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Renee Graham On The New, Blue-Eyed R&B

Allen Stone is one of Here & Now pop culture critic Renee Graham's favorite R&B singers. (Lonnie Webb)
Allen Stone is one of Here & Now pop culture critic Renee Graham's favorite R&B singers. (Lonnie Webb)

Here & Now pop culture critic Renee Graham has noted a trend recently: for the most part, the biggest acts in mainstream R&B music are white men.

Robin Thicke has his huge hit of the summer, “Blurred Lines.” Justin Timberlake has his album “The 20/20 Experience.” There’s also Mayer Hawthorne and Renee’s personal favorite, Allen Stone.

In the past, “blue eyed soul” might have been viewed with derision.

But Graham says nowadays “people just want to hear good R&B — they don’t really don’t care who’s making it, so long as the music’s there.”

Guest

  • Renee Graham, pop culture critic for Here & Now. She tweets @reneeygraham.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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