Top Male R&B Singers
List of the Top Male R&B Artists
Today’s rhythm and blues music scene, more specifically for male R&B singers, dates back to the 1980s when artists like New Edition were the main attraction for R&B music. During that time, music was transitioning from the days of the soul music era of the 1970s to the start of the rhythm and blues music that we have now come to enjoy.
With the rhythm and blues scene exploding during the 1990s and the 2000s through both group and solo male R&B artists like Boyz II Men, Usher, Keith Sweat, Brian McKnight, Tony Toni Tone, Jodeci, and many more, R&B truly founded its place in music as there were dozens of leading top male R&B singers throughout this time in music.
Now as we enter the 2020s, R&B music has not lost a step. With a mixture of newcomers and veteran male R&B artists, R&B is now at its truest form and in its best position to continuing the legacy of decades worth of rhythm and blues music.
Top 30 Male R&B Artists
1. The Weeknd
The Weeknd is a renowned pop star who is widely recognized for his contributions to the R&B genre. He has taken R&B music to new heights, particularly during the 2010s, with the launch of multi-platinum albums such as Beauty Behind the Madness, Starboy, and After Hours, which dominated the charts for weeks. Although he started under different aliases at the beginning of the 2010s, The Weeknd eventually made a name for himself in the industry. He has received numerous accolades for his various projects, including Trilogy, House of Balloons, and his debut album Kiss Land.
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2. Chris Brown
Chris Brown’s debut single “Run It!” rapidly climbed to the top of the music charts in 2005, and ever since Chris Brown has been a dominant force in R&B. Being a singer, songwriter, a gifted dancer, and sometimes an exceptional actor, Chris Brown’s talent benefits, above all, its versatility, which has led him to be one of the all-time greats in the rhythm and blues category.
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3. Khalid
What was once one of the fast-rising male R&B artists, Khalid Robinson, aka Khalid, is now one of the top stars that helped carried rhythm and blues into a new era. Originally from Fort Stewart, Khalid had to move between Kentucky and New York as well as Heidelberg, Germany, due to his mother’s military career. Just after high school, Khalid made his first debut in 2016 with single “Location.” Since then, all has not been the same for the R&B star, with several of his hit singles receiving Grammy nominations.
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4. Ty Dolla $ign
Ty Dolla $ign started his music career with appearances on a couple of singles until 2010 when his feature on rapper YG’s “Toot It and Boot It” gained massive recognition. In 2013, Ty Dolla signed to rapper Wiz Khalifa’s Taylor Gang Records, under which he released his debut album Free TC, which peaked at the top of the Billboard 200.
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5. Giveon
Giveon has quickly risen to fame in recent years as one of the premiere male R&B singers. His latest project, Give or Take, has received much acclaim. Giveon first gained attention in 2019 with the release of “Like I Want You,” and he solidified his place in the industry with the hit “Heartbreak Anniversary” in 2020. He is now considered one of the top male R&B artists in the music industry, having made a significant impact in a short amount of time.
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6. Miguel
Miguel, a singer, songwriter, and producer, comes from the San Pedro area of Los Angeles. At the age of 14 years old he signed his first music contract and introduced himself to the world with “Getcha Hands Up” in 2006. After a short break after this release, Miguel returned to the music scene in the 2010s with critically acclaimed albums such as All I Want Is You, War & Leisure, and Kaleidoscope Dream.
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7. Steve Lacy
Steve Lacy is a multi-talented musician who has created a unique sound that cannot be confined to any one genre. He is a singer, producer, songwriter, and instrumentalist who has been recognized for his exceptional abilities. He first gained fame as a member of the alternative band The Internet, but he has since become a solo artist and earned a Grammy nomination for his album Apollo XXI.
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8. Bryson Tiller
In the early stages of Bryson Tiller’s career, the Kentucky native received approval from renowned artists and producers, like Drake and Timbaland. This launched his music into a broader spectrum, while being known for hits like “Don’t” and “Exchange.” Currently, he has released multiple projects, including Trap Soul, True to Self, and ANNIVERSARY.
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9. Daniel Caesar
Daniel Caesar, a highly soulful R&B artist, made his debut with the EPs Praise Break and Pilgrim’s Paradise in 2014 and 2015. He gained popularity with the hit song “Japanese Denim” in 2016, and then released his first album Freudian, which included popular tracks such as “Best Part” featuring H.E.R and “Get You” featuring Kali Uchis. Although he took a brief hiatus, Daniel Caesar has recently returned with new songs “Please Do Not Lean” and “Do You Like Me?”
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10. PARTYNEXTDOOR
PARTYNEXTDOOR started his music career making electronic dance music, but that changed after signing to rapper Drake’s OVO record label, and the release of the Drake featured “Over Here”. His first mixtape, PARTYNEXTDOOR, dropped in 2013, making it to the top of the charts. Since, he has released multiple EPs and received much praise for his PartyNextDoor Two, PartyNextDoor 3, and Partymobile albums.
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11. Brent Faiyaz
Maryland R&B star Brent Faiyaz originally started his career as a rapper. The 25-year-old pop star came to the music scene after releasing the single “Crew” with fellow DMV artists GoldLink and Shy Glizzy, which was nominated for a 2018 Grammy award. One thing that is clear, you can not doubt the creative and artistic abilities of Brent Faiyaz; the rapper turned male R&B singer is versatile in his style and delivery.
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12. 6lack
Pronounced “black,” 6lack has long considered the number six as an essential figure, central to his identity. He started recording music at the age of four in his father’s music studio. His debut album Free 6lack was released in late 2016 and peaked at number 34 on the Billboard 200. Since 2016, 6lack has long been viewed as one of the top male R&B artists, while also having a strong presence in the hip hop community.
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13. Jeremih
While many artists who began during the 2000s may have lost their edge, Jeremih has stayed persistent throughout his career with no moment of irrelevancy. While known for hit songs like “Don’t Tell ‘Em”, “Birthday Sex”, or “Down on Me”, Jeremih has received much of his recognition from featuring with top hip-hop and rhythm and blues artists. An extensive list of dozens hit features with artists such as Snoop Dogg, DJ Khaled, Lil Durk, The Game, Big Sean, Wale, Nelly, and many more.
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14. Ali Gatie
Ali Gatie, who is considered by many as the top Arabic R&B artist globally, made his debut in the music industry in 2018 with the release of “Moonlight”. However, he gained significant popularity with chart-topping tracks such as “It’s You”, “What If I Told You That I Love You”, and collaborations like “Lie to Me” with Tate McRae, alongside albums like The Idea of Her, released in 2021.
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15. Pink Sweat$
Nicknamed after the attire he became known for wearing in the recording studio, male R&B singer and songwriter Pink Sweat$ became popularly known for his ballads. The Philadelphia native made his music debut in 2018 and has released projects like 2020’s The Prelude, which has created a lasting emotional connection with many R&B fans.
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16. Jacquees
The Atlanta-based singer and songwriter, Jacquees has made a name for himself through delivering his own smooth and slick brand of R&B, but also with an old-school twist. As a kid, Jacquees wanted to be a rapper until one day when his aunt heard him singing a song from the TV show “The Temptations.” Since his debut album “4275,” Jacquees has been a force in R&B music.
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17. Lucky Daye
Though Lucky Daye may be new to some, the New Orleans native has been grinding for some years now. From making his first appearance on American Idol, to lacing background vocals and receiving songwriting credits for some of music’s top R&B stars, Lucky Daye has come a long way to becoming one of the top rising male R&B singers.
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18. Mario
A veteran in the industry that was a teen sensation with his first appearances during the early 2000s, has now grown with many of his fans and listeners. With the songs “Just a Friend” and “Let Me Love You” we were introduced to Mario at young age. From high school days and teenage years, to days as adults and grownups, Mario has stayed with many music lovers throughout the journey.
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19. August Alsina
The Louisiana native’s career took off with the EP Downtown: Life Under the Gun and his full length album Testimony during the mid 2010s, but somewhat came to a standstill right after. While controversy may have surrounded his career of late, from health issues to his personal relationships, August Alsina has pushed his way through the storm and has had a recent resurgence in music.
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20. Rotimi
Rotimi, ho has made waves in the entertainment industry, is best known for his smooth R&B vocals and his dynamic acting skills. Born in New Jersey, Rotimi began his music career in 2011 with the release of his debut mixtape, The Resume. He later signed with 50 Cent’s G-Unit Records and released his EP Jeep Music, Vol. 1 in 2017. He accomplished this while appearing on popular TV shows such as “Power” and “Boss” and movies like Coming 2 America, Divergent, and Burning Sands.
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21. YK Osiris
YK Osiris, a singer and rapper from Jacksonville, gained popularity with his hit song “Worth It” after debuting in 2018 with another popular track called “Valentine.” He has made a name for himself with multiple successful R&B songs and a significant following on social media, making him one of the notable figures of not only Florida R&B singers, but today’s era of R&B music.
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22. Luh Kel
Hailing from St. Louis, Luh Kel is easily one of the fastest rising rhythm and blues stars. While Luh Kel’s sound may have similarities to the recent wave of melodic rappers, the majority of his songs are based around the emotions and love that has built the rhythm and blues genre. Making his debut with the hit song “Wrong,” Luh Kel has proven that he is here to stay and not just some one hit wonder.
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23. Roy Woods
One of the many talented male R&B artists north of the border, Roy Woods does not need the Drake cosign that he received to prove his level of talent. Coming into the music industry in 2015, Roy Woods’ freshman album was a complete classic, consisting of tracks like “Drama”, “Get You Good”, and “Jealousy”.
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24. Eric Bellinger
Not only a talented R&B singer, but Eric Bellinger has also been known to be the man behind the scenes of some of your favorite songs as a gifted songwriter. While his success as a singer is not nearly the same as his credits for songwriting, but Eric Bellinger has been releasing a handful of successful projects since the mid 2010s.
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25. Vedo
While starting out as a YouTuber and making appearances on NBC’s The Voice, Vedo has quickly switch gears to becoming a professional recording artist and one of the top male R&B singers. With hit songs like “You Got It,” and releasing numerous albums since 2015, Vedo’s rise has been a long time coming.
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26. Gashi
The New York based artist began his career during the beginning of the 2010s, but not until the 2019 release of the self-titled Gashi did this rising R&B star’s career begin to pick up steam. Now, the trajectory for Gashi’s career seems to be headed into the realm of the world’s top rhythm and blues and pop stars.
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27. dvsn
The music group dvsn, hailing from Toronto and composed of Nineteen85 as the producer and Daniel Daley as the vocalist, first appeared in 2015 with a number of tracks before releasing their debut album, Sept. 5th. Among their well-known tracks are “Between Us,” featuring Snoh Aalegra, and “Think About Me,” “Hallucinations,” “With Me,” and “Too Deep.” Additionally, they collaborated with Drake on his album Views, contributing to the song “Faithful.” The duo is signed with OVO Sound.
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28. Marc E. Bassy
A mixture of pop and rhythm and blues, singer/songwriter Marc E. Bassy began during the late 2000s with the soulful pop band 2AM Club as the lead singer. Since the groups last release, the Bay Area native has been transitioning into a career as a solo artist after years of songwriting for some of the world’s most notarized artists and performing as the lead for the once 2AM Club.
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29. Marmar Oso
This Sacramento native has been making his rounds through the R&B carousal. A mixture of hip-hop and R&B with a street edge, Marmar Oso is one of a kind artist, representing a new wave in R&B music. With the smash hit “Ruthless” and the release of four albums, Good Intentions (2022), Marvin’s Room (2020), Love Don’t Cost a Thing (2020), and Oso Different (2019), there is a large enough sample size to come to the conclusion that Marmar Oso is a star in the making.
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30. THEY.
The duo of Dante Jones and Drew Love formed during 2015, beginning with the EP Nü Religion. A mixture of new school R&B with touch of 90s R&B music, THEY. have been acknowledge as one of the most gifted R&B acts of today’s generation. A solid lineup dope records, THEY. have certified their place in rhythm and blues, as possibly the top R&B group.
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Honorable Mention Male R&B Artists:
– Kevin Ross Instagram: @Kevin Ross and Youtube: Kevin Ross
– Jacob Latimore Instagram: @Jacob Latimore and Youtube: Jacob Latimore
– Ro James Instagram: @Ro James and Youtube: Ro James
– NBDY Instagram: @NBDY and Youtube: NBDY
– Elijah Blake Instagram: @Elijah Blake and Youtube: Elijah Blake
– Tone Stith Instagram: @Tone Stith and Youtube: Tone Stith
– Ryan Trey Instagram: @Ryan Trey and Youtube: Ryan Trey
– elhae Instagram: @elhae and Youtube: elhae
– Yo Trane Instagram: @Yo Trane and Youtube: Yo Trane
– Anders Instagram: @Anders and Youtube: Anders
Male R&B Singers Related Topics:
1 Top Female R&B Singers List
2 Top 12 Florida R&B Singers
3 Top 12 Chicago R&B Artists
4 Top Male R&B Artists of 80s and 90s
5 Top 30 All-Time Black Love Movies
*Unofficial Order. The more popular artists that have a combination of the most followers, streams, views, and most recent releases are near the top.
*If any artists are missing from the list email media@kulturevulturez.com