From body-rolling slow jams to funky soul tunes, to chill electro-pop, R&B in 2013 had a little something for everybody.
The Weeknd, Kiss Land
XO/Republic
Kiss Land is what you'd expect from the mysterious Abel Tesfaye — moody, dark, filthy, troubling, sexy — but on the next level. The title track's twinkling backdrop and drum beat is punctuated by the horror-movie screams of a woman, which just adds to the building tension, given the extremely dominant overtones that Tesfaye channels. As long as you don't pay too much attention to some of the more troubling lyrics that only accentuate Tesfaye's complicated ideas about women and relationships, the album's a smooth listen. — Aylin Zafar
Jhené Aiko, Sail Out
Def Jam
