Leading up to the Grammy nominations on Nov. 7, Rolling Stone is breaking down 10 different categories. For each, we’re predicting the nominees, as well as who will (and who should) win on Grammy night.
This past eligibility season saw young, hot stars like Leon Thomas, Givēon, and Coco Jones put a distinctly old-school touch on their music that’s likely to land them in the general Best R&B Album category. It makes the race one of the most exciting in years. “R&B, in both its traditional form and its progressive iterations, reminds us that it’s not only here to stay but about steering culture forward,” says Alaysia Sierra, Head of R&B Editorial at Spotify. “The genre continues to shape today’s sound, whether leading directly or flowing through pop heavyweights like Justin Bieber, Teddy Swims, and Bruno Mars. Its influence remains undeniable and enduring.”
The umbrella is consistently wide when talking about rhythm and blues — a heavily racialized genre that has historically informed the work of a diverse swath of the world’s biggest pop stars, including Bieber, who has advocated for the Grammys to categorize his R&B-leaning work as just that. With his subversive, surprise LP Swag, he may finally score a nod in an R&B category, too.
Best R&B Album – Our Predictions
Mary J. Blige, Gratitude
Leon Thomas, Mutt
Teyana Taylor, Escape Room
Coco Jones, Why Not More
Givēon, Beloved
Who Will Win?
Leon Thomas, Mutt
“A win for Leon wouldn’t just feel deserved — it would feel inevitable,” says Yan Snead, who heads R&B programming at Pandora. “If he takes this home, there’s nothing to question or critique.” Granted, the Grammys are not necessarily known for uncontroversial wins, particularly when it comes to Black music, but Thomas’ impact over the past three years — and the last year in particular — is undeniable. The former Nickelodeon star (he played a talented musician alongside one Ariana Grande on the hit show Victorious) has been building a grown-up name for himself for some time, but became a breakout star for his Grammy-winning, behind-the-scenes contributions to SZA’s “Snooze” (paired with R&B legend Babyface, too) from late 2022’s long-dominating SOS. Then came his own smash “Mutt,” a sexy, smoky R&B number, which was certified platinum this spring after catching fire across the internet and IRL, too. Another Grammy favorite, Ledisi, even put Thomas on the phone with the legendary Stevie Wonder, who surprised Thomas with his own rendition of the track. “Mutt” slightly predated Thomas’ album of the same name, filled with more slick, earnest R&B about life and love in the fast lane.
Who Should Win?
Leon Thomas, Mutt
“This album, from top to bottom, is a masterclass in taking R&B and making it your own,” says Spotify’s Sierra. While there’s a lot of heat that could light up this category, Thomas’ ability to simultaneously capture the zeitgeist, reinvest fans in the genre, reel in new ones, and reinvigorate the sound is pretty one-of-one here. Mutt is the only album of our predicted nominees to still be sitting on the Billboard 200 today, after peaking at No. 35 in June — three months to a year after its release. “From critically acclaimed performances to a wave of collaborations that showcased his versatility and musicality, he’s evolved from someone with everything to prove into an artist who has arrived and is fully in his element,” adds Snead from Pandora.
Forecasting the Field
Again, Thomas’ potential and deserved win is not for a lack of real competition. Mary J. Blige’s Gratitude is some of her pioneering hip-hop soul at its recent best, Teyana Taylor’s Escape Room was a welcome musical resurgence (following a four-year retirement) from the multi-hyphenate, and Coco Jones’ vocals and creative range are only growing more powerful with each release. However, Snead notes that Givēon has a strong case for taking home the Gramophone, too. Beloved, his testament to the luxury and longing of 1960s and 1970s R&B still feels timely and true to his distinct voice and impact in the modern landscape. (It earned a four-star review at Rolling Stone from this writer, too.)
“It’s easily one of the most compelling R&B albums of the year, and another one I haven’t been able to step away from since its release,” Snead says. “The lush production, the intimate and captivating storytelling, and the sheer control and agility of his vocals remind us why Givēon has become such a defining voice of my generation. If he takes this win, it would feel more than justified. Shoutout to whoever broke his heart, because we definitely got a classic.”
