Rhythm and blues evolved through three key historical processes: migration of African Americans to urban centers, legal segregation laws, and civil rights activism. It has since given rise to genres like jump blues, big band swing, gospel music, and boogie-woogie bass lines.
It is a form of escapism
Raye and 070 Shakes’ song, “Saying I’m Fine”, provides an excellent example of musical escapism. The track addresses reality as well as life in New York City; with catchy, emotive lyrics relatable to many teenagers living there and relatable lyrics that provide relief from its realities. Teenagers also now have easy access to R&B music through mobile phones and social media, making them much more aware of this genre and what it stands for.
R&B music first took shape during the 20th century as African American families moved from rural areas into urban cities of the Northeast and Midwest, prompting popular African American musical styles into prominence and shaping modern R&B creation today. The genre includes everything from blues shuffles with backbeat to boogie-woogie and modified rumba rhythms; rhythmic structures can often include short horn patterns or riffs for added harmonic density.
Recent R&B has moved away from its use of guitars and has focused on smooth sounds suited for dance clubs, with popular artists like Toni Braxton, Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson (with Janet Jackson), Boyz II Men (Usher and Lauryn Hill), Usher and Lauryn Hill racking up hits and Grammy awards by emphasizing melismatic singing and melodic hooks. R&B remains an immensely versatile genre and continues to adapt as new technologies enter production technology.
Since its conception, R&B has continued to adapt and influence rock and roll music, increasing in both popularity and accessibility to a wider audience. One significant contribution of this genre has been changing it from being created solely for black people into an inclusive form that all races enjoy; making R&B more widely accessible while helping it remain relevant across generations of societal changes.
Today’s young teens have access to R&B music via mobile phone and social media at an earlier age than was available when their parents were their age, providing them with the chance to listen to it and develop a deeper relationship with it. They understand more clearly than their parents did how its messages apply directly to them; also making lyrics more relatable than ever.
It is a form of communication
R&B music is an emotive form of expression. Rooted in black culture and often speaking about their struggles, R&B lyrics also explore matters such as love, relationships and change – serving as a source of motivation for many young women and men alike.
R&B first made an impactful entrance onto urban music scenes during the 1940s, thanks to the expansion of African American communities in New York City, Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia and Los Angeles due to the Great Migration from rural Southern African American communities to urban centers for economic opportunities.
Music of this era was heavily influenced by rock and roll, featuring electric guitars, drum sets, double bass, piano and clarinet as key instruments. Saxophone and clarinet were often utilized too; additionally this style had roots in black church music by using syncopated rhythms into Afrocentric genres that later gave way to disco and funk music styles.
As time passed, many artists broke with this genre’s tradition. Singers such as Luther Vandross, Mariah Carey, and Whitney Houston became well-known vocal virtuosi; others started incorporating hip hop elements into their music; this trend continued into the 1990s with the neo-soul genre that combined elements from hip hop with traditional black music for younger audiences.
Contemporary R&B isn’t as prevalent these days due to a shortage of artists able to sing like its early performers; some artists even use the genre alongside rap – Bryson Tiller and Drake both recently released albums featuring both singing and rapping elements in equal amounts on each track.
R&B artists today promote an increasingly sexualized image that reinforces negative stereotypes about women. Destiny Child’s videos feature their bodies in ways that suggest sexuality; their body contours are highlighted and wet surfaces glisten indicating sexually suggestive imagery; these images encourage women to be sexual rather than intelligent.
It is a form of entertainment
R&B music draws heavily upon African American expressive culture. It emerged alongside the second wave of African American migration to urban centers after World War II and has evolved with it, reflecting changing racial landscape. R&B’s formal qualities, stylistic range, marketing trends and worldwide currency today reflect its complex social and cultural foundations.
Jerry Wexler of Billboard Magazine first popularized the term R&B (Rhythm & Blues) in 1949 after seeing rapidly shifting racial climate with black populations increasing urban areas and demanding uptempo music; R&B became widely promoted as an answer to this demand. Initial usage of “black music” refers to various musical genres aimed at black audiences, including jump blues, big band swing, gospel music and boogie. Later, R&B expanded to encompass a variety of genres inspired by these influences and by black culture as a whole. R&B music first flourished during the 1940s and 50s, when African Americans moved from rural areas into urban ones for employment opportunities; simultaneously with changes to American racial climate that saw legal segregation gradually give way to international conflicts and fights for civil rights.
Contemporary R&B music represents the diversity of African American society by drawing from genres like dance, hip hop and pop. Its lyrics often contain sexual content reflecting current affairs in America while its sounds have evolved from traditional acoustic instrumentation to electric pianos and synthesizers featuring heavy bass lines with vocal inflections such as heavy vocal inflections with whispery seminasal voices; taking inspiration from rock while even incorporating elements of electronic dance-pop genres.
As African American consumers matured, R&B and hip-hop music, and artists such as Luther Vandross, Mary J. Blige, and Aaliyah became increasingly popular. These musical genres fostered an environment in which this new generation could form bonds across racial barriers.
It is a form of self-expression
R&B music’s development reflects African American society. The genre blends various musical styles – jump blues, big band swing, gospel, and boogie – into an infectious soundscape. It was heavily influenced by urban African American communities’ growth during urban migration or “the Great Migration”, when African Americans left rural Southern states and headed for cities in the Northeast or Midwest in search of jobs; further reflecting complexities within race relations today.
R&B music transcends racial barriers by communicating black culture to white audiences as well. Many white artists have been inspired by R&B style, while many contemporary R&B singers are multiracial. R&B songs typically deal with themes of love, romance and freedom and happiness while its songs can feature soulful singing voices over drum beats or basslines and its influence may come from pop or hip hop genres as well as genres such as R&B itself.
Contemporary R&B, or urban contemporary music, is a mixture of pop, funk and soul genres. Distinguished by slick record production methods that include rhythmic accompaniment such as drum machines and percussion instruments; hip hop beats; as well as possible rap lyrics which reflect life for African Americans in modern times. Lyrical themes typically reflect these topics.
R&B music captures more than just its signature soulful sound; its lyrics speak volumes about social attitudes and lifestyles of its target audience, from African Americans’ struggles for better lives, family dynamics, personal issues and political aspirations – as well as reflecting these in its soundscape.
R&B music has grown increasingly popular, particularly among black audiences. This genre’s influence can be found across dancing, fashion, language and attitude – not to mention other forms of music like rock’n’roll. R&B also helps foster understanding between cultures through its influence on other types of music (rock’n’roll). Unfortunately, some R&B videos feature sexual imagery; Destiny Child’s “I Want You Back” for instance included many shots showing her body which may be perceived as sexuality.