literally what is rnb? how do you tell song is rnb?

Question

i feel like i can never tell if a song is rnb but somehow i just know it or maybe im wrong. i’m confused because i see the classic rnb songs by usher and then there is the frank ocean ones so i don’t really know how they are both rnb.

here is my playlist for you guys to check if im on the right track:

In: Other

Answer 1

“R&B” stands for “Rhythm and Blues,” and it’s not a very well-defined term. For most of its history, it has essentially meant “music popular with African Americans.” This was the main way it was used in the 20th century, with the point being to separate it from “pop” or “rock and roll” music, which were considered whiter.

Following the rise of hip-hop in the 80s, R&B started to instead be thought of as “music popular with African Americans that isn’t hip-hop.” This is obviously not a very helpful definition, encompassing most popular Black artists who sing.