i'm really getting into old school r&b lately and it's crazy how much better they wrote songs back then - no autotune, no features, just

great, because nothing says "better songwriting" than dismissing the singing abilities of people who aren't just yell-singing into a mic by

omg same, i've been digging up old erykah badu and lauryn hill albums and it's wild how much more soul there is in their music compared to the soulless crap they call r&b today

yep, and they also didn't have the autotune whisper 'your voice sounds so much better in the studio' to boost their ego

do you really think music was better back then, or are you just romanticizing the past?

idk if you've been living under a rock but there are still decent r&b artists right now who aren't

yeah, and no payola, just straight up talent... jk, teh industry's always been messed up

yeah yeah unless you consider the 30 different people involved in one song a 'band' then sure, the 70s are a real treat

lol so you're saying artists today are all about the autotune and features and can't write for s**t

yeah and no cancel culture too, they could just write about breakin' hearts and not breakin' the internet

yeah, that's so true. it's like how cryptomarkets used to be too, back when traders actually held their bags and didn't risk getting rekt

totally agree, but let's be real, it's not just the autotune and features, they also actually let artists develop and grow instead of

are you saying that modern r&b doesn't require talent?

just raw talent and actual singing voices what a weird concept

wow, what a wild coincidence that everything from your childhood is better

yeah because clearly the only barrier to good music today is the existence of autotune and features.

same here, and it's because they had to rely on their own voices and lyrics to get a reaction, there's beauty in that vulnerability and authenticity.

autotune is a tool, not a crutch. it's not about being better or worse. It's about the music.

same here, it's because they didn't have the luxury of relying on production tricks to make up for weak lyrics and melodies - you actually

don't you think it's a little unfair to pile on the modern r&b scene with those expectations? weren't we all made to sound good with a little electronic help, anyway?

yeah but why do you think that is? is it just nostalgia or do you actually think the songwriting

lowkey true but also like, that was an industry choice as much as anything else - gives props to

you think usher and lauryn hill would still be relevant if they came out today with the same sound?

Couldn't agree more. And what's crazy is they didn't have the same kind of production quality we have today, but those raw vocals and live instruments give the songs so much more

yeah i'm right there with you - there's something about the raw emotion and simplicity of old school r&b that just can't be replicated

i mean, have you heard kehlani's last album? autotune is just a feature now

no offense but back in my day we called that just r&b. none of this "old school" nonsense. kids these days have no respect for the classics

yeah you're so right, the songwriting back then was on another level.

unless you think Michael Jackson is equivalent to a college a cappella group

can't disagree, but isn't it weird that we praise the same industry for being "authentic" back then

yeah i'm totally with you on that. but let's not act like they had it all together, most of those r&b artists were living pretty lit and singing about it in their songs which,

what's so wrong with autotune and features? just because something is older doesn't automatically make it better.

actually, autotune has been around since the 90s and many old school r&b artists used it, just not as heavily as today.

i hear ya, the songwriting and musicianship back then was top notch. it's crazy how much the industry has changed, feels like a lot of the focus these days is on production tricks and features rather than actual songs.

don't you think some of the edginess of old school r&b comes from the fact that it's raw and unproduced, and not just because there wasn't auto-tune or features?

i dont buy this nostalgia trip, old school r&b was just as formulaic and shallow as today's stuff, they just had

totally with you on that, but it's also annoying how many of the legends were absolute pricks to work with - think

same lol i've been bumping 112 on repeat and now i'm 32 thinking i can still fit into those old sean john jeans

totally agree, the songwriting and vocal talent back then was on another level. feels so genuine and timeless compared to a lot of the processed stuff out today.

same, i've been listening to my mom's old cds in the car and 90s joe is the real mvp, nothin says smooth like a fresh-out-the-pool jodeci

are you kidding me? old school r&b was just as formulaic and soulless as everything else. the only difference is they had better production and actual musicianship

idk man that's just a bunch of nostalgic bs. there's plenty of great music being made today, and autotune is just a tool, not the devil

yeah and no tiktok dances to muster up 37 unnecessary remixes

you're saying the only thing holding back contemporary r&b is some dude with a computer program and

okay but what's with the "just" at the end? that implies there was something inherently 'better' about having limited

idk, a lot of the vocals on those old records were just as processed, it was just different tools back then. talent is timeless. Not genre or era specific.

Think they just had more talent and less distractions back then?

are you kidding me with that statement? old school r&b was great and all, but it's not like the legends from that era

yeah and they even had to sing live, wild times

you think the lack of autotune and features had anything to do with it or was it just better songwriting?

autotune and features are just tools, they don't automatically make a song worse. the quality of the songwriting is what matters most. plenty of great r&b songs get made today without relying on gimmicks.

have you even listened to early 2000s drake or kanye? still catchy, still decent lyrics, still hits

for real, the production and songwriting from that era is so much more raw and authentic. the vocals especially just hit different without all the post-processing. i could listen to those old school r&b albums all day.

mate, nah i'm still holding out for the days when songs are written by a bloke from mansfield who

that's not what made their songs good, nostalgia is just making you think that. songwriting is still just as good today, you're just not paying attention.

prove that by listening to janedevelopment on that album literally had 50 takes to get it to sound

Totally with you on that, but let's also acknowledge that a lot of those songs were written by unsung heroes, not the main artists themselves - it's time we give songwriters like

please, old school r&b had its fair share of questionable lyrics and formulaic beats. don't romanticize the past, music evolves for a reason

you think autotune and features are the reason songs aren't as good these days? lol ok boomer

nostalgia is clouding your judgment, music is just as good now as it was back then, don't @ me

yeah cuz nobody needs themesongs about alienating ya relationship and f-bombs at a major league sports game those old

no autotune, no features, just pure talent? lol you mean they actually had to sing back then? damn, those were the good old days.

you know what they say, "if it ain't broke, don't autotune it

yeah, and how old do you think those artists were when they started making music?

not gonna sugarcoat it, but the lack of autotune and features isn't the reason those songs are still good, it's because the talent and songwriting were genuinely better, let's not act like autotune

i know right? the songwriting was just so much more genuine back then. none of this cookie-cutter pop stuff, it was all about the raw emotion and talent.

tbh what makes you think old school r&b wasn't still full of features back in the day?

That's not talent. That's just nostalgia. You're not a connoisseur, you just like what you grew up with. There's amazing music being made today, you just need to look beyond the charts

same, man. i'm on a d'angelo kick right now and his vocal range is just embarrassing for modern

nah, that's not true at all. modern r&b is just as good, its just a different style.

um, same tbh? but also can we acknowledge that not all old school r&b is created equal?

ikr! and the vocals were so raw and powerful back then. none of this overproduced.

do you actually listen to old school r&b or do you just like talking about it?

Do you think the quality of the music is directly tied to the quality of the writers and musicians, or is it just the era that was being way more authentic?

are you kidding me? most old school r&b was cheesy and overly produced.

are you saying someone made a budget for a song in 1999 and actually stuck to it?

I agree, their lyricism and storytelling are something we can learn from today. Let's not forget that they wrote about real issues, relationships, and emotions - that's something most chart-toppers are missing now.

now you're saying the only real music is older than your mom

proper gutted they stopped writing real music innit?

that's a terrible take. plenty of great r&b today without autotune or features. don't be a music snob - good music comes in all eras.

yeah same!! and can we talk about how they actually told stories with their lyrics instead of just repeating the same 3 verses over a sick

no autotune? so how are these "artists" gonna make their voices sound good then? guess they gotta actually sing or something smh

back in my day we had to walk 10 miles uphill both ways to listen to r&b on a rotary phone. kids these days have it so easy with their spotify and their internets.

old school r&b or at least 90s beyoncé sure she can make autotune work

i know right? the lyrics and vocals were so much more raw and powerful back then. none of this overproduced autotuned stuff we have today.

not true, there are plenty of talented r&b artists today who don't use autotune and can actually sing

have you ever considered that maybe the "old school" rose-colored glasses are blinding you to the

u rlly think lack of autotune is what makes old school r&b better?

do they actually listen to old r&b or just talk about it?

you really think aaliyah's "one in a million" didn't have any outside writers or production help? come on

yeah and also no wifi and no avocado toast, what a dark time

preach! and can we also talk about how they actually told stories with their lyrics? it's like they had something real to say, not just a hook to repeat

i don't think simplicity of production means better writing it can be nostalgia but just 'cause it sounds different

yeah, old school r&b is on another level. the songwriting, the vocals, the raw emotion - you just don't get that these days. it's all so polished and manufactured now. i miss the days when it was just about the music, you know?

Not true, there's still amazing music being made today, autotune and features included. What you're nostalgic for is the era, not the music itself.

i know right? the lyrics and vocals were so much more raw and meaningful back then.

you think those songs weren't lip-synced to death and treated to multi-million dollar production budgets?

do you even know what autotune is? smh, it's not like r&b artists today are using it just for the sake of it.

mate, that's a load of shite. new artists put just as much effort into their songs.

lmao remember when music was good? yeah me neither. i swear every generation says the same thing

yeah back then they actually had to put effort into writing songs instead of just throwing a bunch