DX will be narrowing down the endless amount of music released during the course of a year to the essentials, providing readers with a list of the must-listen projects. Also be sure to check out our other lists: 

• The Best R&B Albums of 2021 …(so far)
• The Best R&B Songs of 2021 …(so far)
• The Best Rap Songs of 2021 …(so far)
• Catch up on all of the Best R&B Albums of 2020 and see who won our award for Best R&B Album of the year here.

This list includes albums released between Dec. 2, 2020 and Jan. 29, 2021

The Top New R&B Albums Of 2021 (December – January)

Contributing writers: Trent Clark, Kyle Eustice, Josh Svetz, Dana Scott, Brandon Caldwell, David Brake, Kenan Draughorne, Devon Jefferson, Michael Saponara & Jeremy Hecht.

Heaux Tales — Jazmine Sullivan

Jazmine Sullivan doesn’t even need to hit those booming notes to make powerful R&B. Sure, she can do that too. But her voice, so textured with a rich personality, makes even the most banal notes stars of the show. Sullivan has been a mainstay of R&B since her wildly successful 2008 album Fearless, which netted her a Billboard 200 Top 10 chart entry and scores of Grammy nominations. On Heux Tales, Sullivan has adapted to the times, recruiting H.E.R., Ari Lennox and the funky, MC/drummer Anderson .Paak. Digging into her deep bag of melodies and harmonies, Sullivan succeeded in releasing a rock-solid project that holds up exceptionally well in her stacked discography.

Collapsed In Sunbeams — Arlo Parks

Arlo Parks began her career as a poet in South London and the skills she amassed are still present in her music today. Parks has been dropping music since 2018, but began to catch fire with “Black Dog,” a monumental, heartbreaking single that hinted at the wealth of talent Parks had to offer. She’s in full control of her music, manipulating words into different shapes and sounds with ease. Collapsed In Sunbeams satisfies all expectations and certifies that Parks is one of the best living R&B songwriters.