South Florida's Five Best Female R&B Artists of 2015

In a male-dominated music industry, women still run things here in South Florida. Gone are the days when women were expected to stay quiet and do as they're told — these five South Florida ladies have something to say, and they're singing it loud and clear. They range from classic R&B to soul to a sound we can’t quite describe but still love. Some of them record in high-end studios, others in their bedrooms, though they all still managed to make it onto our R&B playlists in 2015. Here are five South Florida female R&B artists who caught our ears this year.

Dyna Edyne
Dyna Edyne’s voice reminds you of that classic, mournful soul music your auntie used to play in the middle of the night because your uncle was out cheating. Especially in an area of music saturated with trends, Edyne delivers a different sound from what we might be used to. “I bring to the table exactly what the music industry is missing," she tells us: "a genuine heart that wants to create and make the audience happy.”

Highlights of Edyne's 2015 include opening for fellow sultry R&B singer August Alsina, hitting the stage all around South Florida, and debuting her mixtape, 10-14. “The actual creation of this tape came to me in a dream to make it. During that time [October 2014], I was going through a lot of frustrations and stress, and in a very vivid dream, I asked a psychic, 'What should I do to get rid my stress?' And she pulled out a very thick book, and the title said Make 10-14 Songs," Edyne reveals. And she did. Throughout her tape, she lets out all of her frustrations and expresses her thoughts of love and passion, laying her smooth, soulful voice over some classic Drake beats.

Venus Amor
Venus Amor has emerged as one of South Florida's most popular female underground singers in 2015. Her single "dreamTIME" gave us a first listen of someone who eventually blew up to be more than just a girl singing in the corner of her bedroom. Amor's first full project, Sakura, was paired with pink visuals to match her pink hair at the time, and at just four tracks, it left us craving more. Although the singer/songwriter has since dyed her pink hair to jet black, the South Florida Princess of R&B still makes a strong presence in the underground music world.

Amor has performed at virtually every festival available in South Florida, gaining fans by the second. Recently, she collaborated with Tampa artist She.Go on “You Know” and Miami rapper Sylvan LaCue (formerly known as QuESt) on his Evangeline EP. Her latest release, For the Time Being, has garnered more than 26,000 plays in less than a month. With its darker, more experimental vibe, we currently have this one on repeat.

Ryahn
At just 17 years old, Ryahn has managed to make her way into our souls and our Soundcloud playlists. Born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, the singer, songwriter, and guitarist creates a beautiful, natural, and soulful sound that's landed her on this list. Recently, the songstress landed a spot performing at Vive’s Block Party event during Art Basel as well as Creative District's fourth installment at Lou La Vie in downtown Miami and will return to the stage for another string of performances in 2016.

“My music is a reflection of me and my experiences. All of the good and bad in me is put into my music,” says Ryahn. She longs for her lover in her breakout single, "Baby Boy." Here, she speaks of a love that drives her crazy. “People are like potions, and you have to play close attention to how you mix and how they affect you," she intros in the music video to the sultry track. "When you find someone that gives you this certain piece of mind, you’re numb to all the people looking in, and all of your past ideas on understanding and acceptance and love, they all change and you’ll do just about anything to keep that feeling alive.” In 2016, Ryahn plans to give us more to add to our playlist.


Kirby Maurier
Kirby Maurier released her first single, “You,” featuring Ace Hood in 2010, and since then, her fanbase has grown. The Miami-native singer/songwriter released single after single over the years, finally releasing her debut album, Doing the Most, this past year. The album includes our favorites, "Iz U Wit It” and “S.P.P. (Sweet Potato Pie)," and was one of the highest-selling independent R&B albums in the South Atlantic Region in 2015.

Kirby released the sweet video to her catchy single "S.P.P." right in time for Thanksgiving, and we know you’re probably wondering the same think we were: How'd she come up with this track? “Vegas, the producer, and I were in the studio, and it was the day after Thanksgiving, so you already know the sweet potato pies were on deck,” she says. “I brought [a pie] to the studio — there was a stove there — so I put it in and we started vibing to whatever we were working on for that day. The aroma of the pie filled up the room. He’s like, 'Damn, that smells good,' and I’m like, 'Yeah, my shit be smelling good!' That’s how most of the song just come about.” If you weren’t a fan of sweet potato pie before this record, you might just be craving one now.


Aleicia Nicole
Aleicia Nicole has made her way into our hearts, playlists, and sheets. Though there are only a few songs on her Soundcloud, they're enough to keep us wondering what else the 19-year-old singer from Broward has planned for 2016. Expect her untitled EP to show off her voice, along with more insight into her musical taste. For now, her singles "HotLingo," "Hypnotized," and "My Love," all produced by BDON, are on all our love-making playlists. 

"I want to give off a feel-good vibe that would make people feel happy every time they hear my song. I wanted to make a single that everyone could sing along and relate to," says Aleicia on "Hotlingo." What sets her apart from other local female artists is her versatility when it comes to styles of music. "I don't want to be categorized in one genre of music. I plan to make music that'll grab a different person's attention and ear every time it's played."