In Rotation: Durand Bernarr

Erykah Badu does not hand over the microphone to just anybody. If you are singing background for the architect of neo-soul, your pitch has to be flawless and your pocket has to be deep. Cleveland native Durand Bernarr spent years holding down those harmonies, absorbing the funk and figuring out exactly how to bend his own elastic tenor. Now, he’s front and center, and he’s holding the hardware to prove it. He just took home the 2026 Grammy for Best Progressive R&B Album with BLOOM. But if you're just catching up, you need to watch his latest video for "Am I Okay?!". The track is a clinic in vocal control. The bassline sits right in the pocket while his falsetto floats over the top, dropping punchlines that hit like inside jokes at a family cookout. He merges gospel-trained runs with sheer theatrical flair. Here is the truth about modern R&B: we have too many vibes and not enough vocalists. Half the genre wants to drown their melodies in reverb and hide behind a moody synth pad. Durand actually sings. He forces you to listen to the phrasing, the breath control, the literal notes. He has the technical chops of a classic soul titan, but he refuses to be a museum piece. You can catch him out-singing everyone in the room, and then turn around and watch him do a hilarious spoof audition with Druski for Coulda Been Records at the BET Awards. The momentum is locking in. Radio stations from KPOO in San Francisco to Z-107.9 in Cincinnati are putting him in heavy rotation. He’s taking his live show global this summer, hitting intimate rooms in Lisbon and Amsterdam before tackling festival stages in Chicago and Minneapolis. If he touches your city, buy the ticket. Check it out below.