This list was slightly harder to crack than the dudes. There is way more star power on the female side of the R&B coin. Let’s start off with someone on the downside of things:
10. Ciara
Let me be the first to break some bad news: Ciara is DONE. She had a flame when she started but now she’s just garbage. Her only real sure-shot single on her album was “Turntables,” and that one got fugged up with the Chris Brown backlash. One has to wonder if she’ll recover. But she obviously couldn’t sing anyway. The BET Awards made that obvious to everyone, in her attempts hat hitting MJ’s notes.
9. Chrisette Michele
Consider her the new girl on the Def Jam block. She sold pretty decently on her first album, considering she only had one real impact single – and it was only on adult radio. This time Def Jam did some interesting marketing, selling her album for $3 on Amazon, in order to top Ciara. While that doesn’t necessarily means he’s a bigger star at the moment, it does mean she’s on the rise while CiCi is falling. “Epiphany” was a decently big single, and there’s lots of stuff on the album that could be singles.
8. Jazmine Sullivan
While I would’ve liked to put her higher, she does get here mainly on the strength of her near-classic debut album, Fearless. She had three singles and is now making the guest appearance rounds with a shot on the next Jada single, “Smokin Gun,” and Ace Hood’s “Champion.” Her and Chrisette are the new faces of the soulful side of R&B (and maybe Estelle too) and its nice to see her doing big thangs.
7. Keyshia Cole
Keysh is doin her thang, but she flamed out a bit with this latest album. She’s still a bigger star than Keri, but I would say right now Keri’s shining a little brighter. Both of her first two albums had single after single, but this one went pretty slept on. However it did still sell pretty well, so there’s still that.
6. Keri Hilson
Lots of competition in the R&B Chicks category. So much so that the new “it chick” is all the way down at 6. “Turnin Me On” and “Knock You Down” were fairly big hits, and i suspect “Get Your Money Up” will follow suit. She’s on the cover of various magazines and is doin it real big as a spokeswoman. Might I add that she’s gorgeous. Now if she’ll ever get to talking about those barbs she threw at Beyonce and Ciara….
5. Mary J. Blige
Mary was very hard to place on this list. In the end, she’s still Mary. She still pumps out modest hits, and sells millions. But she’s not quite as “it” as some of the other girls on this list.
4. Mariah Carey
Will she come back to the top with her new release? “Obsessed” is starting to take over radio. She sort of caught a dry spell during the E=MC2 album, but it was actually a pretty dope album. (A dry spot, for her, is 2 mil in the US) .
3. Alicia Keys
Very much out of the spotlight for about the past year, A-Keys is still a very huge star. But she’s been very silent amidst rumors of being a homewrecker in the Swizzy/Mashondra soap opera. Nevertheless, you can’t deny star power – and she’s one of the biggest stars int he game.
2. Beyonce
Tons of drama surrounding Bey at the BET Awards. Well, mainly from her supposed threat to protest the awards if Letoya Lucket performed on the same bill. Well, LeToya isn’t exactly a threat to her. Maybe a threat to her sister more. Hmm….that might be it, actually.
1. Rihanna
Rih Rih is still queen of the world, for now. At least unless her next album flops.
