Female R&B Singers
List of the Top Female R&B Artists
While female R&B singers can be dated back to the era of the 1980s when Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson were the main female R&B artists, during a time when male artists controlled the charts, 2022’s lineup has completely taken over and has been dominating the landscape of today’s music.
During the 1990s rhythm and blues music exploded, especially for women, with the successful careers of both solo and group female R&B artists through the likes of TLC, Aaliyah, Toni Braxton, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Destiny Child’s and many more.
Entering the 2000s, the popularity was not nearly as close as the 1990s, but with Beyoncé and Rihanna leading the way, alongside Keyshia Cole, Alicia Keys, Ashanti, Keri Hilson, and Ciara, the 2000s continued the growth of rhythm and blues.
Today is a new era and a new generation is in control, taking the rhythm and blues genre to new levels with an extensive roster of gifted female R&B singers that have displayed no shortage of talented and powerful women, becoming some of the music industry’s most accomplished artists.
Top 25 Female R&B Singers
1. SZA
While SZA’s earliest projects, See.SZA.Run and S, showed a glimpse of the artist that we know today, not until the 2017 release of Ctrl did she become a household name. One of the all-time greatest rhythm and blues albums featured a collection of hit songs, “The Weekend,” “Love Galore,” “Drew Barrymore,” and “Broken Clocks.” SZA continued to excel in R&B after the release of Ctrl, as evidenced by her 2022 album SOS.
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2. Kehlani
After a short run with teen group Poplyfe and appearances on America’s Got Talent, the Oakland native would have her share of ups and downs before eventually having a prosperous solo career. Starting with the 2014 release of Cloud 19 and the 2015 release of You Should be Here, Kehlani’s career would gradually rise over time, especially following the releases of her freshman and sophomore albums, SweetSexySavage and It Was Good Until It Wasn’t.
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3. Kali Uchis
Years creating and being on a steady rise, the Northern Virginia native Kali Uchis received her breakthrough with the song “After the Storm,” which featured Bootsy Collins and Tyler the Creator. Since, she has become one of the top R&B artists, whether performing in the English or within the Spanish markets, Kali Uchis has remained one of today’s most celebrated R&B artists.
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4. Summer Walker
While over a year removed from her classic release of Still Over It, the Atlanta native has been making much noise in the industry since 2018’s Last Day of Summer, only becoming more notarized with 2019’s Over It. A true Cinderella story, grinding from nothing, Summer Walker’s self-reliance has led her to continuing her domination in R&B into 2022, remaining as one of the top rhythm and blues artists.
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5. Jhene Aiko
A veteran to the music industry, Jhene Aiko has been around since the early 2000s when she was originally working with boy group B2K. Not until Jhene Aiko’s 2013 release of Sail Out did she begin her journey becoming one of the top female R&B singers.
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6. H.E.R
H.E.R, a talented singer from the Bay Area, was always meant to become a star. Since her childhood, she has received numerous awards and recognitions for her performances at the Apollo Theater and various daytime talk shows. Additionally, she has also made appearances in a few acting roles. Given her extensive involvement in the music and entertainment industry, H.E.R has developed into one of the most seasoned female R&B artists.
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7. Normani
A former member of the short lived girl group Fifth Harmony, Normani quickly switched lanes into becoming a successful solo artist. Despite not having the most extensive catalog of music, Normani quickly gained respect as a solo artist with the hit songs of “Waves,” “Motivation,” and her recent release “Wild Side.”
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8. Ella Mai
Discovered and backed by top West Coast producer DJ Mustard, the British star took over 2018 with the hit songs “Boo’d Up” and “Trip.” While her self-titled album Ella Mai was her debut album, the U.K. artist has three previous EPs, all produced and released through DJ Mustard’s imprint 10 Summers, all equally as good as the next.
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9. Justine Skye
The talented Justine Skye who shares the same birthplace as Jay-Z and Notorious BIG has stayed persistent throughout her career, ever since debuting in 2012 with her mixtape Skye High. Later signing with Atlantic Records and releasing the EP Everyday Living, Justine Skye’s most popular songs to date have been the likes of “U Don’t Know,” “Collide,” “Build,” and “Back for More.”
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10. Queen Naija
A natural born star that went from being a top rising YouTuber, to becoming one of the nation’s top female R&B artists. Beginning her career as a successful YouTuber, in which to this day Queen Naija still releases vlogs on her YouTube channel, not until 2018 did her career as an artist begin to takeoff with the release of her self-titled EP Queen Naija.
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11. jorja smith
Fresh off the release of her latest EP, Be Right Back, Jorja Smith has become one of R&B’s most talented artists. Since debuting in 2016, Jorja Smith has become not only one of the UK’s top performers, but also one of the most accomplished British artists, with numerous chart topping and gold and platinum certified albums and singles.
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12. Tinashe
An experienced artist that started as a child actress, eventually made the passage into music, first with the pop group Stunners before making the jump into a career as a solo artist. Beginning with the self release of her own music in 2012, Tinashe would eventually have an acclaimed career with the help of projects like 2014’s Aquarius and the hit song “2 On” featuring Schoolboy Q.
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13. DaniLeigh
Blessed into the music industry by the late icon Prince, this Dominican R&B artist and Florida native would become known for hit songs like “Lil Bebe,” “No Limits,” “Easy,” and “Levi High.” While in recent times, DaniLeigh had been at the center of controversy, she still has remained as one of the most gifted artists in R&B.
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14. Kiana Ledé
A multi-talented actress and singer has been developing her career since the beginning of the 2010s. Beginning her journey in the entertainment industry as a teenager, Kiana Ledé has truly made an impressive career, from starring on the hit shows Scream and The Washingtons to a growing catalog of music that has included songs like “Ex” and albums like Kiki.
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15. Ari Lennox
This soulful female R&B artist may have just come onto some fans’ radar after signing to J.Cole’s Dreamville and the release of Shea Butter Baby (2019), but the DMV native has been mastering her craft as a neo-soul and rhythm and blues artist for some time now.
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16. JOJO
Hailing from the New England region, Jojo has had a long career that has consisted of a mixture of both pop music and rhythm and blues. Jojo’s first release was in 2004 with her self-titled debut album Jojo, which featured hit songs like “Leave and Baby It’s You.”
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17. Chloe x Halle
Two sisters, Chloe and Halle Bailey, began their careers years ago as rising child actresses. Equally successful in music and acting, the two sisters have appearances in movies alongside Beyonce, Queen Latifah, Tyler Perry, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Keke Palmer, along with co-starring on the hit television show Grown-ish. Despite a long history of acting, Chloe x Halle have always been active musically, but not until 2018’s The Kids Are Alright did fans begin to truly recognize the duo.
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18. Jazmine Sullivan
The Grammy nominated and Philadelphia native is arguably one of the greatest singers of our generation. Debuting in 2008 with the classic album Fearless, Jazmine Sullivan has continued a successful career spanning over 3 decades, from the late 2000s to the 2020s, with songs like “Need U Bad,” “Pick Up Your Feelings,” “Insecure,” “Bust Your Windows,” and “Let It Burn.”
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19. Snoh Aalegra
One of the top female R&B artists to originally hail from Europe, Snoh Aalegra has been around since the beginning of the 2010s. Originally going by the moniker Sheri, Snoh Aalegra began to become more of an international artist after her 2014 release There Will Be Sunshine. Over the course of her career Snoh Aalegra has worked with Common, Vince Staples, Logic, Tyler the Creator, Pharrell, and a handful others top stars in music.
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20. sevyn streeter
While entering the rhythm and blues scene with the 2013 hit “It Won’t Stop,” featuring Chris Brown, the Floridian has beyond certified her position in the music industry. Gaining respect among her peers and love from her fans, Sevyn Streeter has been a legend in the making since the early 2010s, only to continue her career into the 2020s without skipping a beat.
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21. Sabrina Claudio
In what started as a career on YouTube covering top mainstream songs, Sabrina Claudio quickly transitioned into a professional career in music. Since her official debut in 2016, she has been on the rise with a body work that began with the hit “Confidently Lost.”
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22. Inayah
Hailing from the city of Houston, Inayah quickly rose to stardom with the remake of Ella Mai’s “Boo’d Up.” Since releasing her own version of “Boo’d Up,” Inayah has truly solidified herself as an artist with hit songs like “Best Thing” and “Sugar Daddy.”
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23. Victoria Monét
Victoria Monét is one of the most accomplished and gifted songwriters as her songwriting credits include Ariana Grande, K-Pop group Blackpink, Chloe x Halle, T.I. and many more. Her debut as an artist was 2014’s Nightmares & Lullabies: Act 1. Since, she has continued a promising career as an artist, releasing six EPs with Jaguar being her most successful.
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24. Mahalia
This U.K. based R&B artist has been making her rounds in music. While her first official release was in 2012 with the EP Head Space, Mahalia’s 2016 release of Diary of Me is what sprung her into the spotlight. One of the most talented, her level of artistry allows her to venture between the sounds of neo soul and mainstream rhythm and blues.
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25. Ann Marie
Coming from the South Side of Chicago, Ann Marie’s talent is undeniable. With songs like “Different,” “Unlove You,” “Secret,” “Stress Relief,” and several other releases to prove the talent of the Chicago native, Ann Marie has been grinding nonstop since 2014 when she began making short YouTube clips.
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Honorable Mention Female R&B Singers:
Alina Baraz Instagram: @Alina Baraz and Youtube: Alina Baraz
Kaash Paige Instagram: @Kaash Paige and Youtube: Kaash Paige
Muni Long Instagram: @Muni Long and Youtube: Muni Long
Layton Greene Instagram: @Layton Greene and Youtube: Layton Greene
Sinead Harnett Instagram: @Sinead Harnett and Youtube: Sinead Harnett
Wolftyla Instagram: @Wolftyla and Youtube: Wolftyla
Toni Romiti Instagram: @Toni Romiti and Youtube: Toni Romiti
IV JAY Instagram: @IV JAY and Youtube: IV JAY
Janine Instagram: @Janine and Youtube: Janine
Aleksa Safiya Instagram: @Aleksa Safiya and Youtube: Aleksa Safiya
Sonta Instagram: @Sonta and Youtube: Sonta
Top Female R&B Artists Related Topics:
1 Top 10 Female R&B Artists of 1980s and 1990s
2 Top 100 Female Rappers of 2023
3 Top 20 female R&B Artists of 2000s
4 Top 15 Atlanta R&B Artists
5 Top 30 Los Angeles R&B Artists
6 Top 12 Florida R&B Singers
7 Top 12 Texas R&B Artists
*Unofficial Order. The more popular artists that have a combination of the most followers, streams, views, and most recent recent released music are near the top.