In Rotation: Honey Bxby

Asbury Park has a deep, storied history of breeding voices that cut through the noise, but Honey Bxby is carving out a lane that belongs entirely to her. The New Jersey native calls her own sound "chaotic R&B." It is the perfect descriptor for a singer who writes with absolutely zero filter. She sings exactly what is on her mind without worrying about how it lands. Her debut EP, Raw Honey, arrived on May 30th via Rebirth Entertainment and Warner Records. It is an 11-track introduction to a woman who refuses to play the saint. R&B has gotten entirely too polite over the last few years. We need singers who are willing to be messy and talk their sh*t on the mic. Honey Bxby fills that void. She has the raw, unapologetic pen of a young K. Michelle, but she places her vocals in a pocket that feels completely tethered to the modern era. Listen to the single "Think I Might." Her crystal-clear vocal glides over a plush bed of guitars and keys, while the drums provide a heavy, subtle thump underneath. On "Right On Time," she breaks down the exact moment you realize you are over someone and ready to let the next person do the job correctly. She even pulled Capella Grey in for "Touchin" after he initially flipped a remix of the record, and recently linked up with Queen Naija and BunnaB for the visual to "Shame." The momentum is moving fast. She spent time testing her catalog on the road opening for SAINt JHN, and terrestrial radio is waking up, with recent adds spanning from Nashville's WPLN to Hot 104.7 up in Maine. If you want to catch her live, she is hitting the Prudential Center in Newark for a massive 20-act festival bill on July 24th, followed by intimate club dates at DC's Songbyrd on July 27th and Richmond's Backroom @ Mell J's on July 28th alongside Eli Derby. Sometimes you just need music that matches your own beautiful dysfunction. Hear it down below.