R&B
Delicate runs, syncopated grooves and night-time love songs.
Doo-wop is R&B's vocal-harmony root; new jack swing its late-'80s street version; contemporary R&B a core of modern pop, and alternative R&B darker and hazier. To sing R&B in Chinese or Korean, just add the language to your prompt.
What they share
- Vocal runs and harmonies
- Syncopated grooves
- An intimate night mood
How to choose
- Modern mainstreamContemporary R&B
- Late-'80s street danceNew Jack Swing
- '50s street-corner harmonyDoo-wop
- Hazy late nightAlternative R&B
Starter prompt
Contemporary R&B, 85 BPM, smooth syncopated groove, deep 808 and soft keys, airy pads, silky vocals with runs and stacked harmonies, intimate night moodA general starting point for this family; swap in a specific style’s keywords for sharper results.
Side by side
| Style | Era | BPM | Mood | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doo-wop | Late 1940s–early 1960s | 60–90 | NostalgicRomanticWarm & intimate | Romance · Memories & farewells |
| New Jack Swing | Late 1980s–early 1990s | 100–118 | Groove & energyNostalgicBright & sweet | Party & dance floor · Stage & idols |
| Contemporary R&B | From the 1980s | 60–100 | City nightWarm & intimateMelancholy & lonelyRomantic | Romance · Night drives & city walks |
| Alternative R&B | 2010s–present | 60–90 | City nightMelancholy & lonelyRomantic | Night drives & city walks · Romance |
All styles
- Doo-wop
Four or five singers around one microphone: the bass sings "bom bom", the lead takes the tune, sweet '50s street-corner harmony.
- New Jack Swing
Hip-hop swing beats plus R&B harmonies, the coolest street dance music of the late '80s.
- Contemporary R&B
Silky vocals over spacious beats, magnifying the small feelings inside intimacy.
- Alternative R&B
Slow, dark and hazy: ambient synths, sparse drums and emotional murmurs, R&B for listening alone in a car at night.