaded. Additionally, Mika has helped with landing a few R&B artists on the Vevo developed visual series (DSCVR, CTRL, Vevo Originals) that allows artists to perform their leading songs via a full Vevo curated experience. When creating a video, you want to go global, consider Vevo and look out for Mika!
Mya Abraham (VIBE Magazine)
Mya is a New York native who has had her ear to the streets from an early age and in the last few years have become a leading journalist for supporting rising R&B acts. Before being a leading editor at VIBE Magazine, Mya created a strong journalistic career by having bylines in some of the most renowned editorial platforms we all have come to know and love. Platforms such as Teen Vogue, BET, uDiscoverMusic, have helped pave the way for the amazing storyteller Mya has become today. Her weekly R&B “New Music” segment along with her festival and release coverage are beloved at VIBE. When preparing a release, we advise all R&B acts to making sure Mya has it in her hands.
Within the R&B space, there are plenty of amazing curators, editors and journalist that every R&B artists just needs to be familiar with. Adding to our list are names like Chey (Audiomack/SweetestRNB), Jordan Sanders (R&Beard), This Is R&B, Jamie (Ginger R&B) and many more.
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