Grammy-winner Joelle James began her music career by uploading covers to YouTube, which garnered the attention of Chris Brown in 2011 and led to her eventual signing with Interscope Records.
She left to embark on a new path in 2016 with Roc Nation. Throughout the years she has maintained her R&B roots, wrote countless hit songs for both herself and other artists.
For those of you who have read any of my past articles or have listened to any of my numerous radio shows, you know that I tend to focus on the micro-genre phenomenon, i.e. those weird new genre trends that are popping up on your Spotify and YouTube feeds. With every interview I love to ask the question; “If you had a micro-genre all of your own, how would you describe it? What would it be called and who would be in it with you?”
Considering James’ music has morphed from soulful R&B to a more pop infused R&B sound (think Jessie-J), I was very curious to hear her response.
James replied that her micro-genre would be called “unintentional pop” and include the likes of Ariana Grande and The Weeknd. Unfortunately I didn’t have very much time to pry her brain further on the subject and find out how she would describe this genre. However, considering the artists she included, I had an idea.
Considering Joelle’s shared background in R&B with the aforementioned artists, I would qualify “Unintentional Pop” as R&B that has enough pop to not be classified as R&B but enough R&B to not fit in the traditional pop constraints. So going off of my working definition, I compiled a short playlist of songs that I could see fitting in this genre.
Jerome – Lizzo
An anthem for anybody who has put up with childish behavior from a partner. This is one of the slower tracks on Lizzo’s 2019 album, Cuz I Love You. Although one of the slower songs on the LP, the track has a tempo that allows Lizzo’s insane vocals to shine through in this powerful ballad.
Good Days – SZA
Pay attention readers, it is only a matter of time till SZA becomes the next big thing. SZA takes inspiration from the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Groove Theory and Incognito which is part of the reason for her jazzy vocals. Her song “Good Days” from her 2020 album of the same name, has just the right amount of smooth R&B stylings matched with Jazzy rasp, creating a beautiful bridge between the two genres.
Safety Net – Ariana Grande ft. Ty Dolla $ign
Pretty much any Ariana Grande song could fit in this playlist Her smooth and powerful vocals are up to par with legends such as Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey, icons in the R&B pop fusion. The song “Safety Net” is about falling in love with somebody to the point that you don’t care about any possible consequences; you are just entirely smitten with them.
0:00 – BTS
BTS has taken the globe by storm. The Korean band has finally broken into the American mainstream with all English hits, “Dynamite” and “Butter,” however some of the best BTS songs are entirely in Korean. One of my personal favorites is “0:00,” a song about starting your day anew at the brief moment your clock flashes 0:00 between 11:59 and 12:00. This track only features the vocal line of the group (Jin, Jimin, V, and Jungkook), so there are some incredibly smooth and soulful vocals that give the song an R&B flare.
The Hills – The Weeknd
Before The Weeknd was pumping out synth heavy tracks like “Save Your Tears” and “Blinded by the Lights,” he was making new wave R&B hits. The Weeknd’s 2015 album, Beauty Behind the Madness, was full of amazing singles. However, one of the stand out tracks was “The Hills,” which was a deconstructed R&B song that had everybody in 2015 losing their minds.
Nurse’s Office – Melanie Martinez
Melanie Martinez is probably one of the most interesting and unique artists to have come into the music scene in the last 40 years. Always rocking her two-tone hair style and her 1960s kitsch aesthetic, her character, Crybaby, has been through quite a lot. In her last album K-12, Crybaby makes her way through school, with each of the 12 songs representing a different grade level. What made K-12 different from its predecessor Crybaby, is that Mel went full R&B hip-hop for this album and made each song an alternative R&B fusion. Her song “The Nurse’s Office” is probably one of my favorites off the record. Not only does it have some amazing
R&B vocals, but is also completely relatable to a kid who constantly
had to get “pink slips of permission”.
Peek-A-Boo – Red Velvet
Red Velvet is a well-known Korean girl group that features Irene, Seulgi, Wendy, Joy and Yeri. The group’s name actually is derived from the group’s musical styling. Red represents the pop side of the band while velvet describes the R&B and jazzy flare their songs have. “Peek-A-Boo” is probably one of the best examples of this polarity as it is both poppy and jazzy.
Apply Pressure – Joelle James
One of the singles off of Joelle James’ upcoming July record, “Apply Pressure” is a feel-good anthem to make it through adversity despite the obstacles. Similarly to a diamond, you just need to apply some pressure in order to shine. This track has a poppy beat reminiscent of beats from early 2000s R&B, but has a more playful energy giving the song a lively 2021 Summer Vibe.