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𓇳 my top 15 2000s rnb albums

part two: the 2000s the 2000s weren’t just an incredible era for rnb, but imo one of the best eras of music in general. coming out of the 90s, the genre was evolving so fast. rnb became even more influenced by pop and hip hop, while neo-soul, electronic production and experimentation pushed it in new directions. by the end of the decade, rnb sounded completely different than it did going in. these albums are all classics to me. i grew up watching TRL and 106th & Park, discove

𓇳 top 15 albums

david barajas

2 days ago

♫ new music friday 8/21/26

new music from ⟢ Weezer, Fontaines D.C., Sam Smith, beabadoobee, Jorja Smith, Carly Rae Jepsen, Shygirl, Remi Wolf, Majid Jordan, Mariah Carey, Coco Jones… a lot of really great singles this week!! starting with Carly Rae Jepsen who’s on such a good run rn. “Motivation” might be my favorite single so far, everything she’s released has me more excited for this album. Fontaines D.C. also released their first single “Marianne,” probably my favorite song of the week. they have su

david barajas

6 days ago

▷ Gus Dapperton appreciation

one of the things i appreciate most about Gus is how much thought he puts into every part of his artistry. there’s obviously the music, but the visuals and entire world surrounding it have always felt just as important. every album feels like its own era. it’s not just his sound that changes, but his aesthetic too, from the colors to his clothes and hair. from the indie pop of his earlier work to the much more vulnerable and organic ‘Orca,’ and then the synth heavy, theatrica

★ artist appreciation

david barajas

Aug 20

♫ current obsessions _ volume 11

bringing back my rotating playlist of songs that have been in HEAVY rotation for me lately. new finds, recent releases + a few songs i circled back to 🎧 “brand new chanel$” - @slayyyter “hey there [i have a compulsive complex]” - @qmarsden “Xtal” - @aphextwin.afx  “STAMPEDE” - @genesisowusu  “Music” - @underscores  “STARTAFIGHT” - @jvbsucks  “Card Declined” - @charli_xcx  “In & Out” - @ravynlenae  “Sunshine” - @jungle4eva swipe through for a preview. full playlist on spotify

▹ current obsessions

david barajas

Aug 18

𓇳 my top 15 90s rnb albums of all time

part 1: the 90s 📀 rnb has always held a really special place for me. i grew up listening to pretty much everything because of my dad, but growing up in southeast LA, rnb and hip hop were everywhere. my siblings loved it, it was constantly playing around me, and so many of these songs and albums became part of my earliest memories with music. there was no way i could make just one rnb ranking, so i’m splitting this into three parts: the 90s, 2000s, and 2010s. starting with th

𓇳 albums ranked

david barajas

Aug 18

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about listenwithdavid

instories_057FEB9E-5109-4F9B-BAC0-D99193C00DED_edited.jpg

hi! i’m david, a music curator based in LA.

i started @listenwithdavid as a space to share the songs, albums, and stories that have stuck with me over time, and to connect with likeminded people who love music.

over the past couple years, it’s grown into a platform where i highlight new music, write album reviews, build weekly playlists, and spotlight physical media through my cd setups and collection.

this site is an extension of that. a place to go a little deeper, archive what i’m listening to, document standout releases, and create something you can come back to.

i’m always chasing that feeling of discovering something that just clicks, and i hope you find a bit of that here too.

thank you for listening with me ◉

follow on Instagram @listenwithdavid

𓇳 my top 15 2000s rnb albums

part two: the 2000s

the 2000s weren’t just an incredible era for rnb, but imo one of the best eras of music in general. coming out of the 90s, the genre was evolving so fast. rnb became even more influenced by pop and hip hop, while neo-soul, electronic production and experimentation pushed it in new directions.
by the end of the decade, rnb sounded completely different than it did going in.

these albums are all classics to me. i grew up watching TRL and 106th & Park, discovering so much of this music in real time, and i think that experience still influences the way i rank this era. the 2000s shaped so much of my taste in music, and looking back, it really felt like artists weren’t afraid to experiment, take risks and push rnb into completely different spaces.

putting this list together was almost impossible, but also probably the most fun i’ve had making one of these. i ranked these based on quality, consistency + influence within rnb and the decade as a whole. this could’ve very easily been a top 50, but i wanted to stick to the albums that were absolute peaks for me.

swipe through for my top 15 + honorable mentions. full 12+ hr 2000s rnb playlists on spotify + apple music ↺ links in bio.

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#rnb #rnbmusic #musicdiscovery #albums #beyonce

15. 🕴️Invincible / Michael Jackson

14. 🦋 The Breakthrough / Mary J. Blige

13. 🎙️ Aijuswanaseing / Musiq Soulchild

12. ✍️ Who Is Jill Scott / Jill Scott

11. 🎂 B’Day / Beyoncé

10. 🌻All For You / Janet Jackson

9. 🌿 Mama’s Gun / Erykah Badu

8. 🤎 Destiny Fulfilled / Destiny’s Child

7. 📔The Diary of… / Alicia Keys

6. 🌑 Full Moon / Brandy

5. 🕊️ Aaliyah / Aaliyah

4. 🪬 Voodoo / D’Angelo

3. 🦋The Emancipation of Mimi / Mariah Carey

2. 💎 Dangerously In Love / Beyoncé

1. 🧎‍♂️‍➡️Confessions / Usher

Daisy headphones 𖦤

been using these headphones for the last couple of weeks since i blew out the right speaker on my airpod pros again.. really loving the listening experience so far with how immersive they sound and the built in soundscapes are a nice touch. definitely been reaching for these a lot lately.

added a few songs on the last slide that i played to test out the speakers and quality 🙂‍↕️🔊

portable cd player / Retradisc by @kickback.nyc link in bio

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#headphones #media #music #audiophile #cdplayer

♫ new music friday 8/21/26

new music from ⟢ Weezer, Fontaines D.C., Sam Smith, beabadoobee, Jorja Smith, Carly Rae Jepsen, Shygirl, Remi Wolf, Majid Jordan, Mariah Carey, Coco Jones…

a lot of really great singles this week!! starting with Carly Rae Jepsen who’s on such a good run rn. “Motivation” might be my favorite single so far, everything she’s released has me more excited for this album.

Fontaines D.C. also released their first single “Marianne,” probably my favorite song of the week. they have such a distinct sound that you immediately know it’s them, but they find a way to slightly evolve it without losing that. very curious to hear where this album is headed.

what are your favorites this week? lmk so i can add them to the playlist headphones🎧

swipe through for this week’s new singles + albums. updated NMF playlist on spotify + apple music ↺ links in bio.

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#newmusic #musicdiscovery #album #musicvideo #popculture

▷ Gus Dapperton appreciation

one of the things i appreciate most about Gus is how much thought he puts into every part of his artistry. there’s obviously the music, but the visuals and entire world surrounding it have always felt just as important.

every album feels like its own era. it’s not just his sound that changes, but his aesthetic too, from the colors to his clothes and hair. from the indie pop of his earlier work to the much more vulnerable and organic ‘Orca,’ and then the synth heavy, theatrical world of ‘Henge,’ he’s constantly finding new ways to reinvent himself.

i love seeing a male artist put this much care into the visual side of their work. Gus has never been afraid to experiment with fashion, makeup, color or different silhouettes, and none of it ever feels separate from the music. it all feels like another extension of whatever world he’s building at the time.

taking a deeper dive into his catalog made me appreciate that even more. there really isn’t just one version of Gus Dapperton, and we’re already starting to meet another one. his new single ‘Take Me Out to the Disco’ has this early 2010s indie rock sound that i immediately loved, released with a gorgeous music video that feels like the beginning of an entirely new visual world. if this is our first glimpse into what comes next, i’m really excited to see where he takes it.

swipe through for some of my essential Gus songs! what’s your favorite Gus Dapperton song? ↓

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#musicdiscovery #newmusic #underrated #music #songrecommendations

ten years of ‘Blonde’ 🤦🏽‍♂️🚿🟩

on this album Frank sits with his past, unpacking his teenage years and the transition into adulthood and finding himself. it’s soft, nostalgic and emotionally heavy, with some of his most beautiful vocals. there’s something about the way he looks back on love, and growing up that still hits just as hard a decade later.

favorite tracks:
Nikes
Pink + White
Self Control
Nights
Ivy
White Ferrari

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#frankocean #album #vinylcollection #physicalmedia #rnb

𓇳 my top 15 90s rnb albums

part 1: the 90s 📀

rnb has always held a really special place for me. i grew up listening to pretty much everything because of my dad, but growing up in southeast LA, rnb and hip hop were everywhere. my siblings loved it, it was constantly playing around me, and so many of these songs and albums became part of my earliest memories with music.

there was no way i could make just one rnb ranking, so i’m splitting this into three parts: the 90s, 2000s, and 2010s. starting with the 90s, one of the greatest decades for the genre.

one of my favorite things about 90s rnb is just how much ground it covered. hip hop soul, neo-soul, new jack swing, contemporary rnb… i wanted this list to represent different sides of the decade while still choosing records with their own distinct pov. so many of these albums sound completely different from one another, but they all expanded my idea of what rnb could be.

some classics didn’t make it, and some personal favorites probably landed higher than other people would have ranked them, but that’s what makes these lists fun. i’d rather make a ranking that reflects my relationship with the music.

swipe through for my top 15 + honorable mentions, full playlists on spotify + apple music. more in-depth thoughts on each album will be posted on my substack ↺ link in bio.

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#musicdiscovery #albums #rnb #music #ranking

♫ new music friday 8/14/26

new music from ⟢ Jungle, Troye Sivan, KATSEYE, Phoebe Bridgers, Tinashe, Erykah Badu, Ayra Starr, benny blanco, Icona Pop…

Phoebe Bridgers has finally made her return with ‘Lost Weekend,’ and the whole world she’s created around this album is just stunning. definitely one of her most exciting albums yet, she really made some of her best music to date. what stood out to me the most after my first listen was how cinematic a lot of the outros are on these tracks. excited to spend more time with this one when i’m not fighting a fever 😩

Troye Sivan also released the title track from his new album ‘She’s the Best,’ and the lyrics are actually very powerful on here. it reminds me a lot of Lou Reed and LCD Soundsystem. it’s not as immediate as ‘Rush’ was, it feels much more like a gateway into a whole world, but i’m very excited to hear more from Troye he never disappoints.

some really great standout moments from KATSEYE and Jungle’s new releases too. Erykah Badu & The Alchemist, Tinashe and Ayra Starr are also definitely worth checking out!

swipe through for this week’s new singles + albums. updated NMF playlist on spotify + apple music ↺ links in bio.

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#newmusicfriday #musicdiscovery #albumoftheday #newmusic #phoebebridgers

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