Apple Music's 'R&B Around The World' proves the culture is worldwide

It’s way bigger than what’s brewing around North America and Europe these days. Apple Music’s determined to make sure the culture of R&B is fully represented with its new R&B Around The World program set to shine the spotlight on talent across the globe.

Apple Music’s ‘R&B Around The World’

The platform is set to put the focus on weekly tunes coming from all over the place. R&B from Canada and the United Kingdom to Africa and Souther America is expected to receive ample attention.

Throughout the month of May, Apple Music will highlight the very best R&B artists from outside the US - with new radio interviews with the biggest international R&B artists including Ella Mai, Omah Lay, UMI, Col3trane, Chicocurlyhead and Davido, brand new playlists like Motherland Honey, special live "Home Sessions” with artists like Latenightjiggy and Shekhinah, Apple Music TV takeovers and more.

Each week will focus on a different region of the world, beginning this week with a closer look at the Canadian talent boom and the new generation of Canadian R&B artists like Amaal, Emanuel, Savanah Rè, RAAHiiM and Dylan Sinclair. Following weeks will highlight the incredible artists from the UK like Apple Music’s latest Up Next artist Jvck James as well as from Latin America, Africa and Asia.

Apple Music’s top dogs speak on the program

With the news spreading everywhere, Apple Music’s Ebro Darden and Alaysia Sierra Bragg-Miles have dished on the importance of the revamped attention to R&B culture.

“R&B music and R&B melodies, specifically, shaped most of what we hear musically in popular music today all over the world. Hearing international artists lean into more deliberate R&B music moods and writing is fantastic, because this is the truest expression of love articulated through joy & pain in all of music.” - Ebro Darden, head of hip-hop and R&B at Apple Music.

"With this campaign we want to spotlight and create intentional space for R&B artists from around the world. R&B is global and the last few years alone have shown just how global it can be with the success of “Essence” to “Love Nwantiti (ah ah ah).” It’s so important that we continue to support artists from the UK like Jvck James and Cleo Sol, Africa like Omah Lay and Fih Lah Lah, or even Latin America with latenightjiggy and Paloma Mami, these are voices that need to be heard. Not only does it create a world of new artists for people to discover, but also a fresh new perspective on what R&B can sound like and how it can evolve.” - Alaysia Sierra Bragg-Miles, R&B curator at Apple Music