The term “alternative R&B” came with its criticisms via other artists pigeonholed by the label. Originally dubbed as “PBR&B” by music critic Eric Harvey as a joke, the sound being written off as hipster-friendly comes off as insensitive and reductive. To me, R&B has always pushed boundaries outside of its original conventions. This evolution is evident more now than ever: more left-field, genre-melding experimentation is being pushed by current musicians to create an almost genreless experience. Simply put, the music has always been more than just “alternative R&B.” 

People can only consume so much, especially when multiple albums are released every day. It’s not possible to listen to everything — unless you have too much time on your hands. Since we’re nearing the end of half the decade, it makes sense to write about retrospectives on albums that went unnoticed. I hope that you find something you like here because I feel that all of them are worth a spin.