This summer, the sub-genre of R&B called PBR&B proved a force to be reckoned with. It is used to refer to the new crop of R&B in which artists put a premium on raw emotions and more avant-garde instrumentation. The genre is in its infancy, with a nebulous identity and a goofy name. The blogosphere has a history of tongue-in-cheek genre labels, and this one is no exception — PBR&B is along the same schticky lineage as chillwave or “witch house.”
But tacky labels be damned — over the summer, British duo AlunaGeorge’s “Body Music” demanded serious consideration. The album, to many, felt like a fulfilled promise. The band built consistent buzz throughout the past few years, and the LP’s new tracks were up to par with blog favorites such as “Your Drums, Your Love” and “Attracting Flies.”
Even more visible to the mainstream was Miguel, whose “#Beautiful” collaboration with Mariah Carey earned the dubious title of “first hit song with a hashtagged title.” Even more infamous was Miguel’s onstage mishap — a miscalculated leap landed the crooner on an unsuspecting fan. Hashtags and headbangs aside, “#Beautiful” delivers. When Carey comes in, she lets you know she’s playing for keeps. Her vocal pyrotechnics in the opening lyrics of her verse are unforgettable — “I like/When you run red lights/Don’t stop till you thrill me/Oh how you thrill me.”
If only Carey could recapture the airplay of her former years. Part of the problem, however, seems that Carey’s identity is, by definition, against the trends. She is a perfectionist, a resolute lipsyncer. She seems unable to surrender the illusion that she maintains her whistle register. Today’s tastes are more tailored to sensitive men like PBR&B artists like Frank Ocean, the Weeknd or Drake — we’re eager for artists who are brave enough to let you hear their voice cracking.
Cut to footage of Carey’s interminable lipsync scandals over the summer. We may see her vulnerable, but she always keeps her vocals most guarded. She’d rather we catch her lipsyncing than hitting a bum note. Surely Carey longs for the heyday of “We Belong Together,” with its near-perfect production and quality. In those days, the atmospheric haze on modern hits like “Adorn” or “Thinkin Bout You” wouldn’t make the cut.
PBR&B underdog Ciara is also one to watch closely. For much of the summer, her “Body Party” was bubbling, stirring online buzz and seeming poised to jump up the charts. The song feels like an update of Janet Jackson’s “Rhythm Nation” work, with thin vocals and hazy atmospheric synths as proxy for the echoing 808’s of the Minneapolis sound.
Will PBR&B last? Will the Mariahs of the industry have to adapt? Considering Drake’s new single, “Started From the Bottom,” it’s anyone’s guess. If that song is any indication, the Champagne Papi is distancing himself from the less mainstream direction he pursued on much of “Take Care.” His new music has more staccato, more fronting and less emoting — and perhaps proof that PBR&B is only a fleeting trend.
A version of this article appeared in the Sunday, Aug. 25 print edition. Jake Folsom is music editor. Email him at [email protected].
Alex Pototsky • Sep 1, 2013 at 2:05 pm
Have a hard time accepting AlunaGeorge as PBR&B, maybe electro-soul if we’re applying labels, but not really in the same headspace as The Weeknd and Frank.