R&B? PBR&B? Who cares! It's Music!

I just want to say that I’m feeling Frank Ocean and The Weekend’s new direction of R&B music. The reason is they are blurring lines of what is considered R&B. Some people on the Internet are even labeling them as “PBR&B.” In other words meaning that this R&B music is more hipster friendly. Many people think that the labels “R&B,” “PBR&B,” and “Hipster” in it selves are derogatory but I don’t have the time or enough research to defend those arguments. This is not some type of sociology assignment. I’m just discussing two artists who have my full attention, and they just so happen to fall in some obscure R&B category. All in all it’s just music that some people like and some people don’t.

Now back to my original topic. I like R&B. No wait let me rephrase that. I love R&B music. It was the first type of music that I remember ever hearing when growing up. It has come a long way and again this is not going to be a history lesson of R&B music. That would take another 20 pages or so. We all know how R&B evolved, perfected, peaked, and maybe losing a little luster. But I’m in no way bashing on current R&B artist for they have definitely set a foundation and are still successful.

However, through my ears I feel The Weekend and Frank Ocean are creating fresher sounds and using samples that cross between a few musical tastes and genres. One example is from The Weekend’s song “What You Need,” off their mixtape “House Of Ballons.” They pay a nice homage to R&B princess Aaliyah by sampling a few lines from her song “Rock the Boat.” It’s a slow song about a love triangle, with a catchy chorus, a haunting singing voice, backed up with soothing keyboard and drumbeats. ‘They also sample from Beach House with “Loft Music” to the British rock band, Siouxsie and the Branshiee’s “Happy House” sample on the titled track, “House of Balloons/Glass Table Girls.” (via MTV) The Weekend is definitely more in touch with their rock and roll side and makes me respect them more as artists. They opened up a few musical directions and sounds I’ve never myself took a chance to listening to and blending it with their own R&Bish way. They creatively introduced a die-hard R&B fan like to be more conscious of some great indie rock.

Another example is From Frank Ocean’s current Mixtape “Nostalgia/Ultra.” He samples artists such as MGMT, Radiohead, Cold Play and a few others. He turns these songs into his very own. It’s something a person would have to listen to other than me trying to describe it in words. All I can say he is a very clever artist and has an amazing talent in writing songs, creating images, and nuances. Frank Ocean aka Christopher "Lonny" Breaux has written songs for artists such as Brandy, Beyonce and Justin Beiber, so he is definitely part of the Top 40 R&B world. Basically he has a talent that can cross over and reach out to listeners who are not that much into R&B music and then the even more beautifully thing, vice versa!

Isn’t that what music is all about anyways? Finding someway to express a feeling or a sound that can blur lines of segregation and connect people together. I think so.