Best R&B/Soul Albums of 2009 (So Far)

Prince has been in the music game for over 30 years now, but not only does he show no sign of slowing down, his music somehow manages to still sound as fresh as it did back in the early 1980s. On his latest work, a three-disc set that became available exclusively at Target stores on March 29, 2009, Prince proves that although he's in his 50s now, he still can be just as cutting edge and vibrant as he was 25 years ago. The three discs, Lotusflow3r (Lotus Flower), MPLSound, (Minneapolis Sound) and Elixer (Elixir), prove that he's still far more creative than maybe 95 percent of the artists making music today.

The title of India.Arie's fourth studio album, Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics, may be a little long, but its also highly accurate. That's because on the album sister India testifies about two things: romance and social issues. And although the love songs find India in a good place spiritually and emotionally, the political and social commentary songs show a different side of her: they reveal the soul of a woman who's very concerned with poverty and the well being of the people of the world. The album, released in the U.S on Feb. 10, 2009, is the most global-oriented music she's released to date.

Singer-songwriter Terius Nash, better known to most people these days as The-Dream, and best known for his 2007 hit "Shawty is a Ten" (aka "Shawty is the Sh*t") is back with a new album, Love Vs. Money (released in the U.S. on March 10, 2009). And like his debut album, Love/Hate (short for Love Me All Summer, Hate Me All Winter), this album can be divided into two types of songs: pop-oriented, radio-friendly tracks and drama-filled relationship tunes. And on both albums, it's the meaty stuff rather than the lightweight fluff that's the most compelling and worth repeat listening.

R&B lovers can sigh in relief at the release of Chrisette Michelle’s sophomore album, Epiphany. The album is laced with 12 tracks that infuse Chrisette’s signature jazz flavor with contemporary R&B. Mid-tempos and a slew of ballads, which are accompanied by some sparse "feel good" cuts, comprise the album. With the aid of songwriter-producer Ne-Yo, Epiphany successfully tackles many themes.

Ryan Leslie earns his living mainly as a music producer, so it should come as no shock that his self-titled debut album is well-produced. But what does come as a mild surprise is that Ryan can actually sing. He's not exactly a top-tier crooner like R. Kelly when it comes to vocal skills, but he's not an Auto-Tune addict like T-Pain, either. He's actually in between: a credible singer with a pleasant natural voice who makes up for his limited vocal range by sticking to his strengths. Ryan's debut, due in U.S. stores on Feb. 10, 2009, doesn't set the world on fire, but it does establish R-Les as a credible singer.

Although she's flown under the radar of the mainstream music world in recent years, Teena Marie has still managed to cultivate a career that most singers would envy. Over a career that's spanned more than 30 years, she's consistently managed to put out very good - sometimes great - music and has cultivated a very loyal following of devoted fans. And on her 13th studio album, Congo Square (released in the U.S. by Stax Records on June 9, 2009), Teena shows that although she may be getting older, her passion for music, creativity and voice are still as strong and powerful as they were during her peak in the 1980s.

It was a long 17 years between albums for ex-New Jack Swing crooner Al B. Sure!, but on his new release, Honey I'm Home, which came out in the U.S. on June 23, 2009, Al shows that he's still got it. Not every song on the album is perfect, but for the most part, Al's voice is still silky smooth and he still has knack for making romantic, sensual songs that women can fall in love with and men can definitely appreciate. Honey I'm Home is a tastefully produced, well-sung album that continues Hidden Beach Recordings' long streak of quality music that appeals to fans of sophisticated R&B and Soul music.

The album’s major strength lies in the variations of the love themes, which are embedded within many of the tracks. Izibor makes writing contributions to each song and this makes for a more personable vocal delivery. There are no ladies' anthems coercing women to kick their partners "to the left," no trite and overplayed sexual innuendos, and no mantras to bust out your cheating lover’s windows. Rump-shaking club bangers are nonexistent as the album is mainly comprised of ballads and mid-tempos. Izibor attempts to take us back to the days where singers sung about love and heartache, and adults acted like adults and not lovesick adolescents.

Melinda Doolittle may not have won the sixth season of the "American Idol" singing competition back in 2007, but along the way she did win several other things, including more confidence, good experience and plenty of fans. And on her debut solo album, Coming Back to You (released in the U.S. on Feb. 3, 2009), Melinda shows and proves once again that she's a strong - no, make that powerful - vocalist who's versatile enough to incorporate various musical styles, including R&B, Soul, Gospel and Pop, into her songs. On the list of R&B-leaning former "American Idol" hopefuls and winners, Melinda Doolittle's near the top.

Bosko is a young L.A. and Atlanta-based singer-producer-rapper with the skill set to one day be huge in both the R&B and hip-hop worlds. Or at least that's the case judging by his new EP, The Good Life Movement, which has been out for awhile on CDBaby.com but became available April 21, 2009 at major outlets. The eight-song EP, which Bosko himself wrote and produced in its entirety, is a blend of raw urban realness, buttery-smooth falsettos and funky Soul, R&B and pop. After listening to this EP, you'll wonder why Bosko isn't already a household name.

On J. Holiday's 2007 debut album, Back of My 'Lac, he had a few not-so-pleasant topics on his mind, like inner-city violence, being abandoned by his father and loneliness. But on his second album, appropriately titled Round 2 and released in the U.S. on March 10, 2009, Holiday seems to be in a much better place emotionally. And his well-being stands out on the album, which is essentially a collection of romantic ballads, some similar to his 2007 breakout single, "Bed." Round 2 is a well-sung, well-written, well-produced album, but the one negative is that it's a little bland and leans too much on love songs.