Although R&B is by far one of my favorite musical genres (neosoul, jazz and hip hop being the others), I must admit that it's not often that I sit down and listen to the smooth, heart-wrenching style outside of the context of the United States. Luckily for myself and others curious of how the genre has been reimagined around the globe, our friends at DAZED have selected a handful of South Korean music talents blending the traditionally-American sound with their own flow, style and subject matter. "The first notable developments in Korean R&B crop up with the debut of Seo Taiji & the Boys, often considered the godfathers of modern day Korean pop, around 1992" DAZED reminds listeners before delving into a few talents on the rise.

While Zion.T (pictured in the feature image above) pours out dreamlike vocals and jazz-infused melodies sure to put any increased heart rate at ease, Penomeco's Auto-Tuned sound retains a slightly emotional edge that pierces through the upbeat tempo and spills his heart out like melting, sonic liquid. Then there's honeyed vocalist Suran who takes her listeners on a journey to other worlds while incorportanig elements of hip hop into her sweet-toned efforts. Depending on preference, some listeners may enjoy the feel-good energy of Samuel Seo grounded by the sounds of Western hip hop, soul and R&B while others may flock to the easygoing nature of Rad Museum whose songs contain elements of rock and Latin music. Listen in the videos provided above and below as an introduction then head here to get the inside scoop of why these are the artists to watch out for in 2018.

Words: Vanessa Feder