Genre Case Study - R&B

What is R&B and what does it sound like?

                                                                                                           

R&B stands for rhythm and blues and is a type of music genre that consists of soul, funk, hip-hop, gospel, electronic dance, pop and rhythm blues music. Features of the genre include: drum machine-backed rhythms, an occasional saxophone-laced beat, and a smooth style of vocal arrangement. Lyrics of this genre normally relate to real life matters such as freedom, relationships, sex and aspirations. Most of the R&B music videos I have looked at are either performance or narrative and performance combined. 

How women and men are presented in R&B music videos

Women in music videos of the R&B genre are often objectified through the male gaze due to their costumes. Another code/convention of women in R&B music videos is that emphasis is often placed on their hair and makeup. Music is mostly gold’s and bold eyes with vibrant colours if the artists are known to be very unique and like to make statement.

Usually men in R&B music videos are wearing jeans and t-shirt, often by popular brands to boost profit for the bands are set trends for the audience. Often male R&B artists have tattoos and these are shown off in the music videos to give the audience an insight into the artists’ private life and make them feel connected. Another convention is that their jeans are often wore quite low to show off their V-line and therefore appeal to the audience. 

Defining characteristics/Codes and conventions of this genre

The term rhythm comes from the music’s dependence on four-beat measures and or bars. The term blues comes from the melodies and lyrics of the songs which were often sad. Over time Rhythm and Blues was shortened to R&B because it was more convenient. Soulful singing over a strong beat. R&B music of the 1950’s through to the 1970’s consisted of pianos, one or two guitars, bass, drums, saxophone and background vocalists. 

Iconography in the R&B genre

Men are often presented in a sexual way through their iconography. In comparison, women are often presented as being strong and independent, however there are still some music videos that use the male gaze which attracts the attention of the male audience.

Transformation of R&B genre

In the 1980’s most R&B music videos were performance based, however in the 90’s costumes started to change – becoming more casual and videos started to change from performance based to largely narrative based. In the 2000’s R&B became increasingly modern, with music videos becoming conceptual. Women began to be presented wearing less clothing along with an increasing use of the male gaze and most R&B music videos became sexualised. 

History of the R&B genre

The R&B genre has changed lots over the decades. The R&B genre first came about in the US in the 40’s. and it was an African American urban sound that developed from jazz and blues. The rhythm and blues term was used to replace the term ‘race music’ – after the term ‘race music’ was deemed to be offensive Billboard began using the term Rhythm and blues that Wexler created. In the 1950’s, hip-hop music rose and dominated the black social scene. R&B music in the 1950’s was thought of as no more than a ‘bunch of love songs’. 

Target Audience

The target audience for the R&B genre is mostly teenagers and young adults this is due to the stars featured in the videos. Male R&B stars like Chris Brown are attractive to the younger female audience whilst female R&B artists are attractive to young male adults due to the male gaze. The target audience is also young people due to the themes and meaning that are conveyed through the music videos. Most R&B music videos are linked to issues like freedom, sex and aspirations which young people can relate to; older adults may not be the target audience because they don’t understand the meaning that is being conveyed through the lyrics and visuals. Most R&B songs also revolve around fashion, money and the party scene which adults can’t relate to as much. I would say that the target audience for the R&B genre is mostly females rather than males as most male R&B artists are presented to attract a female audience but female R&B artists like Rihanna and Destiny’s Child provide music that is inspirational to young girls like songs about independence. However, a considerable percentage of R&B fans are also male due to the way that females are presented in R&B music videos – as sexual objects, excluding female artists that reinforce values of independence. 

Older influential music artists within this genre include: Mariah Carey, Lionel Richie, Whitney Houston, R. Kelly and TLC. Some of my favourite music videos by these artists:

- All Night Long by Lionel Richie

- How will I know by Whitney Houston

- No Scrubs by TLC

More modern and current music artists within this genre include: Rihanna, Khalid, Chris Brown and Bruno Mars. Some of my favourite music videos by these artists:

- Versace on the floor by Bruno Mars

- Wild Thoughts by DJ Khaled, Rihanna and Bryson Tiller 

- Unforgettable by French Montana and Swae Lee 

As you can see these are two videos of the same genre however they are very different; the changes to R&B throughout the years are reflected through the differences between the two videos. The first one is a narrative based music video with dancing and performing which links to the lyrics whereas the second one is more performance, the lyrics don’t really relate to the visuals and the male gaze is very evident.