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SZA
SZA's 2017 debut album Ctrl became a critical and commercial breakthrough, blending R&B with alternative and indie influences, and its unusually candid, anxious lyrical exploration of insecurity and romantic uncertainty distinguished her songwriting from more conventionally confident R&B lyrical themes. Her 2022 follow-up album SOS spent multiple weeks atop the Billboard 200 and became one of the best-selling R&B albums of the decade, reflecting SZA's growth from a critically acclaimed but commercially modest debut into one of the genre's most dominant contemporary stars. SZA's willingness to publicly discuss anxiety about her own musical output and perfectionism, including lengthy delays between album releases driven by her own self-critical process, gave her a relatable, less polished public persona distinct from more tightly managed pop star images. Her combination of genre-blending production, unusually vulnerable songwriting, and sustained commercial dominance in the early 2020s has made SZA one of the most significant and influential R&B artists of her generation, shaping the sound of numerous subsequent younger artists in the genre.
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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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