GRL PBR&B
I’ve been really into what a friend once introduced to me as “PBR&B”. I describe that as essentially hipster R&B -PBR (a quintessential hipster beer)+ R&B. Basically combining two of my favorite things.
Anyway, I’ve recently been collecting some songs from female PBR&B artists that I’ve been very into. I might be coming in late to some of these artists- particularly ones like SZA who have gotten a lot of hype this year- but in this case, I agree with the hype. Here are a few GRL PBR&B tracks I feel like sharing with the world:
- “2” by H.E.R. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtCREZoiSQQ
I first heard this song when driving with my friend in Austin and she told me what this song is about: two people in a relationship where the guy is cheating on the girl thinking he has the upper hand and she’ll be heartbroken at the news, but little does he know she is also cheating on him. Not that I condone cheating, but this song tells a funny little story and feels a bit empowering as well. Also the beat is just killer. I’ve been really into H.E.R and her debut album this year. Also I like the anonymity of H.E.R. and the fact that she stands for “Having Everything Revealed”. Kind of adds this extra layer of empowerment/mystery around her music.
I’d highly recommend giving her album a listen- “Best Part” is another favorite of mine, a much slower and sweet love song, that’s sung with Daniel Caesar, another one I’d consider part of the PBR&B crew.
2. “Normal Girl” by SZA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_R2LiwXtuLQ
Whether or not you have gotten into the SZA hype, I think it’s fair to say she had a pretty incredible 2017. Even though I think she’s been around for a while, I think she really hit the mainstream this year. I actually first discovered her through Kingdom’s Tears album from this year- Tears XL in particular is an album everyone should check out- it features another PBR&B artist, Syd, who I’ll be speaking about shortly, and the XL version has some great remixes.
Anyway, in terms of her solo stuff, I’ve been listening to her CTRL album this year, and I have to admit, I don’t love every song, but I do really love “Normal Girl”. I love the opening and again it just has this great, very dancey beat. I guess I am very into beats, particularly when it comes to R&B.
“Prom” is a close second for me from her CTRL album.
3. “Over” by Syd (ft. 6LACK) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYz448wq_k8
Out of the GRL PBR&B artists I’ve mentioned so far, I think Syd might be my favorite. Though she is also part of The Internet, I think her solo stuff definitely stands on its own and has a very sultry vibe, which is a bit different from The Internet. She also had a debut album this year- “Fin”. This is an album where I actually find myself liking almost all, if not all of the songs. They do sound a bit similar at times, but again all have killer beats and just a dark, smooth vibe which I love.
Anyway, this song in particular, seems kind of fitting for a new year; basically affirming the finality of any relationships that are or should be over. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, a lot of the song is similar to typical break-up songs, and the banality of it makes it relatable. It’s also sung as a duet with 6LACK (another great new addition to the PBR&B scene), which rounds out the mutual nature of the song and the break-up it discusses.
4.+: Above are just some of my favorite GRL PBR&B artists. I didn’t even touch upon Kelela, who has long been a favorite of mine- I loved her CUT 4 ME and Hallucinogen albums, and she also released her “Take Me Apart” album this year, which received rave reviews.
Others who I think might fall under PBR&B are Jhene Aiko and Jorja Smith, though I still need to listen to more of their stuff…
