2021 Soul Train Music Awards: The Best and the Brightest
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The 2021 Soul Train Music Awards are just around the corner, and we can’t wait to see which artists take home the coveted trophies! From R&B and Hip Hop to Gospel and Jazz, this year’s nominees are some of the best and brightest in the industry.
Best New Artist
The 2021 Soul Train Music Awards are just around the corner, and there are a ton of artists up for the coveted Best New Artist award. This year has seen some amazing new music, so it’s going to be a tough competition. Who do you think will take home the award?
Yaya Bey
Yaya Bey is an American singer and rapper. She is a member of the group The Internet, and has released one solo album, “Theespian”, in 2020. Bey has been nominated for Best New Artist at the 2021 Soul Train Music Awards.
Roddy Ricch
Ricch’s debut studio album, Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial, was released on December 6, 2019, and features the singles “Start Wit Me” with Gunna, “Ballin'” with Mustard, “Antisocial” with Ed Sheeran, and “The Box”, which spent eleven weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100—becoming Ricch’s first number one single on the chart.
Pop Smoke
The ascending rapper was nominated for four awards, leading the pack with nods in the Best New Artist, Album of the Year, and Best R&B/Soul Male Artist categories.
A New York native, Pop Smoke’s career began to take off in 2019 following the release of his breakout mixtape, Meet the Woo. His debut studio album, Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon, was posthumously released in July 2020 and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album featured guest appearances from Lil Baby, Quavo, Tyga, Swae Lee, and Future.
Best R&B/Soul Male Artist
As the world anxiously awaits the 2021 Soul Train Music Awards, all eyes are on the nominees for Best R&B/Soul Male Artist. This year’s nominees are a diverse group of talented men who have made a significant impact in the music industry. Who will take home the prestigious award?
Khalid
As the world anxiously awaits the release of his forthcoming album, Khalid continues to wow audiences with his live performances and garner new fans with each passing day. His undeniable stage presence, combined with his soulful voice and magnetic personality, make him a force to be reckoned with in the music industry. At just 21 years old, Khalid has already accomplished more than most artists twice his age. He is a GRAMMY-nominated artist, a MTV VMA winner, and has achieved multi-platinum status in over 20 countries. With a sold-out world tour under his belt and a new album on the horizon, there is no doubt that Khalid is one of the most promising young artists of our generation.
Chris Brown
Chris Brown is an American singer, songwriter, dancer and actor. His debut album, Chris Brown, was released in November 2005. It peaked at number two on the US Billboard 200 and was later certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). With his first five albums all reaching number one on the Billboard 200, Brown is the first male artist to achieve this distinction. He has released nine studio albums, including eight consecutive number one albums on the Billboard 200.
The Weeknd
This Canadian R&B singer, songwriter, and record producer has been on the scene since 2010. His real name is Abel Tesfaye, and he was born in Toronto, Ontario. He is of Ethiopian descent. The Weeknd’s music is a mix of R&B, pop, and hip hop. He has released three studio albums, which have all been very successful. The Weeknd has won numerous awards, including three Grammy Awards and nine Juno Awards.
Best R&B/Soul Female Artist
For the ladies who brought the heat this year and made us believe in love again, the nominees for Best R&B/Soul Female Artist are Ledisi, Mahalia, Rubi Rose, Sevyn Streeter, and Summer Walker. These talented women have demonstrated their vocal prowess, creativity, and passion for music, and we can’t wait to see who takes home the trophy.
H.E.R.
H.E.R., whose name stands for “Having Everything Revealed,” is a two-time Grammy Award–winning singer, songwriter and producer. Born Gabriella Wilson in Los Angeles in 1996, she was exposed to music at an early age by her father, a musician who played keyboards in church. By the time she was 8 years old, she was writing her own songs; at 11, she signed a record contract with Sony Music.
Her debut album, H.E.R., was released in 2017 and featured the hits “Losing” and “Best Part” (featuring Daniel Caesar). The album earned her five Grammy nominations, and she won two, for Best R&B Album and Best R&B Performance (“Best Part”). In 2019, she released the album I Used to Know Her, which included the single “Hard Place.” The album debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart and earned her another Grammy for Best R&B Album.
H.E.R.’s music is often described as soulful and introspective; in an interview with NPR’s All Things Considered, she said that she wants her music to be “vulnerable” and “honest.” “I want people to feel like they’re not alone,” she said. “I want people to feel seen.”
Beyoncé
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and businesswoman. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Beyoncé performed in various singing and dancing competitions as a child. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as the lead singer of the R&B girl-group Destiny’s Child. Managed by her father, Mathew Knowles, the group became one of the world’s best-selling girl groups in history. Their hiatus saw Beyoncé’s theatrical film debut in Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002) and the release of her first solo album, Dangerously in Love (2003). The album established her as a solo artist worldwide, debuting atop the US Billboard 200 chart and earning five Grammy Awards.
Jhené Aiko
Aiko began her musical career contributing vocals to several B2K releases, as well as singing background for R&B group Marques Houston and rapper Lil’ Fizz. She signed to independent record label Elite Music Group in 2007 and released her debut mixtape, Sailing Soul(s), in the same year. After signing with Sony/ATV Music Publishing House, she released her second mixtape, Sail Out (2013). Aiko’s debut studio album Souled Out (2014) was supported by the single “The Worst”.
Aiko’s third studio album Chilombo (2020) debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, and received a grammy award nomination for Best R&B Album. “Triggered (freestyle)”, the lead single off Chilombo, became Aiko’s first number one on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. “Crew”, featuring American rapper GoldLink, peaked at number three on Billboard’s Hot R&B Songs chart.
Song of the Year
The 2021 Soul Train Music Awards are just around the corner, and the nominees for Song of the Year have been announced! This year’s nominees are a talented and varied bunch, ranging from established artists like Beyoncé and Bruno Mars to rising stars like Doja Cat and Megan Thee Stallion. So, who will take home the coveted prize?
“Black Parade” – Beyoncé
“Black Parade” is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé for her visual album Black Is King (2020). Written by Beyoncé, Derek James Dixie, Rick Rubin and make Anthony Rice, and produced by Beyoncé and Dixie, it was released on June 18, 2020 as the lead single from the album. A pop, R&B and neo soul song with trap influences, “Black Parade” celebrates blackness and African heritage. Upon its release, “Black Parade” debuted atop the US Billboard Hot 100 chart—making Beyoncé the first female artists to have three number-one songs in a single year—and remained there for three consecutive weeks. The song also peaked at number one in Canada, Denmark, Greece, Ireland, the Netherlands and New Zealand. “Black Parade” was nominated for Song of the Year at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards.
In October 2020, Complex ranked “Black Parade” at number two on their list of the best songs of 2020. In December 2020, Time placed it at number eight on their list of the 100 best songs of 2020. Pitchfork ranked it at number 21 on their list of the 100 best songs of 2020.
“The Box” – Roddy Ricch
Roddy Ricch’s “The Box” has won the Song of the Year award at the 2021 Soul Train Music Awards. The track, which was produce by 30 Roc and co-written by Ricch, also won Best R&B/Soul Song of the Year.
“The Box” was a breakout hit for Ricch, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and becoming one of the most streamed songs of 2020. The track is also nominated for Record of the Year and Best Rap Performance at the 2021 Grammy Awards.
“Savage” – Megan Thee Stallion ft. Beyoncé
“Savage” is a song recorded by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion and Beyoncé for Megan Thee Stallion’s album Good News. It was released as a single on April 29, 2020, through 1501 Certified Entertainment and 300 Entertainment. On the week of June 6, 2020, “Savage” debuted at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Megan Thee Stallion and Beyoncé’s second top-five entry on the chart as solo artists, following Beyoncé’s “Crazy in Love” and Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage (Remix)” with Beyoncé. Additionally, it became Megan Thee Stallion’s first number-one single on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart andBeyoncé’s fifth. It spent two weeks atop the latter chart.
At the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, “Savage” won Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song. At the 28th BET Awards, “Savage” won both Viewer’s Choice Award and Song of the Year while at the Soul Train Music Awards; it won Song of the Year making it Megan Thee Stallion’s first win.
Album/Mixtape of the Year
Every year, the Soul Train Music Awards recognizes the best and brightest in Soul, R&B, and Hip-Hop music. This year’s nominees for Album/Mixtape of the Year are a diverse and talented group of artists. Let’s take a look at the nominees.
“Chilombo” – Jhené Aiko
Released in March 2020, “Chilombo” is the third studio album by American singer Jhené Aiko. The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, selling 102,000 copies in its first week. It received positive reviews from critics, who praised Aiko’s vocal performance and songwriting abilities. “Chilombo” was nominated for Album of the Year at the 2021 Soul Train Music Awards.
Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial is the debut studio album by American rapper Roddy Ricch, released on December 6, 2019, through Atlantic Records. It features the singles “Start wit Me”, “Big Steppin'”, and “Tip Toe”, the latter of which peaked at number 27 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with 122,000 album-equivalent units, becoming Ricch’s first US number-one album.
In October 2019, Ricch announced that his debut album would be titled Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial. Along with the announcement he released the lead single “Start wit Me” featuringGunna. On November 22, 2019, he released the second single “Big Steppin'” and on December 5, 2019 he released the third single “Tip Toe” featuring A Boogie Wit da Hoodie. The album was executive produced by Hitmaka and features guest appearances from Lil Baby, Mustard, Meek Mill and Ty Dolla Sign among others.
The album received generally positive reviews from critics and debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, earning 122,000 equivalent units in its first week of release. It is Roddy Ricch’s first US number-one album.
“Black Is King” – Beyoncé
Beyoncé’s album “Black Is King” has been named the Album/Mixtape of the Year at the 2021 Soul Train Music Awards.
The album was released in July 2020 and was inspired by “The Lion King” and “Thelittle Mermaid”. It features music from a variety of genres, including R&B, pop, hip-hop, and Afrobeat.
“Black Is King” was Beyoncé’sthird visual album, following “Lemonade” (2016) and “Everything Is Love” (2018). It received positive reviews from critics, who praised its visuals and music.
