Grammys 2025: Expect past winners like Usher, Muni Long and Coco Jones to return to R&B categories
The past few years have been excellent for R&B. Look at some of the most recent Grammy winners in the genre. Artists like Coco Jones, Victoria Monét, SZA, and Beyoncé have notched massive hits that went on to win them trophies. For 2025 the conversation is a bit different, as this eligibility period hasn’t been as stacked as the past three years. Nonetheless, there’s a lot of good stuff in R&B right now, so let’s consider what’s in store for the field so far.
One frontrunner this year is Muni Long’s “Made For Me.” First, I have to clarify that the original studio recording of the song is ineligible, since it was submitted last year before it went viral. That said, the song will still be eligible to compete in Best R&B Performance, a category Long has won before, due to the famous live version performed at the Soul Train Music Awards. There’s also a remix featuring Mariah Carey, which could be entered for consideration instead. Either way, “Made For Me” is a very traditional song that’s also a huge R&B hit, topping both the R&B/Hip Hop and Mainstream R&B/Hip Hop airplay charts. It also peaked at number-two on the Adult R&B airplay chart, like her previous winner “Hrs and Hrs.”
Another winner who’s returning this year is Coco Jones. She recently released “Here We Go (Uh Oh),” which will likely be another hit for the starlet. At the last Grammys, she won Best R&B Performance for “ICU” in a tough race against SZA’s massive hit “Kill Bill,” likely due to how much more traditional “ICU” was. This year a similar thing can happen, as “Here We Go” follows in that same vein with its throwback sound. And speaking of SZA, who won two R&B Grammys at the most recent awards, she is set to return with “Saturn,” which has been the strongest contender of the season in terms of commercial success. The song is a hit both in pop and R&B formats, and might be very appealing to voters due to its use of live instrumentation and less of a progressive, urban sound than most of SZA’s hits.
It would also be wise to watch out for Usher, who has been having a great year, including his magnificent Super Bowl Halftime Show performance. Usher’s “Coming Home” will likely be a strong contender for a Best R&B Album win, but it remains to be seen if he will get many more nominations than that. Last year voters snubbed his huge hit “Good Good,” as well as his Adult R&B hit “GLU.” That said, with greater visibility due to the Super Bowl this year, maybe voters will take him into consideration more this time around. If someone were to steal the Usher album’s thunder, it could be Normani, whose highly anticipated solo debut “Dopamine” comes out this month. The former Fifth Harmony singer has a lot of hype, and although her lead single “1:59” has not been a huge hit, the song indicates that she will be making some sultry R&B in the tradition of past winners like Victoria Monét and H.E.R.
We must also consider certain industry favorites who are not necessarily top commercial players on the charts. PJ Morton‘s new album, “Cape Town to Cairo,” will be out this month as well, and will likely get Morton one or two nominations in the R&B field. Morton is a field favorite, winning another Grammy just this year against big stars like SZA and Babyface. There’s also Jacob Collier, whose “Djesse Vol. 4” features some major R&B cuts, including his viral cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge over Troubled Water” featuring Grammy winners Yebba, John Legend and Tori Kelly. Collier also has “Wherever I Go” with legend Michael McDonald and new vocal duo Lawrence, which might get a nomination as well. Finally, there’s Lucky Daye, who had a viral song a few years ago with “Over.” He is becoming a field favorite too, so expect his newest album, “Algorithm,” to get a good look, especially for its single “That’s You.”
Other artists might submit in R&B, but also be present in other genres. Beyoncé is the biggest example. “Cowboy Carter,” her newest record, is a country-Americana album, but Beyoncé typically submits something to R&B even when she leans outside of the genre, so she might send songs like “II Hands II Heaven,” “Levii’s Jeans” or even the breezy “Bodyguard” to this field. There’s also breakout star Tommy Richman, whose single “Million Dollar Baby” has so far peaked at number-two on the Hot 100. The song is reminiscent of Brent Faiyaz, so it could be slotted in this field. One might also expect Doja Cat to submit something here, perhaps her hit “Agora Hills,” which could honestly be suited for R&B, pop or rap. Last but not least, Ariana Grande’s “The Boy Is Mine” is a ’90s-R&B-style cut that’s slated for release as a single on June 7, so it might be her ticket to her first R&B noms, much like Justin Bieber’s “Peaches” brought that pop star into this genre just a few years ago.
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