Keke Palmer, Kenyon Dixon, Terrace Martin, kwn, And More New R&B To Talk You Through It

This week in R&B, there are a lot of drops to talk you through it and get you through it.

From new offerings from Keke Palmer, kwn, Kenyon Dixon, Terrace Martin, Halle, Khamari, Jane Handcock, Yaya Bey, and more, there’s something here for whatever mood you find yourself in. Some of these new releases also reference ’90s classics like D’Angelo’s “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” and Guy’s “Piece Of My Love.”

Check out VIBE’s top new R&B picks below.

Keke Palmer – Just Keke

Keke Palmer’s Just Keke is her best album to-date. It’s a comical, open visual story of her rocky relationship with her son’s father, stepping into her “grown and sexy” era— all while being this booked and busy superstar.

It’s no easy feat being Keke, but she does it with grace, growth, and a support system. Produced by close friend, Tayla Parx, Keke’s new album answers fans’ questions and offers rare insight into Keke, the woman.

“The time has come. I know we have created many moments together but this time it’s different because I’m different. You all have been watching me evolve and become, again and again and again. As you already have realized this piece isn’t just an album but an expression of all I am and all I’ve built with you,” said Palmer. “My humor has always been a source of soothing for me, being campy is how I express the sometimes deep sorrow I know and the duality we all live. Life is so many things but art allows me to process and time stamp and move on and this is my greatest walk yet! And finally what, the doll has ARRIVED.”

She dedicated Just Keke to her son, Leo, and “every single soul who poured into me and helped shape the woman I’ve become.” Standout tracks include “Off Script,” “125 Degrees,” “Amnesia,” and “Unless It’s You.”

Kenyon Dixon, Terrace Martin – Come As You Are

Terrace Martin and Kenyon Dixon’s joint album, Come As You Are, is both a love letter to R&B, jazz, and Hip-Hop as much as it’s a tribute to South LA. The effortless marriage of melody and lyricism is on full display and is tugging on our heart strings.

“From the soul of Watts to the heart of the Crenshaw District, I feel we have painted the best piece for its time,” Martin stated. Dixon added, “‘Come As You Are’ is about freedom in every sense, creative freedom, cultural freedom, and personal freedom. Me and Terrace came up in different environments, but we were both raised in that balance between the church and the city. It shaped us. This album is what happens when you stop trying to compartmentalize who you are and just let it all live in the music. The spirit, the soul, the streets, the musicianship— it’s all there. No labels, no boxes. Just real expression. That’s the point. You don’t need permission. Just show up as yourself.”

That warmth, connection, and foundation is heard on “Isley’s Hymn”— which features Kenyon’s daughter, Isley-Rose— as well as “211,” “Tyrese,” and “Circle Of Love.”

kwn – with all due respect

kwn is making their mark on R&B on release at a time. With the arrival of her debut EP, with all due respect, kwn gifts listeners with a project that’s both elevated and nostalgic.

kwn shared, “This project is me setting a foundation for myself in R&B. I’ve done a few great features this past year and now I want people to start taking me in for who I am as an artist. I feel a lot of people had previously been sleeping on me & doubting me. With all due respect, they should have never done that. Bow!”

Standout tracks include “worst behaviour” with Kehlani, “stand on it,” and “back of the club.”

Halle – “Braveface”

Halle Bailey first previewed “Braveface” back in November during an intimate performance at The Sun Rose in Los Angeles.

The chilling, vulnerable track, co-written by RAYE, is Halle’s most honest release to-date as she opens up about her postpartum journey. “It’s reflective of the mindset I’ve been in, especially since having my baby [in 2023]. My mental has been everywhere,” Halle shared.

While still finding herself post-birth and managing obligations as a single mom and artist, Halle beautifully relates to other women facing similar battles.

Khamari – “Sycamore Tree”

Khamari has been one of the top R&B crooners to watch, but interpolating his latest single, “Sycamore Tree,” with D’Angelo’s “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” has put him into another stratosphere.

Described as “gentle and powerful,” the tune reflects on the “complexities of loving an emotionally distant person” while finding the balance between “safety and suffering.”

Khamari explained, “The song captures how something subtle can slowly take over your life— consuming you with desire until you lose your sense of direction. It’s deeply rooted, yet always just out of reach. I wanted the music to mirror that journey, starting soft and growing into something beautifully dramatic.”

Following the success of his debut album, he’s been teasing his sophomore with “Head In A Jar” and “Sycamore Tree.”

Jane Handcock – “Can’t Let Go”

Jane Handcock is back with her new sultry tune, “Can’t Let Go.”

From the song’s opening, Handcock sets the tone of temptation and surrender with “I know that this is wrong, creepin’ in the night, just you and I…” As she loses control of her moral compass, she can’t seem to free herself from this lover’s intoxicating grip.

It comes on the heels of “Stingy” and has us so ready for her next album.

T-Royal – “Piece of My Lovin’”

If Teddy Riley and Chris Brown merged, you’d have T-Royal. The budding Atlanta-bred crooner is welcoming fans into his world with “Piece of My Lovin’.”

Produced by Mr. Hanky, the seductive track feels like a reimagined version of Guy’s “Piece Of My Love.”

“It feels like one of those real love songs you’d hear in the 90’s, but it still hits today,” T-Royal noted. “Mr. Hanky really helped tap into something that feels timeless and true to me.” If this serves as the taste of what’s to come with his debut project, East Atlanta Superstar, we’ll be tuned in.

Yaya Bey – do it afraid

Yaya Bey is back with her new album, do it afraid. Marking a new musical chapter for the layered artist, Bey’s rawness and hypnotizing storytelling dominate the LP.

“I wrote this album from the most vulnerable parts of me, which contrary to what many people want to believe about me, is not my trauma but my desire to love, to feel joy…to be free,” she explained in a statement. “In this life, pain and loss are promised to us; it takes real courage to dance in the face of the inevitable. To savor the now and make it beautiful. I come from a people who are masters at this. Onlookers like to make a spectacle of us. Rob of us of our nuance. But the truth is we are brave, resilient and joyful. I made this album for us. May we continue to do it afraid.”

Standout tracks include the sentimental “real yearners unite,” the bold “wake up b*tch,” the magical “dream girl,” and the mesmerizing “spin cycle.”

Teddy Swims feat. BigXthaPlug – “All Gas No Brakes”

Teddy Swims linked up with BigXthaPlug for their groovy collab, “All Gas No Breaks.”

As he sings, “All gas, no brakes/ That’s the only way that I operate/ If I’m gonna love you, I’m gon’ love you, babe/ If I’m gonna learn my lesson, learn the hard way,” we swoon over the idea of a man being this direct about how in love he is. It’s tender and sweet like prior drops, “Are You Even Real” with GIVĒON.

The record is the latest from Swims’ I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Complete Edition).