This summer had many great albums; some had us in our feelings and others had us dancing non-stop. It’s hard to keep up with all of the releases as they come out. I’m from the West Coast, so I wanted to highlight a few of my favorite R&B artists from California that you might not have heard of. All of these artists have worked with some of today’s top-tier talent, now it’s time to get to know their music from their perspective.
4 Albums From Rising California R&B Artists
August 08, Seasick
Album artwork for Seasick by August 08
The LA-based singer-songwriter, August 08 has been making bigger strides in the last nine months than ever before. In July of 2022, he signed a deal with Jhené Aiko’s label, Allel Sound, a distribution label of Def Jam. Previously, he was signed to 88-rising and worked closely with their artists.
I started following him when he dropped his album, Father, in 2018. I’m a fan of everything he does, from his production to his writing style, he’s one of a kind. In May, he dropped his EP, Toward the Sun. He followed that up with the EP, Toward the Moon, in July. Then, in August, he combined both projects and added two bonus songs to release a full LP titled, Seasick. It’s clear that August 08 is building up a solid momentum, and I don’t think he’ll be slowing down anytime soon.
Watch August 08 and Jhené Aiko “Water Sign” Music Video
Phabo, Before I Let Her Go
Album artwork for Before I Let Her Go by Phabo
Independent artist, Phabo has worked with other artists such as Kehlani, Duckwrth, Kyle Dion, and more. His new EP, Before I Let Her Go, has five songs that all mainly focus on him being conflicted about the girl he’s with and whether he should stay or go. Most people, at some point in their life, will reach that point in a relationship where they question whether they should stay or move on. In the end, someone usually always gets hurt. The project is 18 minutes and seamlessly flows from track to track. I definitely wish that it was longer, but it’s great for what it is. This project leaves me in anticipation to see what he does next.
Watch Phabo “Luv Me Back” Visualizer
Fana Hues, flora + fana
Album artwork for flora + fana by Fana Hues
Fana Hues made her mainstream debut on Tyler, the Creator’s 2021 song, “SWEET / I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO DANCE.” Since then, her career has only propelled. In March of this year, she released her sophomore album flora + fana. The 30-minute album has various cohesive themes of self-discovery, mental health, and heartbreak. This album is very calming, and her voice is so soft yet still captures my attention with the messages. I believe this is one of the best R&B albums of this year and it’s worth a listen.
Brandon Banks, Natural Progressions
Album artwork for Natural Progressions by Brandon Banks
In June, Inglewood native Brandon Banks released his debut studio album titled Natural Progressions. The album is very cohesive, with each song having a calm and mellow feeling, akin to the feeling one may get in nature. Natural Progressions is a very fitting title for Brandon as he is tries to be the best version of himself. Throughout the project he expresses a lot of pain and mixed emotions, almost as if he is battling himself in each song.
His music is very honest and reassuring that we as humans aren’t perfect. As we go through life, we are bound to reach our breaking point and lose control of ourselves. But it’s up to us to recognize our wrongs and be able to act on them and change accordingly. Brandon is a true artist to his core. Being able to be vulnerable and tell real stories isn’t too common nowadays and he did a great job with that on his debut.
