On Friday (Sept. 6), Amazon Music launched R&B Rotation, a brand-new global playlist designed to highlight the best new R&B tracks each week. Curated by Rochelle Balogun — also behind Amazon’s recently-launched Rap Rotation — the playlist will update every Friday with the latest songs from both emerging and established stars in the genre.
“I find music everywhere. I could be at a restaurant having lunch, and overhear something that catches my ear on their sound system — and then wind up deep diving the artist’s catalogue on the way home,” Balogun tells Billboard of curating the playlist. “My quest for music discovery is endless. I am also very fortunate to have amazing relationships within the industry that afford me the ability to have legendary music exchanges with my friends and colleagues.”
Amazon Music will also use R&B Rotation to debut exclusive tracks in its Amazon Originals series, with something new coming weekly for the first month. First out of the gate is a cover version of Dionne Warwick’s hit 1964 single “Walk On By” by Ari Lennox, who released her acclaimed debut album Shea Butter Baby in May.
“With the launch of R&B Rotation, it was important to the team to showcase developing artists and introduce them to a wide amount of customers,” says Balogun.
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Balogun notes that she and her team are open to receiving pitches for playlist placements, which will extend to international R&B artists like Mahalia, Jorja Smith and Jessie Reyez, all of whom are included in the debut version of R&B Rotation.
Balogun, who serves as curator behind Amazon Music programming across the hip-hop and R&B genres, also spearheaded the creation of Amazon’s popular Hype Music playlist and oversees a variety of other playlists on the service including Top Hip Hop, Fresh Hip Hop and HipHop Hits. She has additionally highlighted such artists as Tayla Parx, Lucky Daye, Little Simz and Kemba as part of Amazon’s new artist series the Weekly One.
You can listen to R&B Rotation below, or visit the playlist here.