Jai’Len Josey (above) during her One Music Fest performance on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2025. Photo by Tabius McCoy/The Atlanta Voice
The landscape of R&B music is constantly changing, from the singing-in-the-rain type yearning to self-assured women owning their femininity. There’s a debate on whether real R&B is dead and gone, but as long as there is love, the genre will never cease to exist, even if it sounds a little different. R&B is in good hands, and the women at Saturday’s One Musicfest showcased that.
The day started with UK girl group FLO, who, as a trio, have been bringing back the essence and power of girl groups. Renée, Jorja, and Stella can easily be compared to girl groups of the past, such as Destiny’s Child, and the influences are certainly there, but the girls have blended their own form of fun and sensual music. They commanded the stage with silky, cohesive harmonies and a synergy only seen from a group that had been friends first. They ran through hits from their EPs and debut studio album, such as “Immature,” Fly Girl,” “Walk Like This,” and their breakout debut single “Cardboard Box.”
British girl group FLO (above) during day one of One Music Fest 2025. Photo by Tabius McCoy/The Atlanta Voice
Atlanta native Jai’Len Josey has been steadily building a name for herself in the city she calls home, and it’s not hard with a voice as soulful as hers. With a unique texture and grit to her voice, she serenades whether it’s an intimate crowd like her set at OMF’s Toyota Stage or a concert venue. Josey opened up with a cover of “Need U Bad” by Jazmine Sullivan, her inflections mirroring those of the powerhouse songstress. Backed by Vibe Ktrl, Poetry on Peter’s resident band, she moved into her own songs, “Southern Delicacy,” “New Girl,” and “Willie’s Interlude,” the latter a dedication to her late grandfather.
Kehlani rounded out the new age R&B acts for the night. Her confident persona on stage was a testament to her longevity in the music industry, with over a decade of hits complemented by smooth vocals, effortless dance breaks, and a boldness that can’t be taught. Kehlani’s set was one filled with gratitude. The singer-songwriter acknowledged how, even a decade later, her career continues to grow in ways she never imagined, evident by her latest song “Folded,” which has taken over the charts and snared the hearts of listeners and R&B legends such as Brandy, Toni Braxton, and Tank. She began her set with a teaser of the song before moving into hits such as “The Way” featuring Chance the Rapper, “I Hate the Club,” “Can I,” “Nights Like This,” and “After Hours.” She ended the set with “Folded,” but it was more of a collaborative effort. The audience swayed, hugged, and waved their hands as they sang along to every word.
Niko Noir’s music journey is one of passion, soul, and forging her own path.
The 25-year-old Detroiter has been singing for as long as she can remember, but it wasn’t until high school that she fully immersed herself in her talent, first releasing music at the start of college. After her freshman year at Bethune-Cookman University in Florida, Niko dropped out to focus on her music career. She later attended the former Detroit Institute of Music Education to pursue music industry studies, but says she still wasn’t happy.
“I felt like I was following my Plan B, before I even attempted my Plan A,” Niko says. “It was helpful in some ways, but I just felt like I was learning a lot of things that I already knew.”
Now, the artist is back in school pursuing an esthetics license, and getting ready to release two new EPs this year. Her future goals include merging her passions, with hopes to do work in the beauty industry as well as grow her music career.
Niko describes her music as “melodic,” “poetic,” and “authentic,” with a sound heavily reminiscent of 2000s R&B, infused with elements of soul and jazz. Her influences include Brandy, Jasmine Sullivan, and James Fauntleroy.
“The 2000s R&B just had something to it, there was something in the air,” she says. “I like using descriptive words. I like using words that you don’t really hear other people use in songs. I try to not only expand my vocabulary, but the listeners as well… You’re in for a treat, you’re in for storytelling, some poetry with a beat behind it.”
She released her first EP, Blame Niko, in 2021, with its five tracks already showcasing poise and professionalism. On songs like “Needed You” and “Jefferson Ave,” the artist explores themes of relationships, love, and self-discovery, which are common threads throughout all her music.
Growing up on the eastside of Detroit, the city has also influenced Niko musically in unique ways.
“It’s definitely forced me to step into a more professional bag, very much. ‘Don’t play with me,’” she says. “People will try to get one over on you, people will try to dumb you down, gaslight you out of knowing your worth, so it’s definitely forced me to just put my business girl hat on.”
Attending high school at the Detroit School of Arts, Niko says that being a part of the vocal jazz choir was her favorite experience, playing a role in shaping her unique lyrical and sonic style.
“I feel like I can approach music in a grittier way,” she says. “There’s a lot of creatives in Detroit, but you have those creatives that are different and then you have those creatives who are kind of doing the same thing — there’s nothing wrong with it, if it works for you, then it works for you – but it’s kind of forced me to just step outside of the box, try to do things that everybody else in my vicinity isn’t doing because I just like to stand out. Some people might say it’s extra, but I don’t want to blend in.”
Throughout her musical journey thus far, Niko has learned to be more open-minded about opportunities to perform and collaborate.
“I’ve learned to just stop being so comfortable… sometimes when you step out on faith and you take on those opportunities or those chances that aren’t so comfortable they really put you in even bigger rooms or it just exposes you to a different audience, a different crowd,” she says. “Collaboration has started to become one of my favorite things in music. That’s something what I really prioritize nowadays. It’s super fun.”
In 2023, Niko released the fun and sexy single “Hummer” with local rapper Ink.
Recently, she has been working closely with producer Cardo, who she plans to release an EP with later this year.
First, though, she’s releasing the sequel to Blame Niko, her second EP titled Who Can Blame Niko?, which she plans to share with the world in late June or early July. The project’s name, and overall content, cleverly showcases her growth from self-doubt to greater confidence in her decisions.
“It’s me just embracing me and my choices, not feeling bad. The first one was just like, ‘I did this’ and being more so ashamed of it in a sense,” she says. “But this one is just like, ‘Well, this is a choice I made and that’s what I’m doing.’ I’m more free. I’m kind of just ridding myself of any guilt, any shame, like ‘I’m grown.’”
The artist just released the first single, “Personal,” for the upcoming project.
“‘Personal’ is one of my babies,” Niko says. “That actually wasn’t even going to be on the project, but I had been performing it so often and people would ask me, like, ‘When are you dropping that?’ I kind of just forced it on the project and it actually fits very well. I sat on that song for about a year and had no plan for it. I’m just glad it’s out and people can enjoy it.”
Through her music, Niko aims to convey the importance of embracing your emotions.
“I really want my music to allow people the space to feel and not shy away from feelings because I really feel like we are going through an emotion deficit right now,” she says. “This generation is just so afraid to feel out loud. We may feel behind closed doors by ourselves but it’s also okay to showcase that, it’s also okay to share that with your friends, with people you love. If somebody makes you angry, let them know. Don’t hurt them, but like emotions are emotions, we’re all human. I don’t feel like we should shy away from that.”
Music is not the only way Niko hopes to make others feel good. In the future, she hopes to launch her own skincare line and fragrance alongside growing her music career.
“I have a love for making things beautiful and building people’s confidence,” Niko says. “I definitely want to mix them both. I just don’t know how. I know artists nowadays, they’re stepping out in different ventures like we got Rihanna she literally just announced a hair [care brand]. I don’t even know what she’s doing. At some point, it’s going to have to integrate. I feel like the music is going to kick start that skincare line and the fragrances.”
Looking forward, Niko hopes to move out of Detroit, possibly to North Carolina or San Francisco.
“I definitely want to get into a whole different music scene,” she says. “I love Detroit, I really do, but I just feel like I’ve seen what I needed to see. I’m done; I feel like I’m doing side missions. There’s just a constant waiting game here, and I don’t ever know what I’m waiting for.”
Niko has previously performed in Detroit, opening for Grammy-nominated R&B artist Kenyon Dixon at El Club, participating in shows for So Far Sounds, and appearing on Live in the D. On June 15, the singer is set to headline a show titled Non Stop at The Photo House at 4036 Vinewood St. in Detroit, with plans for additional performances in the near future, ideally with a live band.
Ultimately, she says she just wants people to remember to have fun while making music.
More information about Niko Noir is available on Instagram @niko.noir. Her music is available on all streaming platforms.
Fresh from his incandescent performance of “It Never Went Away” at the 96th Academy Awards, the highly acclaimed, multi-talented Jon Batiste heated things up, then tore them down at NYC’s Beacon Theater on Tuesday, March 19th.
The 5-time Grammy and Oscar-winning musician and former bandleader for “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” is in the middle of his first North American headlining tour to promote his latest album, World Music Radio. Jon Batiste’s “Uneasy Tour: Purifying the Airwaves for the People” kicked off on February 16 in Portland, Oregon, will span the US and Canada, and culminate in Miramar Beach, Florida on April 27.
Batiste aims to create unique experiences even in smaller venues. As he recently told USA Today: “We are designing these performances to be catalysts to bring people together, raise awareness for things I care about, and inspire change in this country, and the world.”
These are fine days for Batiste. Last year, he was nominated in six categories for the 2024 Grammy Awards. His nods included Album of the Year for World Music Radio, Record of the Year for “Worship.” His other nominations include Best Jazz Performance for “Movement 18′ (Heroes).” Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for his appearance on Lana Del Rey’s “Candy Necklace,” and Song of the Year for “Butterfly,” (also nominated for Best American Roots Performance).
Sadly, “Butterfly” didn’t win the Grammy but it sure was a winner with the audience.
Jon Batiste – Butterfly | Deezer Sessions, Pariswww.youtube.com
Batiste transfixed the crowd with this heartwarming song of childhood. Almost a lullaby, it’s incantatory. There’s a repeated set of triplets – Oh-oh-oh, whoa-whoa-whoa, oh-oh-oh . . . that Batiste urged the audience to sing together, saying:
“Everybody put your lights in the air. It represents the soul light.”
All around the Beacon Theatre people’s phone lights flickered as they sang along.
“Light that’s been with you since you were a child – Since the day you were born. You can never-ever lose it. All of us have it.”
“We can win, we can win, we can win, we can win.”
“Now you see I composed this melody, this healing melody . . . And the more you sing it with friends and family and complete strangers – The more the healing properties take effect – So sing with me this lullaby, this butterfly-healing-melody – first composed for my beautiful wife, Suleika.”
And, as the audience continued singing, Batiste was joined onstage at the Beacon Theatre by Suleika Jaouad, the author of the New York Times Best Seller Between Two Kingdoms – a chronicle of survivorship (Penguin Random House 2021).
Diagnosed with a rare form of acute myeloid leukemia in 2011, Jaouad was given only a 35% chance of surviving. She survived and has written and spoken extensively about these medical challenges. At the end of 2021, Jaouad announced the recurrence of her cancer.
Batiste and Jaouad have been a couple for a decade, but they officially tied the knot in February of 2022 a day before she underwent a second bone marrow transplant.
In the recent Netflix documentary American Symphony, a doctor advises Jaouad that although she’s technically in remission, chemotherapy might have to continue for the rest of her life.
American Symphony | Official Trailer | Netflixwww.youtube.com
As the audience sang to the couple, showering them with love, There were tears, laughter, joy, and smiles. This was no sentimental wallowing – Batiste achieves what he’s set out to do: encouraging people to seek peace and happiness.
Batiste is worth the attention he’s receiving – as anyone who saw him at the Beacon last night will attest. For the better part of the two-and-a-half-hour show, Batiste was playing and singing – dancing wild and free. Over the course of the evening, he demonstrated his mastery of the piano, melodica, drums, synth, and more.
Truth to tell, when you take an outstanding composer, voice, band, and a packed-out, loving audience then meld it with Batiste’s positive message about the power of humankind to effect change, you leave the venue with the feeling you can change the world.
And who knows? Maybe you can.
Want to catch Jon Batiste in the act? The singer will make stops in Seattle, Denver, Chicago, Nashville, Atlanta, Toronto, New Haven, New York, Dallas, and more, on the 23-date run of shows.
Head to Ticketmaster, but be quick about it – many shows are sold out!
Question for the culture? Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Taylor Swift (alongside Taylor Swift’s skinny little side braid, Lana Del Rey, and Minion Man) won Album of the Year at the 2024 Grammys for Midnights. That makes Swift the winning-est musician in in the category with her fourth win. By now, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Swift would break the record. She’s a Grammys favorite, and somehow still at the peak of her career, even though that career began in 2008. Still, if you hear grumbling in the win’s aftermath, it might have to do with the sentiment of “That album? Really?” Midnights is not, to put it lightly, the most acclaimed album of Swift’s career. Even with Swift’s blockbuster year, it didn’t seem like Midnights had the caché of the Eras Tour (the tour or the film). It was just another cog in the wheel of Swift. One of her biggest hits of the year, “Cruel Summer,” didn’t even come off of Midnights.
But what should have won Album of the Year, then, you ask? Name names! Well, namely, SZA’s SOS. SZA won multiple awards this year, including: Best Progressive R&B Album, Best R&B Song for “Snooze,” and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, alongside Phoebe Bridgers, for “Ghost in the Machine.” But the Grammys have a history of preferring to reward Black women in the “down the line” categories, as opposed to one of the four general awards — and SZA deserved recognition in the overall fields for SOS. That album was, for starters, one of the most beloved albums of the year (despite coming out in 2022), featuring hits including “Kill Bill” and “Good Days.”
And, while we’re at it, maybe it’s a good time to look at some optics. With her record-breaking win, Taylor Swift has now won Album of the Year more times than all Black women combined have. The previous Black women to win were Natalie Cole in 1992, Whitney Houston in 1994, and Lauryn Hill in 1999 — a list that, Jay-Z would like you to note, does not include Beyoncé. Not giving a Black woman album of the year? Again? Snooze.
