Witch R&B: Defining a New Ethereal R&B Genre

There's dark r&b, and there's this kind of r&b that feels enchanting, alluring, eerie, and atmospheric, and ever since I heard it, I feel I've had a hard time explaining it to myself. I randomly came up with witch r&b, weirdly inspired by witch house, but mostly by what being bewitched means.

To me, this describes a specific emotional and sonic space within contemporary r&b, one that exists in the in-between, defined more by feeling than by genre conventions.

At its core, Witch R&B is an ethereal, ambient form of R&B that feels both dark and soothing. Built on shadowy, immersive production and subtle occult-pop undertones, the sound often wraps itself around lush, sensual vocals, creating an atmosphere that is intimate, haunting, and quietly hypnotic. I imagined that this is what a Siren-like pull sounds like. Never overwhelming, always magnetic.

Rather than relying on traditional r&b structures, witch r&b prioritizes mood, texture, and emotional resonance. It thrives in spaces where melancholy meets comfort, where softness carries an undercurrent of darkness, and where familiarity feels slightly uncanny.

Witch R&B Artists

To me, the artists that make me feel this way are Erika de Casier, Rowena Fysx, and, to a lesser degree, Avara, whose music embodies this liminal, nocturnal quality. While adjacent to alternative r&b, ambient pop, and dark pop, witch r&b stands apart through its emphasis on atmosphere, sensual restraint, and mysticism rather than genre hybridity.

Also, I think some of FKA twigs, Sevdaliza, Kelela, Jhené Aiko and even The Weeknd's early work could be considered as witch r&b, don't you think?

Witch R&B isn’t loud or theatrical, but it rather whispers. It’s music for late nights, dim rooms, and introspective moments, where emotion unfolds slowly and deliberately. More than a genre, it’s a feeling - haunting yet familiar, intimate yet elusive. I vividly remember a night drive from Sofia to my hometown, where I spent 2 hours listening to Rowena's "all over you". That's the premise of the genre, I imagine fits in the most perfect way possible.