Tuesday, October 13, 2009

M.Y's Perfect 10: The Top 10 Fantasy R&B Collaborations


Just like Baseball and Football fanatics, we R&B music lovers have an idea of who we would like to see collaborate together on a song. Now, some have suffered the fate of assuming because two singers are kind of a big deal at the moment that they would be ideal on a track. I, on the other, believe that the secret to a great collaboration relies on the artists’ vocal skills, their overall talent, and appeal. Here are M.Y.’s fantasy collabo picks.

Alicia Keys & John Legend

I have been patiently waiting for these two to get together to pour their hearts out on a track to no avail. So, since they haven’t done it yet here’s a little wish in the sky that they will come to their senses and give the fans what they want. They both play the piano and have soulful sultry voices. I could so see them performing their song during the Grammy’s with their pianos facing one another.

Chrisette Michele & Ryan Leslie

Chrisette Michele’s voice is divine and has that special hint of the classic R&B sound to it. Ryan Leslie is a superb producer/singer/songwriter whose voice is ultra original and classy; this match would be one fit for heaven. Chrisette’s adlibs on their track would be ideal.

Mary J. Blige & Keisha Cole

Some have said that Keisha Cole is like Mary J. Blige when Mary first came out. The similarities are clear; when Mary came out with What’s The 411 she had a style to her similar to an around-the-way girl and so did Keisha when she dropped “I Changed My Mind”, multi-colored hair and all. Eventually, Mary grew into her womanhood emerging as a fabulous Diva and Keisha did the same with a change of attitude and style. Keisha has proven that she can handle her own alongside a strong vocal contender like Monica so I know that Keisha on a track with Mary J. Blige would harmonize well.


Beyonce & Rihanna

Some of you are probably thinking, “Beyonce and Rihanna?” Yes, I would love to see these two on a track together. Yes, Beyonce has the tendency to out sing others even when she’s not trying and Rihanna's vocal stability is not the strongest, but I would be interested in seeing what these two could come up with. Their styles seem to be similar these days; touching on the edgy side of R&B. Plus it would be great to see the Diva’s battle it out Dreamgirls style!

Amerie & Ne-Yo

I have been waiting for a ballad from Amerie for some time now and I think that Ne-Yo can bring it out of her. Besides the fact that he is an amazing songwriter, whenever he is on a track with a female singer he knows how to respect her space, giving her the appropriate leeway to get her voice heard; this was made clear by his duet with Rihanna.

Solange & Melanie Fiona

Melanie Fiona, in my opinion, has one of the most soulful voices in the genre today. Solange oozes soul; would it not make sense to have them on a track together? Solange’s edgy style would mix well with Melanie’s contemporary. Judging by their albums, they both have a fondness for the vintage classics making this duet a must.

Keri Hilson & Maxwell

We all know that anything with Maxwell is alright with us. Keri Hilson has a light and fluffy sound to her and so does Maxwell. Hearing them duet together about love would definitely qualify as baby making music plus their sounds are just too sexy.

John Legend & Ne-Yo

There really is no explanation for this collaboration. John Legend brings the music and Ne-Yo can give the words. This could be a modern day Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder “Ebony and Ivory” but would will be more along the lines of “Chocolate and Cream”.

Ashanti & Trey Songz
Ashanti’s vocal skills have improved a lot over the years. To me, Ashanti could always carry a tune (she just let her nerves get in the way) but according to the general public her voice needed some work. Besides the fact that these two would simply make a cute couple, I think that their voices together would be just as cute. I would be most interested in the video for said fantasy collaboration!

LeToya Luckett & Mario

When I interviewed LeToya a while back, she mentioned that she would not mind doing a duet with Mario. When she first said it I didn’t see the brighter picture but now that I look at it, a duet between the two of them would be pretty cool. A lot of people sleep on Mario’s vocal skills and I could say the same for LeToya. I believe if they hopped on a track together their voices together could make some sweet tunes and garner the attention they deserve.

Who knows, maybe a few of these fantasy collaborations can go on to receive Grammy awards someday; hey, it could happen.

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