Music is arguably the greatest sanctuary for anyone who suffers from anxiety. Never too overwhelming or requiring too much labor, a great song can wash over you and silence all the existential unease. But while certain genres like hip-hop can have a mix of hard and soft tracks, R&B almost exclusively deals in warm songs of love and eternal affection.
Consequently, Noisey has selected four R&B songs that’ll calm your nerves and ease your mind in this tumultuous world.
four Essential R&B Songs to Calm Your Nerves Whenever you Struggle With Anxiety
“Send It On” by D’Angelo
Artists rarely achieve the kind of pure, unabashed love D’Angelo reached on “Send It On”. He dedicates the record to his firstborn son and depicts a spiritual connection unburdened by the world’s imperfections. Though he can’t read their inner thoughts, he’ll channel his love to quell any anxiety or uncertainty. Whenever his baby boy needed reassurance, he would always provide the unconditional love only a parent could give to their child.
“Get On Up” by Jodeci
While most party jams have an electric energy that might make your anxiety spike, Jodeci depicts their party as an idyllic paradise on “Get On Up”. Drinks are flowing, guys and girls are flirting so they can hook up later, and the music is hitting just right. While the idea of heaven in religion is pure and cloudy, the iconic R&B group argues that we can reach that bliss with the right function.
“Passionfruit” by Drake
A great R&B Drake record can feel like a massage to the senses. In decades past, the genre had very powerful, stirring singers who would navigate when to hit their highs on a record. But Drake operates in a steady, chill space due to his limitations as a singer, to the point that fans can sing along with him and never feel too embarrassed.
As a result, his songs never overwhelm, for better or worse. Take the pristine “Passionfruit”, where Drake navigates the fuzzy texture of the production while never raising much of its heart rate. His soft crooning about long-distance relationships can render somber but never heartbreaking, creating an anxiety-free space. It’s addictively sweet in its production and relieving for any chronic overthinker.
“Send One Your Love” by Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder’s entire discography is loaded with records that’ll ease your mind from the world’s noise. A song like “As” is the embodiment of love, in romance, family, platonic, and spiritual alike. But it’s the serene chords on “Send One Your Love” that’s bound to calm your nerves.
Dig into his rich songwriting, too, and you’ll find a beautiful resolve about the need for love as people on this earth. “I know that people say two hearts beating as one is unreal/And can only happen in make-believe stories/But, so blind they all must be, that they cannot believe what they see/For, around us, are miracles of love’s glory,” Stevie croons. Anxiety just melts away when listening to a great Stevie Wonder record.
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