The R&B renaissance is underway
It’s official, R&B is back. Producer-turned-artist Leon Thomas and London’s Ella Mai weigh in on the resurgence of everyone’s favorite smooth-sounding genre.
R&B was the genre that defined the ‘90s: Boyz II Men stirred hysteria with their swoon-worthy ballads, Usher launched a career that set him on the path to global icon status, and Mariah Carey dominated the charts with R&B ballads such as One Sweet Day. Featuring the aforementioned boy band, it was a track that spent 16 weeks at the top of the charts, a global record at the time.
Since summer 2025, that same palpable demand for rhythm and blues has been simmering. Summer Walker, who found breakout success with her heartbreak album Over It, graced London’s Wireless Festival for a teary performance of her track Session 32. The crowd erupted into song rendering it one of the most memorable performances in the festival’s history, circulating on social media ever since and amassing nearly 5 million YouTube views. Even R&B legends have found their space in the modern circuit. Last year, Usher played 10 sold-out O2 shows on his Usher: Past Present Future tour, which spanned Europe and North America in one of the most anticipated concert runs of 2025.
In 2026, that demand has continued to swell. Kehlani’s career spans over a decade, and she’s collaborated with everyone from Justin Bieber and Cardi B to Mariah Carey and Ty Dolla $ign in the process. But is is only now, in 2026, that she has landed her first Grammy win. Leon Thomas, who, over the last decade, has quietly produced songs including SZA’s Snooze, Ariana Grande’s Positions and Drake’s Certified Lover Boy, is receiving his flowers with a 2025 Grammys win, and a further two wins this year, including R&B Album of the Year. His upcoming tour, Mutts Don’t Heal, which arrives at London’s Eventim Apollo on April 3rd, promises to further his reign. And, while SZA’s Snooze didn’t quite beat Mariah and Boyz II Men’s track record, the track charted for an incredible 70-week run, spending each week of 2023 in Billboard’s Top 100. Ella Mai, a front-runner in the modern R&B renaissance just returned from a three-year album hiatus with Do You Still Love Me?, with motherhood and stardom as the talking points. Odeal, DESTIN CONRAD, Sasha Keable, and Samm Henshaw are just some of the artists in the R&B new wave joining them in reinvigorating the genre.
We invited Leon Thomas and Ella Mai to discuss R&B’s growing popularity and let us in on the tracks they’re streaming.
Why do you think an R&B renaissance is currently underway?
Leon Thomas: I think there’s an R&B renaissance right now because, in a world full of programmed drums and synthetic melodies, R&B still relies on chord structure, melody, and live instrumentation in some capacity. I think leaders in the new school are relying on vintage themes in order to survive in 2026. I definitely champion that kind of renaissance because it allows for musicianship to be king again.
Ella Mai: The people want that old thing back. The real lover boys and girls are back outside. I think a large majority of the world has become sterile in many ways, lacking in colour and character from home decor to the lack of expression in music. I think people just want to FEEL again. Nothing ever comes close to realness, real music and real emotion.
I think a large majority of the world has become sterile in many ways. People just want to FEEL again. Nothing ever comes close to realness, real music and real emotion.
ELLA MAI
ELLA MAI PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELLIOTT HENSFORD
LEON THOMAS PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRISTIAN SORIA
What R&B track has been most formative to your career?
LT: My song MUTT. MUTT has been a defining track for me that’s transcended international barriers and given me the opportunity to tour overseas in a world where some of my music [had more of a] regional appeal. I feel like MUTT was able to break down barriers, and I think that’s because of the song’s structure and the easy nature of the hook which anybody from any language can sing.
EM: I’m going to have to go with Boo’d Up. That record really changed everything for me.
Who is your ultimate R&B muse?
LT: My R&B muse would be Sade. She’s beautiful, musical, and from the beginning of my career, I’ve always respected her ability to utilize her band and her live recordings. That’s something that I definitely want to continue to do myself. Erykah Badu is also another one of my R&B muses, even though she’s considered to make neo soul. Her ability to stay live, musical, and consistent throughout her career has definitely inspired me a lot.
EM:The one and only Lauryn Hill. I grew up with my mum listening to Ms. Hill on repeat. That really shaped the foundations of my R&B journey. She has always been extremely unapologetically herself and raw.
What’s your favourite throwback R&B track?
LT: For All We Know by Donny Hathaway. It’s a beautiful standard that he covered, and the way he put that song together gives me chills to this day. It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve listened to it; it’ll always hit home.
EM: I have so many, picking one is really hard but if I had to, I’d say Donell Jones’ All Her Love. It is a very vulnerable track about a sticky situation, but it is very relatable.
What’s your favourite contemporary R&B track?
LT: Adorn by Miguel. Once again, it’s got great live instrumentation. The song is so good. He really did a great job of writing that record.
EM: I don’t think I have one; I am a fan of so many. I love where the genre is right now.
What do you love most about the genre and creating music in it?
LT: One of my favorite things about R&B, as a genre, is how communal it is. Growing up, writing records with Babyface, we would have four writers in a room, but everybody found a way to write the song together. Because it’s a genre that supports big hooks, those communal writing sessions were always really fun. To this day, I like to have a bunch of people in the room while I’m cooking up so we all can figure out if it’s an idea that sticks or not.
EM: At its core, R&B music is all about feelings and emotions. I love that you can encapsulate various sentiments such as love, loss, heartbreak, grief, sensuality, and more, and depict that through song. I think R&B does that in a way which is so vulnerable yet powerful and that sets it apart from other genres.
One of my favorite things
about R&B, as a genre, is how
communal it is
LEON THOMAS
Leon, you won two Grammys this year. How did it feel to be honoured in front of your peers in this way?
LT: It feels amazing. I’ve been working with my peers who were in the category for the past decade, and we’ve all seen each other grow in different ways. There’s a level of respect that I’ve earned throughout the genre and industry that only two Grammys can give you. I’m feeling really blessed and grateful for the opportunity to continue creating music at such a high level. Music really means a lot to me, and those Grammys are definitely giving me more license to get creative at the level I want to get creative at.
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