Billboard has shared its list of best R&B albums of 2024, with Nigeria’s Tems occupying the second position for her debut ‘Born in the Wild’ while ‘Mutt’, the second studio album by American musician and actor Leon Thomas, released on 27 September placed first.
Other entries on the list include Chris Brown’s 11:11 (Deluxe), which occupies the 10th position; Bryson Tiller’s eponymous album placed ninth; Marsha Ambrosius’s Casablanco is eighth; and Laila!’s Gap Year! is seventh.
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Others are NxWorries’s ‘Why Lawd?’ occupying the sixth position, PARTYNEXTDOOR’s PARTYNEXTDOOR 4 at number five, Muni Long’s Revenge is number four, and Ravyn Lenae’s Bird’s Eye is number three.
Tems’ debut album, released in June 2024 via RCA Records/Since ’93, featured collaborations with Afrobeats star Asake and US rapper J. Cole.
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Reviewing the album, PREMIUM TIMES described it as a ‘‘confident debut that cements her place in the global music scene, reaffirming her roots and influences’’.
Beyond the album’s impact, the singer has had an impressive run in 2024, especially in the US, where she is based. She performed at Coachella, headlined her first international tour by the same name and earned three Grammy nods: best global album, best R&B song (“Burning”) and best African music performance (“Love Me JeJe”).
Rationale
Justifying the choice of Tems on the list, Billboard said with ‘Born in the Wild’, the Nigerian star finds her footing in the global spotlight and stands firmly in her purpose on her dazzling debut album.
‘‘She opens up about surviving her mental wilderness and learning to thrive in it on the opening acoustic ballad that shares the album’s title. And on the mid-tempo standout “Burning,” Tems confronts the trappings of her newfound stardom but finds comfort in the collective struggle. As someone who’s studied Céline Dion, Destiny’s Child and Mariah Carey and dreamt of making soul-stirring songs that send people into their feelings, Tems succeeded with aplomb.’’
Additionally, they added that ‘Born in the Wild’ became her highest-charting project on Top R&B Albums (reaching No. 5) and marked her career-first entry on the Billboard 200, peaking at No. 56.
‘‘And while Born in the Wild and “Love Me JeJe” earned Tems 2025 Grammy nominations for Best Global Music Album and Best African Music Performance, respectively. Her best R&B song nod for “Burning” further reinforced the rich diversity of her music– and the notion that African artists like Tems cannot be bound to the catchall “Afrobeats” term, as their music has travelled well past the borders of the continent,’’ they added.
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