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Eric Benét has weighed in on the current state of R&B music. Benét said that he is in between the elders who appreciate today’s R&B and those who don’t. He explained, “When I listen to the stuff that’s really being glorified I don’t get it. A lot of it is using technology as a crutch, you can hear the vocal isn’t really organic it’s been auto-tuned to hell.”
When asked if R&B is dying, Benét went on to say, “The art form that I fell in love with is not dying, but it’s like they want to hear it [R&B] but not from black people. It’s always how the music industry has been dating back to Elvis.”
Benét also said that established black singers, like Kenny Lattimore, don’t get as much attention as white singers, such as Sam Smith and Adele. When he was questioned about British fans appreciating true R&B more than Americans, Benét added, “From my travels to Europe, there is a greater appreciation for authentic, real R&B…. over here the emphasis and attraction seems to be more in the personality, life drama, bravado in the lyrics, as opposed to really outstanding musical props.”
