Kiana Fitzgerald
Kiana Fitzgerald is a freelance music journalist, cultural critic, and DJ. She writes for the world from deep in the heart of Texas.
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The R&B stalwart has long vibrated on a different wavelength than do his contemporaries; in a turbulent, bruising world, he's stayed rock-steady.
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Out of nowhere, Kendrick Lamar dropped a new record this week, called untitled unmastered. Reviewer Kiana Fitzgerald says that listening to these demos "feels like we're playing catch-up."
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There was plenty of R&B in 2015, from artists like The Weeknd in the mainstream to lauded up-and-comers like Kelela. Here are 10 worthwhile albums and EPs that may have slipped through the cracks.
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Best known for hard-hitting hip-hop beats, the Nigeria-raised, L.A.-based production duo uses its debut album to showcase its ability to flip the script — again and again and again.
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Going off his bars, you could assume Fortune is playing the part of the nihilistic, narcissistic rapper. But now he's showing us that's not the case. Not by a long shot.
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The rising R&B star came out with guns blazing and performed fleshed out versions of her new songs.
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The singer-songwriter has been resisting the R&B label, but on her new song — ostensibly about a breakup — she sounds like she might be wavering.
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For a couple years now BJ The Chicago Kid has been the answer when rappers need a little help baring their souls. Watch him step into the spotlight at NPR Music's show during CMJ.
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Surrounded by unfinished and leftover Mardi Gras floats, Boykins pulls back the layers of his song "4 U 2 B Free," matching his performance to the exposed, vulnerable characters surrounding him.
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Smith has a steady, well-trained swell of a voice and a knack for whipping in and out of his falsetto in a hairsbreadth. He doesn't feel the need to hide — certainly not by stifling his vocal skills.