RnB Music- The Evolution of RnB Music
The music industry is evolving with the advancement in technology. Several music genres and styles have emerged with time. However, there are several concerns about the state of RnB that have ensued a heated debate among various scholars. Some scholars claim that RnB is dead, while others claim that it is still alive. Owing to these concerns, there is a need for further research and insightful studies to discover the state of affairs in the dynamic music industry. It is, however, observable that RnB has evolved since it has incorporated modern elements of music different from its original state.
The concern about the future of RnB music has caused heated debates among various scholars. Various scholars have varied perceptions of how the RnB music genre is performing. RnB music has received biased observation as compared to other music genres. RnB dominated the music industry as early as the 1940s and gained much popularity in the ’90s, but its dominance today is questionable. There are many reasons put forward by the criticizers to indicate that the genre is dead and is no longer relevant in today’s world. The RnB decline is mainly attributed to its infiltration by other genres, such as Hip-hop and others. Although many people are worried that RnB is dead, the celebrities of the genre are excited that it is thriving and believes that the music industry is undergoing significant changes, and RnB as well is not an option.
Literature Review
To understand the current state of RnB music, it is important to first understand the history and evolution of RnB. RnB has developed immensely since its origins in the 1940s (Koningh and Griffiths 2017). Observably the genre has undergone significant changes in style, voice, and general performance over the years. For instance, in the 1940s, the genre sourced immensely from the Jazz music to create explicit lyrics termed as “jump blues” Notable musicians of this era include Big Joe Turner, Duke Ellington, and Wynonie Harris. The music then evolved in the 1950s with the incorporation of ‘rock and roll’ styles into the original versions of RnB. The greatest musicians of this era, according to Koningh and Griffiths (2017), include Ruth Brown, Ray Charles, and James Brown. In the 1960s, RnB became an umbrella term for funk, soul, and disco music, indicating that the genre was still stretching its limits in terms of style and general presentation. Later on, the 1970s ushered in the contemporary modern-day styles with musicians such as Michael Jackson and Prince taking over the stage (Neal 2014).
Pfleiderer (2017) further hints that in the 1980s and ’90s, RnB incorporated most of the rhythmic elements of Hip-hop culture, which began to dominate the music industry in this era. As a result, the changes ushered in the “golden era” of RnB music (Neal 2014). The continuous intermingling and influence of Hip-hop culture have given birth to what is today known as contemporary RnB. This paper aims at unearthing the truths around the state of RnB music through insightful studies from several scholars.
The Debate: Is RnB Alive, or is it DeathDeath?
According to Dodge (2019), the faultfinders do not acknowledge the fact that RnB is not stagnant nor DeathDeath instead, it is undergoing some significant changes. Dodge further says that critics believe that the days of RnB are done gone by and no longer exists. However, those who are unbiased claim that RnB has achieved significant growth since its birth, all through the golden age of the 90’s to its current state in 2020. RnB elements today are being expressed in diverse music genres. Dodge (2019) shows his strong support claiming that RnB is where all other music genres started. Therefore when celebrating other music genres such as Hip Hop and rock, RnB should also be appreciated and respected as a parent music genre.
Visibly, RnB has undergone many challenges, but it has never died as alleged. Although it has been infiltrated by other music genres, it is still striving to remain afloat and relevant. For instance, in the 70’s when pop culture began to rise, the fate of RnB seemed to have perished. Many young individuals at that time preferred Hip-hop culture and rap music over slow RnB music. Besides, many people today, particularly the youth, no longer treasure the soft, slow emotional music than in the ’90s. However, due to the resilience of RnB artists, RnB music managed to maintain its core principles and characteristics. Today, RnB has incorporated varied and contemporary hybrid sounds that were not there in the beginning. The new generation of RnB artists has adopted new ways of articulating elements of RnB music. Without musicians such as Marvin Gaye, Kendrick Lamar, and Rae Sremmurd, then RnB music would not have experienced such changes experienced today.
Neal (2014) presupposes that RnB music has lost its soul or emotional touch due to its infiltration by other genres. Neal (2014) further comments that the infiltration has downgraded RnB music and is no longer relevant, like in the olden days. However, scholars such as Campbell (2018) posits that contemporary RnB artists are stretching out their limits by incorporating several genres and styles to create what is formerly known as “alternative RnB.” Artists such as Frank Ocean, Jhene Aiko, Janelle Monae, and Daniel Caesar, among others, are known to have advanced this kind of music. Incorporating other music genres make RnB strong as long as it maintains most of its original taste. Although RnB today is very different from that in the beginning, the indescribable essence of the soul will never die (Campbell 2018).
Koningh and Griffiths (2017) claim that RnB has just but evolved, and it is not DeathDeath as perceived by the opponents. RnB is very much alive today and continues to draw many influences from its past while at the same time embracing the more electric and machine-made sounds brought about by the technical revolution. Campbell (2018) further alludes that RnB currently encompasses a wide range of other genres to create a charming rhythm. For instance, the current RnB encompasses modified rhumba rhythms, boogie-woogie, and other eight-beat rhythms such as rock and roll, among others. With such creative melding and mixing, RnB has evolved significantly and continues to remain relevant and compelling to date.
Those who claim that RnB is dead further adds that RnB is no longer relevant in today’s society. They believe that RnB themes of love and sex are being expressed lively in other music genres than done by RnB (Campbell 2018). However, according to Moore (2018), RnB music continues to play a vital role in today’s society. RnB music in the 1940s and 50s was used as a unifying factor that linked American Youth from different social backgrounds. Also, due to its emotional and psychological appeal, RnB music is essential in airing out social ills in society. The author claims that RnB music enhances self-awareness, increase motivation, decrease depression while also promoting strong and positive social interaction. Also, vital concepts such as ethnic consciousness, economic and political issues are well elaborated in RnB music. A case in point is the 1964 release of Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” and Marvin Gaye’s seminal album “What’s Going On” (1971), among others. Such RnB music directly addresses the issues surrounding social injustices and civil rights (Campbell 2018). Nowadays, contemporary RnB does not only address the interests of African American communities but also embraces issues of love and unity.
Moore (2018) does not conceal the fact that RnB music no longer appears at the top of the Top 100 charts like before. The opposition has capitalized on this one deficit to demolish the perception of RnB. The critics further claim that RnB does not sound the same as it used to be decades ago. However, Moore (2018) believes that RnB is thriving and has never lost its virtue because RnB keeps moving on even with the strong influences from other contemporary genres. Pfleiderer (2017) backs up the idea by saying that good music should be progressive, and that is why today there is contemporary RnB music. Contemporary music is rich and diversified with an array of quality tunes and styles. The genre, therefore, does not necessarily need to be the same as that of the ’40s or ’90s; the key point is that it has evolved. Campbell (2018) cites Ella Mai, Frank Ocean, Bryson Tiller, and Jhene Aiko as truly RnB musicians who have incorporated contemporary styles to achieve significant heights.
Today, many artists are yearning to reshape the perception by which RnB music is being accorded. There is a need to shed more light on RnB music, just like it is done on Hip-hop and other genres. For instance, Campbell (2018) claims that there is no other music genre that has embraced technology like Hip-hop. Hip-hop music has managed to stay on top of the chart by fully harnessing the benefits that go along with technology. Hip-hop musicians can perform digital streaming and online distribution through platforms such as Spotify and Sound Cloud to deliver their songs to their audiences as fast and widely as possible (Campbell 2018). However, it is time people want to listen to raw and genuine emotions that bring reconnects them back to the good old days. The contemporary RnB musicians are trying to remain true to themselves and showcasing the true nature of RnB music. They are toiling hard to remind the people about the days of Brandy, Monica, and AWV that sparked and enlightened the 90’s. RnB is slowly shifting and adapting the digital platforms as an effort to remain relevant and strong. With such efforts, the golden era of RnB is likely to come back (Campbell 2018). Also, the immense bias towards RnB music will be a thing of the past.
In conclusion, the dynamics of RnB music has changed significantly. Most genres of music are evolving by incorporating modern technologies and sounds effects to realize rich and diversified outcomes. Similarly, RnB has evolved by embracing new technologies and elements of other genres that are pertinent to its growth and development. Therefore, RnB music should be perceived as alive and thriving rather than dead.
References.
Campbell, M. (2018). Popular music in America: The beat goes on. Cengage Learning.
Dodge, T. (2019). Rhythm and Blues Go Calypso. Rowman & Littlefield.
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Koningh, M., & Griffiths, M. (2017). RHYTHM & BLUES (R&B). Popular Music: The Key Concepts, 287.
Moore, M. C. (2018). Reflections on Traditional African American Music: Its Function and Relevance in Contemporary Music Education. In Traditional Music in the Modern World: Transmission, Evolution, and Challenges (pp. 13-23). Springer, Cham.
Neal, M. A. (2014). Songs in the key of black life: a rhythm and blues nation. Routledge.
Pfleiderer, M. (2017). Rhythm & Blues. In Handbuch Popkultur (pp. 16-20). JB Metzler,
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