Alternative R&B
Alternative R&B (also referred to as alt-R&B, indie R&B, and originally known as PBR&B, hipster R&B, or R-Neg-B[5]) is a term used by music journalists to describe a stylistic alternative to contemporary R&B that began in the mid 2000s and came to prominence with musical artists such as Frank Ocean, Drake, the Weeknd, SZA, Khalid, Bryson Tiller, PartyNextDoor, Tory Lanez, 6lack and others.[6][7][8][9] It is considered to be "more progressive and diverse" than its mainstream counterpart.[10]
Not to be confused with Neo soul.Alternative R&B
Mid-2000s, U.S. and Canada
Response[edit]
There are two predominating opinions regarding alternative R&B as a classifier of sonic and lyrical characteristics within the larger R&B genre, the first of the two being a reluctant acceptance of its existence—if only for the sake of marketability.
Stereogum described the genre as a group of "co-conspirators, not a unified movement."[4] Similarly in thought, How to Dress Well, while not offended by the term "PBR&B", finds it "tacky"; in an interview with Complex he points out that "if you put records [released by other alternative R&B artists] side-by-side, me and whoever, like you're just not going to [hear] the same sounds, period", before proceeding to cite Miguel as an example.[30] Miguel himself has said that he is "comfortable" with the term "indie R&B" because it "insinuates a higher art. Or a deeper or somehow more artistic delivery of rhythm and blues music. It suggests there's more artistry within a genre that has become more of a cliché of itself."[31]
Frank Ocean, when first asked in an interview with The Quietus, whether he considers "Novacane" to be an R&B song, responded, "You're limiting it. And that's why I always say that about the genre thing, because that's what it does. When you say 'it's that', you listen to it in a certain way. And you might not necessarily miss it, but it's just inaccurate, and you'll miss a couple of things, contextually."[32] He proceeds to point out that race and vocal delivery are stereotypical signifiers of R&B music, in turn forcing himself and his peers into a category they may not identify within; when considering Nostalgia, Ultra Ocean argues that if he were a different complexion and "people would listen to it and be like 'Yeah, he borrowed from R&B but it's just not R&B—it's a lot of things, and you can't just call it 'R&B.'"[32] Ocean also uses alternative R&B for challenging norms in hegemonic masculinity. Channel Orange has prevalent queer-coded lyrics and scenarios within the characters he portrays.[33]
In an interview with The Guardian, FKA Twigs rejected the term by declaring, "Fuck alternative R&B!" She further explained: "It's just because I'm mixed race. When I first released music and no one knew what I looked like, I would read comments like: 'I've never heard anything like this before, it's not in a genre.' And then my picture came out six months later, now she's an R&B singer.'"[34] The Fader echoes her sentiment, stating, "By adding the prefix, it sidelines R&B itself by implying it's not experimental, boundary-pushing or intellectual. It throws side-eye at the genre, while at the same time claiming to have discovered something worthy within it."[1]