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.

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.

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.