2025 has been a complete vibe for R&B and Soul. We’ve counted down our the 25 best R&B albums of the year. Some of the most exciting new names in R&B made their mark in 2025 with EPs that make a statement. Kwn, Odeal and Elmiene are just some of the artists that dropped 2025’s best R&B EPs. And now we’re waiting with anticipation for their debut albums. Bold voices, enriched stories and grooves that stick. These R&B EPs are the ones you need in rotation.
Odeal – The Summer That Saved Me
A glowing blend of Afrofusion, alté and soulful R&B, this EP radiates newfound freedom and summer-toned vitality after Odeal’s return to London.
Start with – Miami
KWN – with all due respect
with all due respect is a late-night R&B confessional tape, mixing smoky, intimate vocals with an overall vibe that simply oozes all of the feels of R&B.
Start with – back of the club
Gabriel Jacoby – Gutta Child
Gutta Child plays like a coming-of-age diary. It fuses funk, Southern-leaning Soul, a range of R&B sounds across the ages, rap cadences and tender hooks into something raw but intriguingly polished. A November drop that turns out to be one of the year’s best R&B EPs.
Start with – be careful
Naomi Sharon – The Only Love We Know
Naomi Sharon delivers smooth, dreamy soul that leans into the messy layers of letting go and choosing yourself. A stunningly beautiful R&B EP that has us pining for more.
Start with – Bittersweet
Joe Kay – If Not Now, Then When?
Soulection founder, Joe Kay curates a palette of future-soul, R&B and subtle club textures, using guests like Amaria, Isaiah Falls and Dylan Sinclair to sketch different shades of intimacy and motion.
Start with – Moonlight ft. Isaiah Falls & Merges
Alex Isley – WHEN
Alex Isley delivers feather-light, harmony-rich R&B that feels both nostalgic and sharply written.
Start with – Mic On
Orla Rae – orla
Orla Rae’s debut is a compact, UK-grown blend of alt-R&B and soul, where conversational songwriting sits over woozy, subtly jazzy production.
Start with – FOMO
Ama Louise – Long Story Short
Leaning fully into her lover-girl R&B bag, Ama Louise turns overthinking, heartbreak and hope into tender, confessional songs that feel like voice notes to your closest friend.
Start with – Send Your Loving
Elmiene – Heat The Streets
Elmiene channels classic soul romanticism through modern R&B production, letting big, vulnerable vocals sit on top of grooves that move from warm to gut-wrenching. On Heat the Streets, Elmiene shows he’s a student of R&B greats like D’Angelo, Craig David, Usher and more.
Start with – Miss Hot July
Amber Navran – Dreaming
Dreaming is a soft-focus blend of neo-soul, jazz and R&B, full of gentle grooves, intricate harmonies and the kind of songwriting that feels like a late-night conversation.
Start with – So Good
