THE WEEK IN R&B, October 25, 2026
John Legend's Muse and Halle's deluxe lead a big Friday, Bruno Mars sets a chart record, and Aaron Frazer is next.
THE BIG FRIDAY
John Legend released Muse on October 23 via Republic. Pharrell Williams produced all 16 songs, co-wrote the album and appears on six of them, and the black-and-white video for “Bodies On The Floor” with Clipse arrived the same day.
Halle added five new songs to love?... or something like it (Deluxe) to mark the album's first anniversary, including “love or something like it” with Lucky Daye and “potion.” Laila! followed her 2024 debut with We'll Never Be This Young Again, 12 self-produced songs led by “SO MUCH, SO MUCH.” Case shared the five-song Love Jones- The EP the same day as his VERZUZ with Carl Thomas, and VEDO's V brings in Sevyn Streeter on “Yes.”
SINGLES WORTH YOUR TIME
Snoh Aalegra followed “Karma” with “I Love You” and announced Legendary Love, her fourth album and her first since 2021, due November 13. Mahalia released “the 5 stages of heartbreak,” her first single as an independent artist, and Mannywellz and Odeal teamed up on “Cry On You.” Sinéad Harnett's “I Feel,” Dylan Sinclair's “Safe To Say” and Sleepy Brown's “Dooley Wap” with Big Boi round out the week.
THE NEWS
Bruno Mars set a new mark as “I Just Might” logged its 32nd week at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, the most in the chart's history, passing the 31 weeks of Kendrick Lamar and SZA's “Luther.” Tems' “What You Need” reached No. 1 on Rhythmic Airplay, and Drake became the first artist to pass 350 million RIAA-certified units, with “Marvin's Room” now certified Diamond.
On the radio side, Johnny Gill's “A Dance, A Kiss” climbed to No. 3 on Adult R&B Airplay, and Lucky Daye's “Nowhere Fast” became his fifth top 10 there. BET also named Chaka Khan the recipient of the Classic Soul Honor at this year's Soul Train Awards, airing November 27 on BET and CBS.
ON SOUND RNB
Our Issue 003 review of John Legend's Muse is up — 7.0, Solid.
SOUND RNB WEEKLY was refreshed Friday on Spotify and Apple Music with eight new songs, led by Snoh Aalegra's “I Love You,” which also tops this week's Friday Rankings. Every date below lives on our release calendar.
NEXT WEEK
Aaron Frazer releases the Corners EP on Friday, October 30 via Dead Oceans, his first solo project since 2024's Into The Blue, with “It's A Shame” and “Paint The Picture.” Kirk Franklin's I Am What I Am, the first double album of his career, arrives the same day with GloRilla, Davido and Karen Clark Sheard among the guests. Mariah Carey's Glitter turns 25 with a digital deluxe edition that adds 15 tracks, and Leela James shares a new single, “What U Need,” with a video.
ON STAGE
Victoria Monét now opens the Frequency Of Love Tour on Saturday, October 31 at 713 Music Hall in Houston, after canceling her Raleigh and New Orleans dates. Looking ahead, Lucky Daye's 24-city ALOUD! Tour starts March 2 in Orlando, and Cleo Sol takes her first tour, the Gentlewoman Tour, to North American arenas from April 13 at Madison Square Garden to May 1 in Oakland.
See you Friday.
