Spotify has unveiled its inaugural class of R&B Artists To Watch. The coveted list consists of Coco Jones, FLO, Alex Vaughn, Q, RAAHiiM, Fana Hues, DESTIN CONRAD, Dylan Sinclair, LAYA, and JVCK JAMES. The roster of thriving stars dominated R&B this year and will additionally be featured in Spotify’s newest playlist, R&B Rising, designed for emerging artists.
“Being a Spotify Artist to Watch is so so so delicious to my soul, and very very exciting,” Jones, 25, exclusively shared with VIBE. “I feel like I have wanted these types of acknowledgments for a long time, and who better than to tell me I’m doing a good job than Spotify themselves?”
Fana Hues also added, “It’s such a cool thing to be part of Spotify’s Artists to Watch this year. I’ve been trying to expand my audience and build my supporters and to have Spotify supporting me this way… it means a lot.”
Alaysia Sierra, Spotify’s Head of R&B, also spoke with VIBE via email about their latest endeavor. “Spotify champions artists at every level of their career, which is why we’re excited to announce our first ever R&B Rising 2023 Artists to Watch list,” they explained.
“R&B is thriving and full of emerging talent from around the world. Its influence on music globally is undeniable. The genre’s versatility is unmatched, and this class of artists proves that. From FLO’s power of the girl group; Q’s calling of 80’s nostalgia; Destin Conrad’s undeniable pen to CoCo Jones’s captivating vocals and Dylan Sinclair’s embrace of his church roots—the future of R&B is infinite.”
In 2022, Jones released her debut EP, What I Didn’t Tell You, under Def Jam and was featured on Babyface’s hit compilation, Girls Night Out, while FLO’s breakout single, “Cardboard Box” took the world by storm.
The Bel-Air star alongside Alex Vaughn, FLO, JVCK JAMES were featured on VIBE’s Best R&B Songs of 2022 and Best R&B Albums of 2022 lists.
Listen to the R&B Rising playlist below.
