A Revisit Of 2022's Album Releases: R&B/Soul, Pop, House + Jazz

The year 2022 was a colorful time for R&B music and all of it's hybrid forms. From the small stage to the stadium arena, artists at all career levels helped to tackle the popularized question: Is R&B Dead? This year's music releases took vibrant, genre bendy arrangements: house-inspired, jazz-infused, hip-hop flavored, and psychedelic euphoria.

Robert Glasper returned with the third installment of his Black Radio series delivering jazz and hip hop melodies. Beyoncé fans found refuge with her disco/house themed Renaissance album. Already long celebrated for his work as a musician and producer, Steve Lacy's "Bad Habit" catapulted him to higher levels, earning him multiple Grammy nominations. Drake took a stylistic departure for Honestly, Nevermind, offering a house/Baltimore club sound that had listeners initially confused. Staying on brand, Lizzo's Special was a playful, braggadocious pop/disco album that promoted positivity and women's empowerment. Maverick City Music teamed up with Kirk Franklin for Kingdom One Book to shed light on injustices in the community. Moonchild's Starfruit album was entirely dedicated to Black women. Babyface collaborated with the new generation of women artists on Girls Night Out.

Some albums were devoted to keeping R&B's rich history alive while others pushed the genre into uncharted territories. Take a look below at some of the album releases you may have missed!

New Sounds of R&B

Veteran Players

House/Dance

Soulful Affirmations

Romance and Love

Alternative R&B

Jazzy & Dreamy

Hip Hop Adjacent

Contemporary R&B

Uplifting the Community