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Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys's 2001 debut album Songs in A Minor combined classical piano training with contemporary R&B and hip-hop-influenced production, and her formal musical education, including years of classical piano study, gave her songwriting an instrumental sophistication distinct from many R&B contemporaries. Her 2009 single "Empire State of Mind," a collaboration with Jay-Z, became one of the most enduringly popular songs specifically associated with New York City, frequently played at the city's major sporting events and public celebrations well beyond its original chart run. Keys has won 17 Grammy Awards across her career, reflecting sustained critical recognition alongside her commercial success, and her combination of genuine piano virtuosity and soulful vocal delivery distinguished her from R&B contemporaries relying more heavily on outside production and songwriting collaborators. Her continued advocacy work, including co-founding Keep a Child Alive to support children affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa, has extended her public influence beyond music into sustained humanitarian activism throughout her career.
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Usher
Usher's 2004 album Confessions sold more than 10 million copies in the United States alone, becoming one of the best-selling R&B albums of the 21st century and establishing him as the defining male R&B star of the early 2000s. His combination of technically precise dancing, drawing directly on Michael Jackson's influence, and his smooth, emotionally expressive vocal delivery made Usher one of the most complete R&B performers of his generation, equally regarded for his live performance ability and his studio recordings. Usher's mentorship of younger artists through his own record label, including his early discovery and development of Justin Bieber, extended his industry influence well beyond his own recording career into shaping the subsequent generation of pop and R&B stars. His sustained commercial relevance across more than two decades, adapting his sound across R&B, dance-pop, and hip-hop-influenced production trends while maintaining his core vocal and performance identity, has made Usher one of the most consistently successful R&B artists of the contemporary era.
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