This past weekend at Coachella, one of the biggest music and arts festivals in the world, Kanye West joined Abel Tesfaye (aka The Weeknd) onstage, which I believe established The Weeknd as an A-lister in the music scene. And, for a good reason.

The Weeknd sounds exactly as he does live as on his records -- something that you unfortunately don't see often enough in the mainstream. He seems to have pioneered the hybrid between R&B and hip-hop music, a genre that has largely been popularized by his song "Earned It" on the 50 Shades of Grey soundtrack.

The Weeknd's music is full of dark lust, resounding emotion, and tender vulnerability. Check out my playlist "nextdoor" (above) for my favorites from The Weeknd in addition to other artists characterized by that same soulful, seductive style. In my first "ARTISTS SIMILAR TO" post, I'd like to show you some more artists I've been into lately who match The Weeknd's sensual quality, while creating nuanced styles of their own (for the notable tracks, refer to my playlist above):

PARTYNEXTDOOR

PARTYNEXTDOOR'S music is ruthlessly honest like The Weeknd's but, as The Fader writes, less emotionally "detached" than the Weeknd's tracks. Listen to PARTYNEXTDOOR if you're a fan of that dark aesthetic from The Weeknd.

NOTABLE TRACKS:
x "Break From Toronto" // This one features a gorgeous sample from Miguel's "Girl with the Tattoo," which is also featured in my playlist.
x "Wus Good / Curious" // No words needed.
x "Sex On The Beach" // I was stoked to hear a "Latch (feat. Sam Smith)" by Disclosure sample.

Miguel

Miguel's voice carries a lovely, bold seductiveness like The Weeknd, while with a more echoey howl that communicates an incredibly raw sense of emotional urgency.

NOTABLE TRACKS:
x "Girl with The Tattoo" // A short track, but one that really showcases Miguel's vocal talent.
x "Power Trip (feat. Miguel) // J. Cole's tougher raps contrast intensely with Miguel's softer vocals in this song.

Jeremih

Jeremih's music, while sharing that deep, alternative vibe from The Weeknd carries a more ghostly, breathy ambience, while sometimes more upbeat (and less lyrically moving) in a track like "Birthday Sex." His music seems to characterize more of a guilty-pleasure genre than one I'd be open to listening for emotional fulfillment.

NOTABLE TRACKS:
x "All The Time (feat. Lil Wayne & Natasha Moseley)"
x "Birthday Sex" // Definitely a notable hit from 2009.

Want more? Listen to J. Cole and Drake, also featured in my playlist above.

I've been into darker 'alternative R&B' music lately -- we're now in the era of left field R&B -- as I've found it accompanies late nights and moody days really well. While The Weeknd, Frank Ocean and James Blake
have already become well known in the new wave of male experimental R&B singers, female vocalists like
Banks, FKA twigs, Tinashe, SZA, Lykke Li, Megan James from Purity Ring, and Jhené Aiko represent some sultry voices that beautifully contrast with often intense and experimental downtempo beats, as well as influences from hip-hop and trap. The result is beautifully dark, intense music that gives off a heavy, badass and sometimes acidic aura. Listen to my playlist "N I T E" below. You'll also find some features from rappers like Ab Soul and Kendrick Lamar.

Listen Here

In this playlist, I'd like to highlight music from Banks. What I love about Banks is that in live performances, as in this NPR Tiny Desk concert (below), she sounds exactly as she does on her record -- something I usually expect but is often not the case. Her voice is breathy and vulnerable, and her tracks are layered with gorgeous samples, including one from a rising, yet still underrated producer Shlohmo (see "Brain"). While wearing mostly black, Banks maintains a delicate and still-feminine presence -- a powerful singer who I think you should stay on the lookout for; I have a feeling she'll be popping up in the mainstream soon.

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Thanks for listening! Stay turned for next week's post.