'Real R&B' seemed like a lost art. Fresh voices have changed that — but is it enough?

At this year's Grammy Awards, the narrative focused on rap's prominence among nominees in the major categories after historically being overlooked.

So when Bruno Mars, one of the most successful pop stars on the planet, bested Kendrick Lamar in every major race, the Grammys were once again seen as favoring commercial acclaim above the rest.

Excluded from the conversation, though, was that Mars had cleaned up with an album of modern new jack swing - a subgenre of contemporary R&B innovated in the late 1980s that connected soul and funk with hip-hop beats.

Such is the story of R&B. Always prevalent, yet often forgotten despite the rise of R&B-infused hip-hop and pop on the charts, on radio and on streaming services.

Yet between Mars' Grammys sweep and an influx of young fresh faces - Ella Mai, H.E.R., Daniel Caesar, Jorja Smith, Queen Naija - this has been a year in which R&B is a central part of the pop conversation.

"Hip-hop has made this impact. People want to have fun and turn up - but people also