The Best R&B Album Race at 2027 Grammys Should Include New and Legacy Voices

Leading up to the Grammy nominations on Nov. 16, Rolling Stone is breaking down 11 different categories. For each, we’re predicting the nominees, as well as who will (and who should) win on Grammy night.

The R&B genre is constantly evolving and welcoming new artists into the fold. Over the past few years, the Grammys helped speed that along by introducing new categories like Best Progressive R&B Album, offering the chance for artists across the rhythm and blues spectrum to have their work recognized. “It’s a way to create more space for artists,” says Nadeska Alexis, an Apple Music host, whose expertise is in the R&B and hip-hop genres. Evolution is in the DNA of R&B. One of the positive changes in the streaming era is more blurred lines and less pressure to fit neatly into traditional genre boxes. But the original Best R&B Album category still carries its own sense of cachet, and this year’s field should include some awfully heavy hitters.

Brent Faiyaz , Icon Kehlani , Kehlani Bruno Mars , The Romantic Jill Scott , To Whom This May Concern Summer Walker , Finally Over It

Kehlani, Kehlani Since emerging on the scene over a decade ago, Kehlani has continuously gained momentum both in her musical, and political, voice. Her hit song “Folded” peaked at Number Six on the Billboard Hot 100 and won her two Grammys already, for Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance last year. Now, “Folded” appears on her self-titled, fifth studio project, and brings along its magic to the album, an LP that received more than 500 million streams on Spotify and includes some of the culture’s giants, like Lil Wayne, Missy Elliot, Usher, and Brandy. “She’s a special artist and she’s been doing this for such a long time,” Alexis says. “She’s always had this amazing blend of this ’90s, early 2000s R&B, and over the years she’s just been building the skill set.”