The Best R&B Songs by White Singers in the 2000s

A look at the catalogs of artists including Justin Timberlake, Amy Winehouse, Adele, and more.

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Complex Original

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Watching Justin Timberlake and Robin Thicke dominate the VMAs and rack up hits on both pop and urban radio, it’s easy to forget that the R&B game rarely embraced white artists throughout the ’90s. But things clearly changed in the 2000s (2000 - 2009), a pivotal era for white musicians experimenting with so-called rhythm and blues music.

The massive, unprecedented crossover of hip-hop and R&B into the mainstream during the late ’80s and ’90s had produced a generation of white children reared on music by black artists. Corny teen pop artists grew up, and looked to contemporary R&B as a way to express themselves as adults. British singers raised on neo-soul embraced retro ’60s R&B sounds in compelling ways. Pop producers across the world took black music and fused it with everything from electro to country. You could call the songs on this list “blue-eyed soul,” but the truth is that they’re too musically diverse to fit under one umbrella, just like R&B music at large. And yet they are all somehow distinctly R&B songs.

Genres of music are a lot like race—if you look too closely, you realize the categorization doesn’t really exist. It’s all a human construct, and focusing on the blurred lines between borders makes everything seem like one in the same. And while race may be a myth, it’s scientific fact that we’re all African if you trace your DNA back far enough. And really, all modern American pop music is rooted in blues and jazz music.

So what’s R&B? It’s not just all pop music, because there is most certainly a lot of terrible pop music that R&B would never claim as its own. But the answer is simple: R&B is pop music done so right that everyone recognizes themselves in it. You can just feel it.

With that said, here are the The Best R&B Songs by White Singers in the 2000s.

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36. Robin Thicke "Cocaine" (2006)

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Album: The Evolution of Robin Thicke
Producer: Robin Thicke, Pro J

Like Rick James said, cocaine is a hell of a drug. And it's inspired a hell of a lot of devilishly good music over the years. From Curtis Mayfield's "Pusherman" to Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide," Raekwon's "Knowledge God" to, well, if you believe Keith Richards' autobiography, pretty much the entirety of the Rolling Stones' catalogue. Here, with the thirteenth song from his second album, Robin Thicke made his contribution to the canon. Borrowing Mayfield's falsetto, singing slow over a cold-blooded bassline, he tells the story of movie stars and models in a Beverly Hills hotel at 4 a.m., of wanting to stay young forever. So pure, so white, so R&B. —Dave Bry

35. Willa Ford f/ Royce Da 5'9 "I Wanna Be Bad" (2001)

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Album: Willa Was Here
Producer: Josh Schwartz, Brian Kierulf


For hardcore fans of Royce da 5’9”, “I Wanna Be Bad” is one of the biggest mistakes of his career. In fact, we included the pairing of the Detroit lyricist known for underground hits like “Boom” with the 19 year old pop singer one of the 20 Most Awkward Music Collaborations. But despite the awkwardness, “I Wanna Be Bad” was a hit. The song peaked at 22 on the Billboard charts and was featured in a 7UP campaign. It’s easy to see why the song became big. Willa’s vocals were not be spectacular, but the hook was catchy and the message is relatable. Just ask Miley Cyrus. Willa never cracked the charts again; she released one more album in 2004 and then bowed out of the industry gracefully, eventually marrying NHL superstar Mike Modano before divorcing him last year. —Dharmic X

34. Teena Marie "I'm Still in Love" (2004)

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Album: La Dona
Producer: Teena Marie

There is one 48-year-old white woman on the face of the planet who can sing the lines, "Things are getting heated, let's go chill/I'm about to be in yo grill/Sexy, jumping, blazing now's the time/My crib is closer on the West Side/Now you got a sister fiending baby please/I'm about to be your main squeeze," and that 48-year-old white woman was Teena Marie.

Quick history lesson: Marie was the "Ivory Queen of Soul" in the '70s, a protégé of Rick James', the highest-selling white artist in the history of Motown, and the voice behind such blue-eyed soul classics like "I'm a Sucker for Your Love," "Square Biz," "Lovergirl," and "Ooh La La La." She'd been out of the music spotlight for 10 years in 2004 when she re-emerged signed to Cash Money (yes, that Cash Money) and picked up a Grammy nomination for "I'm Still in Love."

As you'd expect from a Baby-intro'ed, Al Green-sampling Cash Money song by a middle-aged white lady, it's a piece of cross-generational mash-up awesomeness, anchored, of course, by Marie's soulful soprano (if not by her raps). It was one of those "WTF?" moments that became a "Damn, why didn't someone think of that before?" Sadly, Marie passed away in 2010, before she was able to knock the earth off its orbit by collaborating with Drake. R.I.P. Lady Tee. —Jack Erwin

33. Britney Spears f/ Pharrell Williams "Boys (Co-Ed Remix)" (2002)

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Album: Britney
Producer: The Neptunes

Britney's "Boys (Co-Ed Remix)" was a hybrid of the syrup pop tunes that were standard fare for Britney circa 2000 but it still had a bit of that dance pop thump her later hits boasted. She sang at a whisper, her voice lathered in seduction, "I just want you to touch me." It was seductive without having to get on the floor and crawl around naked with a python.

Meanwhile, Pharrell spits a typical 2000s Skateboard P verse where he's all like, "Yeah, I wear cargo shorts all year round but I will totally steal your girl from under your arm." Although it never charted, the Janet Jackson influenced song (the "get nasty" is a reference to Janet's "Nasty") was another creative success for The Neptunes and Britney who gave each other more credibility in the hip-hop and pop worlds, respectively. —Insanul Ahmed

32. Daniel Merriweather f/ Wale "Change" (2009)

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Album: Love & War
Producer: Mark Ronson, Eg White

While he might not have the name recognition of some of the other artists on this list, Daniel Merriweather's "Change" is certainly one of the more danceable songs on here. The song's producer, Mark Ronson, absolutely kills it. Ronson's beat starts with fluttery keys sampled from Isaac Hayes, and then the song just builds on its self. Smooth guitar, triumphant horns, and a few Wale verses are added and the final product is a 2009 R&B joint that sounds like a Curtis Mayfield song from the '70s with Wale on it. —Max Goldberg

31. JoJo "Too Little Too Late" (2006)

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Album: The High Road
Producer: Josh Alexander, Vincent Herbert, Billy Steinberg

Everybody remembers their first teenage heartbreak. Most of us handled it by probably crying to our moms about it (wait, that was just us?). JoJo took a different angle on the whole situation and made it into a gold selling single. The story of a fed-up JoJo curbing some guy who wasn't up to snuff is as old as time itself, but where the song gets really special is the song-ending octave dance. JoJo's voice is legitimately impressive. Between this song and "Leave (Get Out)," JoJo was the queen of angry teenage girls. —Max Goldberg

30. Kylie Minogue "All I See" (2008)

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Album: X
Producer: Jonas Jeberg, Cutfather

Too bad for Kylie Minogue. She's a huge international star who has had a long career but she's never quite been as big as she should be in America. True, maybe a song like "All I See" isn't exactly a money in the bank smash pop hit and getting Mims on your song in 2008 is not the way to look cool. But we can't think of a good reason why it wouldn't have at least charted in the US. The beat sounds like it's going to run away and become a dance song but Kylie's baby pop vocals reel them back in. Plus the beat features a distinct bass synthesizer riff that reminds of the theme from Seinfeld. That's gold Jerry, gold! —Insanul Ahmed

29. Jon B "Don't Talk" (2001)

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Album: Pleasures U Like
Producer: Jon B

Jon B, you're not great at reading people. You go to the club, and see a woman drinking alone—buying her own drinks no less. Upon closer inspection, you discover that she's gussied up for the evening in her finest Kana perfume. Your line for this woman, this clearly lonely, eager woman? "Don't talk." Jon, we're no relationship experts, but if ever there was a woman who wanted to talk, who really, really wanted to talk, it's probably this one, B. Which is why it's an impressive testament to your dancing and general soulful white boy with chin-strap beard steez that you've got this woman not only fizzy and quiet, but asking, when she does open her mouth, to "do it again." —Jack Erwin

28. Kiley Dean "Keep It Movin" (2003)

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27. Joss Stone "Fell in Love With a Boy" (2004)

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Album: The Soul Sessions
Producer: Questlove, Betty Wright, Steve Greenberg, Mike Mangini

In 2002, The White Stripes released "Fell In Love With a Boy," a single off their third studio album. The song was critically acclaimed, making Rolling Stone's list of 100 best songs of the 2000s. One year later, Joss Stone covered the song for her debut album, The Soul Sessions.

Stone's rendition strips away the heavy guitar riffs and has a jazzier feel. The British songstress' voice soothes the ear as she glides over Questlove's distinctive drums. Jack White might have written the words, but the emotion Stone conveys is real. The song went on to become the lead single off The Soul Sessions. —Dharmic X

26. Mayer Hawthorne "I Wish it Would Rain" (2009)

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Album: A Strange Arrangement
Producer: Mayer Hawthorne

If you're a nebbish, 30-year-old Jewish guy who sings retro soul music, it takes real chutzpah to write a song with the same title as one of the most monumental classics in the Motown catalogue—and with the same lyrical conceit! About a man who wishes it would rain so no one could know he's crying. But that's exactly what Andrew Mayer "Mayer Hawthorne" Cohen did four years ago. And wouldn't you know it, he pulled it off.

The Michigan-born Los Angeleno's "I Wish It Would Rain" is not as emotionally moving as the Temptation's masterpiece of heartbreak (not many song's ever written are that emotionally moving). It's a bit jauntier, a bit more affected in its doo-doo-do-doo-doo-doo background vocals, but for something so indebted to another time, such an exercise in stylistic mimicry, this is nothing but a terrific song. Mazel tov, Mayer! —Dave Bry

25. Jessica Simpson f/ Jermaine Dupri & Bow Wow "Irresistable (So So Def Remix)" (2001)

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Album: Irresistable
Producer: Jermaine Dupri

After belting her way into the late '90s TRL pop game, America's sweetheart Jessica Simpson was ready to get kinda sorta sexy and downright "urban" on her sophomore album, Irresistible. The lead single/title track was created by Swedish pop producers Anders Bagge and Arnthor Birgisson in collaboration with "Genie In A Bottle" songwriter Pamela Sheyne, and it fell firmly in the school of stuttering, robotic mid-tempo R&B practiced by post-Timbaland hitmakers like Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs and Rodney Jerkins.

In the video, she wore leather pants and awkwardly attempted to do choreographed dancing for the first time. Everything seemed a bit forced. The single was an overhyped, middling hit that stalled out at #15 on the Hot 100. Jermaine Dupri's remix, featuring a new beat and a verse from 14-year-old Bow Wow, didn't change the song's fate, but it did bring some gimmicky redemption to the whole affair by slowing things down and smoothing things out.

In typical Dupri fashion, it reappropriated a well known hip-hop beat, the Club Nouveau-sampling classic "I Got 5 On It" by Oakland duo Luniz, throwing in some 808s and the "Jungle Boogie" horn stabs for good measure. Keep in mind this is only a year and a half after Puff Daddy sampled the Luniz hit on his schlocky R. Kelly duet "Satisfy You," so "Irresistible" was really the last swig on a backwash-filled sample soda at this point. But it still tasted kinda sweet.

Truth be told, "Irresistible" may be most notable because Ms. Simpson was the first, and to this day, the only white artist to get the coveted So So Def remix treatment. Unfortunately, her flirtation with R&B was brief, retreating to cover songs, dance pop and country music after this first of many half-hearted attempts to find her sound. —Brendan Frederick

24. Duffy "Warwick Avenue" (2008)

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Album: Rockferry
Producer: Jimmy Hogarth, Eg White, Aimee Duffy

We've never been to Warwick Avenue (it's actually a tube station in London) but after hearing Duffy's "Warwick Avenue" we've decided we never want to go there because we'll forever associate it with breaking up. The thing about Duffy's 2008 single—which performed well overseas but didn't make much of a dent in the US charts—is that it makes it sound like going to break up with someone is some whimsical event. The lush instrumentation on the hook makes it sound like some wonderful, life affirming experience is coming to a climax but wait...no...she's really breaking up with you and you probably deserve it because how could you hurt Duffy's feelings like that? Jerk. So sorry Warwick Avenue, we don't think it's gonna work out. No really, it's not you, it's us. —Insanul Ahmed

23. Dream "He Loves You Not" (2000)

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Album: It Was All a Dream
Producer: David Frank, Stephen Kipner

Diddy's Angels—the quartet all-female girl group Dream hit it big with one song, and it was "He Loves You Not." It's incredible that even in 2013, their debut single and it's accompanying video are barely available online because at the time, they dominated MTV and charted across the world.

Diddy signed the group to Bad Boy in 1998, and the girls released their debut album, It Was All a Dream in 2001. "He Loves You Not" debuted at No. 2 on the charts, and while it's content matter was all a flip of the "He loves me/he loves me not" game, it was catchy as hell, pop song perfection with a twist of R&B vocals.

Their track would later be remixed with a verse from G-Dep and Diddy. The idea of Dream, a Bad Boy group, somehow finding a lane among artists like N Sync, 3LW, Britney Spears, and more was very simple—their R&B appeal matched with their bad-girl-next-door appeal. Their run was short, but they'll hold a place in late '90s pop-R&B forever. —Lauren Nostro

22. Amy Winehouse "Fuck Me Pumps" (2003)

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Album: Frank
Producer: Salaam Remi

Winehouse would strike gold with her second album Back to Black, but long before her days of fame in America, her debut album, Frank, showcased so much of Amy's early talent. Before her "Rehab" days, Amy looked and sounded very different—she had the soulful sass in her voice, and the raunchy lounge-esque tunes, but less of a pop presence. Although Back to Black is her outstanding project, Frank is a beautiful album and "Fuck Me Pumps" is one of its standout tracks. Amy's sarcasm and ironic lyrics coupled Salaam Remi's production lead to one of her finest works.

Most importantly, "Fuck Me Pumps" showcases everything about Amy that the world adored; the lack of fucks she gave, what she sang about (she wrote the song, along with Salaam), the soulful voice, and her unbelievable ability to make even the raunchiest things sound full of emotion. —Lauren Nostro

21. Mark Ronson f/ Daniel Merriweather "Stop Me" (2007)

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Album: Version
Producer: Mark Ronson

To people (old people) who grew up listening to the Smiths in the '80s, when their incredible four-album run of Anglican mope rock set new standards for excellence in Anglicism and mopiness and rock, the thought of a poppy, Americanized R&B cover of the their shimmering "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" might have seemed like a very, very bad idea. (Typing these words right now, in fact, it still seems like a very bad idea.)

But lo! Mark Ronson—a man who definitely knows excellence, as evidenced by his production of the late, great Amy Winehouse's best music—proved that it is a very good idea! Slowing down the melody, but speeding up the ryhthm, filling out the arrangement with strings and horns and a heavy club beat, and recruiting blue-eyed soul singer Daniel Merriweather to handle vocals, Ronson achieves that rare feat: a cover song that that becomes its own whole, organic, completely distinct and valuable thing. And then, at the end, he weaves in an interpolation of the Supremes' "You Keep Me Hangin' On," somehow making the two songs (and again: two very different seeming songs!) sound like they written as one. —Dave Bry

20. 'N Sync "Girlfriend" (2001)

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Album: Celebrity
Producer: The Neptunes
Regardless of whether or not you liked 'N Sync and the boy band pandemonium of that era, their final single "Girlfriend" was important for two reasons. One, it's produced by The Neptunes and gives the perfect foundation for pop-R&B boy band perfection. And two, it symbolized how they matured over their seven year career.

The original track on their final album, Celebrity, showcased the R&B appeal of the men, led by Justin Timberlake's stunning lead vocal performance that he would go on to showcase in his solo career, as well. However, when the track was released as a single, it was remixed by The Neptunes and two verses from Nelly were added.

Maybe it's them whispering "Would you be my girlfriend?" or Nelly rapping about "I make your neck pop back and in fact I buckle your knees" but "Girlfriend" was one of the most definitive moments in 'N Sync's career—it proved they weren't just some perfect pop boy band, which we'd see with the success of Timberlake's career, and even their most recent VMA performance. And to whoever the song was about: We hope you dropped that dude for at least one member of 'N Sync. Not Chris, though.—Lauren Nostro

19. Gwen Stefani "Luxurious" (2004)

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Album: Love.Angel.Music.Baby
Producer: Hooper, Kanal

Gwen Stefani had already scored hits produced by The Neptunes, Dallas Austin, and Dr. Dre before she released the fifth single from her solo debut Love.Angel.Music.Baby in 2004. "Luxurious" was perhaps not as memorable as "Hollaback Girl," and it didn't manage to crack the Top 20. But there's something uniquely appealing about the sheer R&B-ness of it all. Gwen had flirted with the genre for so long, and fused it with so many other genres on her debut, that to hear her go the full Marvin on "Luxurious" was a relief.

In a way, it was almost a perfect parody of a '90s R&B record. Veteran producer Nellee Hooper—the British mastermind behind Soul II Soul's "Back To Life"—convinced Gwen to sample The Isley Brothers' "Between The Sheets" (of "Big Poppa" fame). The hook is a stuttering Bone Thugs-esque chant, and the bridge features the refrain "Cha-ching!" Lyrically, the song uses luxurious imagery—platinum! cashmere! limousines!–as metaphors for the comfort of being in love. Hubby Gavin Rossdale speaks seductive French on the intro. IT HAS A FUCKING SLIM THUG GUEST VERSE FOR GOD'S SAKE.

Something about this song feels like Tony Kanal's inside joke gone too far, but it sounded great, and managed to get some spins on Hot 97. The real head-scratcher was the song's music video, where 35-year-old gringa Gwen lived out her teenage chola fantasies, dressed up like Frida Kahlo and hit a bunch of piñatas. Perhaps we should be happy that she didn't opt for blackface? —Brendan Frederick

18. Jamie Lidell "Multiply" (2005)

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Album: Multiply
Producer: Jamie Lidell

It was Pitchfork, of course—during a Summer crucial to establishing the mainstream interest in their critical designations—that deemed Jamie Lidell's "Multiply" a thing of facination with their Best New Music rating. Whether you were savvy to the website or not, this was the song blasting at all the right parties that summer: A breezy guitar line trickled out over a thick bass groove, thread by a high-note harmonizing "ooh" and a well-deployed rhythm egg with the ocassional blip or two. And then, his voice kicks in, one of the more unlikely ones you're going to hear on this list, and one that doesn't try to impersonate anything so much as capture an essence: Lidell's tenor is smooth and silky, and just touches gravely on lower notes.

But the shock won't register until he begins to vocalize out the end of words, razor-sharp soul ad-libs that in the hands of a lesser artist, would be straight-up corny if not patronizing of an entire genre. Lidell pulls it off, all via a Soul Song Starter Kit theme: Being single and in love is crazy, and slightly insane, so why not just trip the fuck out on it? But the song's true highlight—the one that kept it on repeat—was the way Lidell shimmies his way through a bass drop and a chrous bridge: "I'm so tired, so tired, so tried, so tired, so tir-ed, so TIRED, SO TIRED, SO TIRED OHH OH OH." It's an incredible trick that's still as much a head-scratcher as it is a replay-worthy party banger. —Foster Kamer

17. Nelly Furtado "Say It Right" (2006)

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Album: Loose
Producer: Timbaland, Danja, Jim Beanz

Perhaps the finest track from Nelly Furtado's Timbaland-assisted comeback record, 2006's Loose, "Say It Right" was a delicate single with wistful grace. With echoing vocals pealing in the distance, as if lost to memory, the song captured the ambiguity between two lovers whose true feelings seem fuzzy and undefined. "You don't mean nothing at all to me," she intones on the hook, while the music's melancholy backdrop suggests otherwise. It's a song about loss and regret, and a willingness to let go, and the cost of doing just that. —David Drake

16. Robin Thicke "Lost Without U" (2006)

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Album: The Evolution of Robin Thicke
Producer: Robin Thicke, Pro J

The biggest pre-"Blurred Lines" hit of Robin Thicke's career is a song that is ostensibly about true love. C'mon ladies: How are you going to front on that wedding-worthy hook and Thicke's disarming falsetto? But, much like on "Blurred Lines," there is a sly assertion of power hidden beneath the sweet melody: "You wanna touch yourself when you see me," croons Thicke. "Tell me you depend on me...Treat me like my birthday." A little on the creeper side, but as he's proven again and again, it's a suit Thicke wears well. Bonus point for putting his actual wife in the accompanying video. —Donnie Kwak

15. Junior Boys "Hazel" (2009)

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Album: Begone Dull Care
Producer: Ewan Pearson

In 2004, well before Timbaland and R&B more broadly became iconic symbols to the hipper niches of America, the Junior Boys were experimenting with uniting a blue eyed soul tradition with the earnest vulnerability of indie and the more modern sounds of contemporary soul. Their debut, Last Exit found the group crafting whistful electronic pop with plaintive singing, a formula they would intensify on follow-up releases. But it was 2009's "Hazel" when they really reached for the pop jugular-at least, as much as the group's minimal electronic sketches can ever be described as going "pop." Think of it as a small-scale Hall and Oates that just happened to anticipate the last 5 years of indie-R&B (and do it quite a bit better). —David Drake

14. Amy Winehouse "Me & Mr. Jones" (2006)

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Album: Back to Black
Producer: Salaam Remi

To understand the appeal of Amy Winehouse's classic Back To Black you need an appreciation for the retro. Everyone talks about the "good ol' days" because they crave that "real" feeling records back then used to have (Midnight In Paris did a good job pointing out the fallacy of "golden age thinking") but it's hard to use a dated sound without it feeling, well, dated.

Songs like "Me & Mr. Jones" highlight the distinct feeling of '60s soul Amy's music could invoke. But rather than get buried by the weight of the era, Winehouse was always able to shine through. She doesn't just wonder "What kind of fuckery are we?," her voice really does make us wonder about that torrid relationship. Maybe that's why you could see Amy performing this song under glow of a spotlight in a smoky jazz club, even if you've never even been to a jazz club. —Insanul Ahmed

13. Fergie f/ Ludacris "Glamorous" (2006)

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Album: The Dutchess
Producer: Polow Da Don

Its gentle guitar lines add a comforting muscle to effervescent, cloudy atmosphere of Fergie's "Glamorous." Its luxurient production is a tribute to how financial contentment can feel like such a warm, cathartic blanket, even as an escapist fantasy. The song taps the same emotional wellspring as hip-hop tracks like Lil Boosie's "Top to the Bottom" or the Notorious B.I.G.'s "Juicy," elaborating on a started-from-the-bottom storyline that offers success to alleviate stress. Fergie mentions few of the actually-glamorous rewards, other than a life sipping champagne up in the sky. Instead, the glamorous life is simply a symbol of reaching that point where the anxieties of day-to-day life are easily brushed aside, offering listeners a glance at something more and a promise of what could be. —David Drake

12. Eamon "Fuck It (I Don't Want You Back)" (2003)

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Album: I Don't Want You Back
Producer: Mike Dee, Royalty

It's a fairly straightforward, one-note joke: take the smooth, effervescent production style of the slow jam, and adapt to bitter lyrics about a significant other. Sprinkle liberally with profanity, misogyny, and lewd, unembarrassed references to the things she did while cheating (i.e., "you gave him head"). Then, get it on the radio thanks in part to swiss cheese censors and a catchy hook. The result is a song that is simultaneously cathartic and hilarious, a "nuts and gum, together at last" blend of quiet storm and primal anger. Ultimately, the song succeeds at comedy first and foremost-it's really difficult to hold onto this kind of venom for someone in a sincere way without catching yourself laughing. —David Drake

11. Pink "There You Go" (2000)

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Album: Can't Take Me Home
Producer: Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs

It's hard to remember now, especially since she's found her lane and rode it out, but Pink wasn't always the weirdo pop star she eventually became. On her first album, 2000's Can't Take Me Home, she was marketed as a halfway R&B star because...she was a white girl with attitude and a tongue ring so she couldn't be a pop princess? Okay, we don't really know how that idea came about but it sure felt that way when we heard songs like "There You Go."

Co-written by Kandi Burruss (yes, the one from Real Housewives of Atlanta) and produced by Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs (who had previously produced TLC's "No Scrubs"), "There You Go" sounds a lot like the songs Destiny's Child and Mya were releasing around the same time. But Pink was a fresh face and this was her breakout single, becoming a Top 10 hit.

It might not have been the best fit, but it was enough to propel her debut album Can't Take Me Home to double platinum success before setting up her true arrival the next year with "Get the Party Started." —Insanul Ahmed

10. Robin Thicke "Magic" (2008)

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Album: Something Else
Producer: Robin Thicke, James Gass

One month after Justin Timberlake released his sophomore effort FutureSex/LoveSongs, another caucasian R&B singer also released his second album. The Evolution of Robin Thicke sold 20,000 copies its first week; FutureSex had sold 684,000. Of course, Thicke's record would eventually go platinum, on the strength of "Lost Without You," which hit No. 14 on the pop charts and became the first R&B chart No. 1 by a white artist since George Michael. And so began the strange dance between Robin Thicke and Justin Timberlake; Timberlake was the much bigger pop star in a traditional sense—three singles from FutureSexwould hit No. 1 on the pop charts—while Robin Thicke became a favorite of traditional R&B audiences.

And "Magic" was the song that proved he was here to stay. It was the lead single from Something Else, his follow-up to Evolution. Where "Lost Without You" became a smash through its subtle, slinky melody and Thicke's graceful falsetto, "Magic" was an uptempo, traditional R&B banger. It also marked the first time he would flip a classic song in a new way, as he would later on "Blurred Lines." In this case, the soul gem was Curtis Mayfield's "Move On Up." It managed to be just different enough that it sounded like a celebration of how packed with ideas Curtis Mayfield's original was, rather than feeling like a straight-up jack. R&B radio agreed, making "Magic" Thicke's second single to hit the top ten on the R&B charts. —David Drake

9. Adele "Chasing Pavements" (2008)

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Album: 19
Producer: Eg White

While "Hometown Glory" served as Adele's debut single, "Chasing Pavements" would launch her career to chart-topping success, and showcase the phenomenal vocals of the British songstress. After finding out she was cheated on, Adele sought out her then-boyfriend at a bar, punched him in his face, channeled her emotions on the walk home, and recorded "Chasing Pavements" on her cell phone on the street.

Her soft vocals over light guitar riffs and minimal production on each verse leads into big-band production and Adele's booming voice over the chorus. The crescendo and decrescendos from verse to verse is a statement not only to Adele's artistry but her impressive vocal range and control; it was a sound that, at the time, was missing from the charts. Adele's bluesy, pop R&B vibes flooded charts across the world, showing not only how a powerful voice is enough to hold a track, but how her career was just beginning at the time. —Lauren Nostro

8. Nelly Furtado "Promiscuous" (2006)

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Album: Loose
Producer: Timbaland, Danja, Jim Beanz

When your first album is an unexpected double platinum hit in the US, but then your second album fails to go gold, you might find yourself in a particularly tough position. That's where Nelly Furtado found herself in 2006. Her debut album, Whoa Nelly! churned out two Top 10 hits, "I'm Like A Bird" and "Turn Off the Light" but her second album, the left field and self-indulgent Folklore, didn't produce any. Back to the drawing board she went and she came back with Timbaland laced production.

The pair had collaborated before—Nelly hopped on the remix to Missy's "Get Your Freak On" and did the hook on Ms. Jade's "Ching Ching"—so it made sense. Plus, it just so happened that 2006 was the year Timbaland hit his pop culture zenith (he teamed up with Justin Timberlake for FutureSex/LoveSounds that year as well).

Nelly and Timbo unleashed "Promiscuous" and it became the biggest hit of her career and put her back on the fast track to pop stardom. She traded verses with Timbaland and two shared an off-beat chemistry on the mic. However, behind the boards Timbaland (along with Danja and Jim Beanz) really shined. The song wasn't convincing in making Nelly sound sexy, but it did let her vocals soar and the backing track only expounded on her talent. —Insanul Ahmed

7. 'N Sync "Gone" (2001)

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Album: Celebrity
Producer: Justin Timberlake, Wade RobsonLike most overproduced white boy bands, 'N Sync was too corny for urban radio. Their music's robotic Scandinavian take on R&B certainly attracted their fair share of black fans—especially young female ones—but something felt too foreign for a community still in the keep-it-real clutches of hip-hop to fully embrace.

"Gone," the second single from the group's final album Celebrity, was a reverse-crossover breakthrough for the group, and especially for future urban radio star Justin Timberlake, who wrote the lost love slow jam. "I'm tryin' my best to be a man and be strong," sang 20-year-old JT, frosted tips no more. You felt him.

With a classy black-and-white Herb Ritts video to match, the song presented a stripped-down sound for the group, with subtle acoustic guitar plucking, violins, and the raindrop snares from 112's "Only You." The arrangement gave Justin an opportunity to showcase his distinctive vocal abilities in a context that R&B fans could appreciate. The song became a top 20 hit on the R&B charts, and was the fifth most played video on BET in late 2001. Jive Records even released a Spanish version, because a great song is a great song in any language. —Brendan Frederick

6. Jon B "Calling On You" (2001)

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Album: Pleasures U Like
Producer: Jon B

Lil Herb and Lil Bibby. Dada. Super Mario. As we've previously detailed, Drake has the power and the platform to educate his audience about things they may have never heard of (but probably should have). Add to the list this 2001 album cut from Jon B., which Drizzy sampled for "Cameras" off Take Care.

As with his other co-signs, Drake wasn't the first to discover the song, but he did send his fans scurrying to YouTube to seek it out 10 years after its release. And we're glad he did. "Calling On You" is R&B for the connoisseur-a melodic, timeless slow jam that showcases Jon B.'s effortlessly smooth vocals. No cheesy video required to set the mood here. Say what you will about Drake, but you can't say he has bad taste. —Donnie Kwak

5. Nikka Costa "Like a Feather" (2001)

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Album: Everybody Got Their Something
Producer: Justin Stanley, Mark Ronson

If we can hazard a guess, our assumption is that Mark Ronson's co-production credit on Nikka Costa's "Like a Feather" is the reason the song rocks a particularly funky sample courtesy George Harrison's "I Dig Love." (Ronson seems like the behind-the-scenes inspiration for a number of caucasians on this list.) Harrison's tune had previously been used, to this writer's knowledge, only on an underground hip-hop single by the Aboriginals and Mike Zoot entitled "QNA (I Don't Know)."It's not hard to imagine Ronson being inspired by this track and wanting to introduce the sound to the pop charts via R&B, as had been happening for years via Puffy and others.

Costa was the daughter of Frank Sinatra songwriter Don Costa, and for whatever reason, her music kept getting major placements on television and movies, from Arrested Development to Blue Crush. It's hard to deny that her career feels like the charity of a particularly flush pre-collapse record industry. But "Like a Feather" still can't be denied. Whether it was the George Harrison sample or the Tommy Hilfiger commercial that originally promoted it that shot the song onto the charts, it's still a nice slab of early-2000s pop-funk. It almost makes up for the singer calling skits on her album "Nikka What" and "Nikka Who." Ugh. —David Drake

4. Justin Timberlake f/ T.I. "My Love" (2006)

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Album: FutureSex/LoveSounds
Producer: Timbaland, Danja, Justin Timberlake“My Love” is one of Justin’s many number one singles and the second number one hit from FutureSex/LoveSounds. Besides it being a flatout great R&B track, this song is an awesome snapshot of three dudes who were absolutely on top of their games.

The beat came courtesy of Timbaland—who produced 10 out of the 12 songs on JT's multi-platinum album—and is a highlight of Timbo's ridiculous mid-aughts domination. Meanwhile, T.I., having just released King and ferociously guarding his King of the South title, swoops in and drops the perfect verse. But, as always, the real star is Justin. Beyond the career implications, Justin’s falsetto on the track is simply on-point. —Max Goldberg

3. Britney Spears "I'm a Slave 4 U" (2001)

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Album: Britney
Producer: The Neptunes

In the early 2000s, The Neptunes found their sound and they rode it to great pop success. In the midst of producing hits for R&B acts like Faith Evans and Babyface and lacing all your favorite rappers, they blessed Britney Spears with the uptempo throb of "I'm A Slave 4 U."

It wasn't just another of Britney's many hits but it was also one of her few cuts that sounded like it could play on Hot 97 just as easily as Z100. To anyone who finds that far fetched, considered that the song was originally meant for one of Britney's idols, Janet Jackson. We could easily see Janet turning this into a steamy hit on her own. But she didn't and Britney did. Look who's in control now. —Insanul Ahmed

2. Amy Winehouse "You Know I'm No Good" (2006)

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Album: Back to Black
Producer: Mark Ronson

Amy Winehouse's "You Know I'm No Good" is one of her most memorable songs, a 4-minute compilation of Winehouse's strengths in one soulful ballad filled with raspy vocals, sensual brass melodies, and an overall sexually deviant tone that Winehouse embodied better than anyone. The lyrics are so blatantly honest—a relationship gone sour, where Winehouse is left with no one to blame but herself. It is an anthem of tumultuous relationships and the troubled life of Winehouse herself.

Listening to "You Know I'm No Good" after her death is truly a haunting experience, not as disturbing as "Rehab" but her self-awareness and on the edge lifestyle comes to a halt in the song (The track charted weeks after her death). It's sexy, mischievous vibes have the ability to transport any listener to a swanky lounge, sipping Tanqueray waiting to find someone to take home with you; it's an effort that so clearly shows Winehouse's personality that you'll want to pick her up after she sings about crying on the kitchen floor.

Yet the stories, pain, and emotion that she invested in her music would come to haunt her in later years, becoming a major turning point in the downfall of her career, and inevitably her own life. R.I.P. Amy Winehouse. —Lauren Nostro

1. Justin Timberlake "Cry Me A River" (2002)

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Album: Justified
Producer: Timbaland

You couldn't have written a more better fairy tale premise than Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears. The two biggest teen idols in America were in the kind of relationship that keeps copies of Us Weekly flying off the shelves. But like everything in the 2000s, it turned to shit over night.

When JT unleashed his epic "Cry Me A River," we already knew the couple had broken up. So it was immediately assumed the song was about Britney (which JT denied but come on, be for real). What we didn't know about were his accusations her cheating. Maybe that's why JT went so far as to get a Britney lookalike to star in the video.

As if the song, video, and subsequent album weren't successful enough, JT started dating Cameron Diaz! So not only did this song propel Timberlake into solo stardom, establish his relationship Timbaland, but it also totally ethered Britney. No wonder Bill Simmons once called "Cry Me A River" "the white man's 'Hit 'Em Up.'" —Insanul Ahmed

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