The early 2000’s was the prime time of R&B. R&B is defined as a kind of pop music with a soulful vocal style featuring improvisation. This style of music encompasses countless emotions from infatuation, to heartbreak and even redemption.
Early 2000’s R&B is the type of music that describes love in its purest form. Most popular songs from that time are about the pursuit of someone. The lyrics typically portray a love sick guy who sings to the woman that he once loved. The songs portray the woman as someone who was adored and worthy of all the efforts a man was capable of. In this era of R&B the woman was viewed as a prize that had to be earned.
Another popular theme of early 2000’s R&B is heartbreak. In heartbreak ballads, the singer often confesses where he or she went wrong or what the other person did wrong and how it hurt them. There are also many songs about redemption. In these songs, the singer typically confesses that they still love the person that hurt them or they offer an apology, explaining that they want the old love back.
The “r” and “b” stands for rhythm and blues. Along with the enticing rhythm, this genre puts true emotions on display. There are several musical improvisations within these songs. Musical improvisations are when a musician communicates an emotion through song or instrument spontaneously. There is an honesty and a sense of transparency that comes along with every verse which anyone can relate to. I believe that is why songs from this specific era of R&B are still listened to as much as they are today.
Some of the R&B front runners of the early 2000’s were Alicia Keys, Chris Brown, Destiny’s Child and Usher, to name a few. R&B is the type of music that faces you with the truth and causes you to feel emotion on a deeper level than usual. These singers poured out their feelings, turned them into beautiful music and shared them with the world, and I couldn’t thank them more.