Why you should get into K-RNB.

By Adeline Cheah Wei Li

17 NOVEMBER 2020 – R&B is a musical genre that stands for “Rhythm & Blues”. It was originally a term used to describe the blues-influenced music performed by African Americans. As many years go by, R&B has evolved into a genre that is included in many different languages. Such as Korean R&B. In comparison to K-POP, many K-R&B artists do not get as much recognition as K-POP idols. However, this is a music genre in the Korean industry that does not obtain the recognition it deserves.

Korean R&B Artist: CRUSH (left) & ZION. T (right) | Source: Khop Loyalist

The K-R&B scene includes some big names such as Zion. T and Crush. Overtime, this genre has been gaining popularity as many new artists join the scene, producing new sounds and beats that are unique to the ears. Here are some K-R&B artists that are worth listening to!

1. DΞΔN

A popular artist in both the international and domestic scene, Dean is a 28-year-old South Korean alternative R&B singer-songwriter. With the release of his debut EP, 130 Mood: TRBL, he has garnered a lot of positive attention from the public. A song recommendation for this artist would be “Instagram”.

K-R&B ARTIST: DEAN | Source: Joombas Co Ltd.

2. SURAN

Suran is a 34-year-old South Korean singer-songwriter that has beautiful vocals. Suran got her big break during a collaboration with popular boy group member BTS’ Suga in the song “WINE”. The song features a range of melodic beats that go along well with Suran’s soothing voice. Although most of her songs include collaborations with other artists, she is more than capable of producing her own music as seen in her single, “I Feel”.

K-R&B ARTIST: SURAN | Source: MillionMarket

3. CRUSH

K-R&B ARTIST: CRUSH | Source: P NATION

Crush is a South Korean R&B and Hip-Hop singer that debuted on April 1st, 2014. His official debut single, “Sometimes”, peaked at number 8 on the Korean charts. He is currently signed under the label “P Nation” that is owned by popular South Korean singer, PSY, who has released hit singles such as “Gangnam Style” and “Gentleman”. A good song that many fans recommend newcomers to listen to would be “Fall”.