Top 10 Best Female R&B Singers of the 2000s

These ten women will be the future of R&B. These women are the new legends of our generation.

The Top Ten

Beyoncé

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter is an American singer, songwriter, and actress who began her career as lead singer of Destiny's Child. The group scored multiple Billboard No. 1 hits including "Say My Name," "Bills, Bills, Bills," "Survivor," "Independent Women," and "Bootylicious." After their split,... read more

Queen of R&B! She can sing and dance at the same time, has a stage presence, and can outshine whoever she wants! Dayum, Bey! She is a mix between Tina Turner and Michael Jackson! That's how it's done.

I think Beyoncé is an amazing woman with an amazing voice and body. I think she is the best artist that ever roamed this earth.

Beyoncé has it all, and when you're a Queen, you need to have it all. She has an incredible voice, she can dance, she can put on a show, she can write songs, she's beautiful, she's the Queen of R&B. No one on this list has all these things. Beyoncé is the Queen of R&B!
Alicia Keys

Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, record producer, and actress. A classically trained pianist, she began composing music at age 12 and released her debut album, Songs in A Minor, in 2001. To date, Keys has sold... read more

She is the true manifestation of old-time Rhythm and Blues and modern hip-hop swagger, with a knockout soulful voice, unmatched musicianship, and songwriting in today's Contemporary R&B. Truly an amazingly gorgeous and powerful woman in the music of her time.

She is an excellent and talented pianist, songwriter, and singer. Look forward to a lifetime of excellent music from her. She is just days away from 30 years of age (25 January 2011), happy birthday. Many more years and songs!

Great singer on all of her songs I know of. Especially considering she writes her own material and plays piano on top of singing. She's definitely multi-talented and deserves a lot of credit.
Nicole Scherzinger

Nicole Scherzinger, born Nicole Prescovia Elikolani Valiente on June 29, 1978, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer, and television personality. She first rose to fame as the lead singer of the pop and R&B group The Pussycat Dolls. Scherzinger has also appeared as a judge on various talent... read more

I know she seems a bit fake, but if you really listen to her voice closely, you notice her voice has a trait about it that really lures you in, seduces you. People really underestimate her, but she's actually really good. The lyrical content often throws people off about the true power of her voice.

The songs Psycho, Elevator, Somebody to Love, Hush Hush, How Many Times How Many Lies, On My Side, God of War, and Casualty really show her R&B singing skills!

Nicole is multi-talented! Great underrated singer. She is obviously beautiful and sexy, but she also has a very soulful voice that didn't get used much in PCD type of songs.
Mary J. Blige

Mary Jane Blige is an American singer, songwriter, rapper and actress. She started her career as a backing singer on Uptown Records in 1989. She has released 13 studio albums, eight of which have achieved multi-platinum worldwide sales.
Keyshia Cole

Keyshia Cole is an R&B singer who rose to fame in the mid-2000s with songs like "Love," "Heaven Sent," "I Remember," and "Let It Go." Her music is known for its raw and street-influenced sound, which helped her stand out in the genre during that era. Much of that influence comes from one of her major... read more

A modern-day cross between Etta James and Mary J. Blige.
Rihanna

Robyn Rihanna Fenty is a Barbadian-American singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados. She began her music career in 2003 by recording demo tapes with producer Evan Rogers and eventually signed with Def Jam Records after an audition for Jay-Z. Rihanna... read more

A modern-day Jody Watley with a cross of Donna Summer.
Jennifer Hudson

Jennifer Kate Hudson is an American singer, actress, and spokesperson. She rose to fame in 2004 as a finalist on the third season of American Idol, coming in seventh place. Hudson went on to win an Academy Award for her role in Dreamgirls and has since earned an Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award, becoming... read more
Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey, born March 27, 1970, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She's one of the best-selling female artists in music history, with 19 number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100.
She's often regarded as a sex symbol through her songs and videos, and has been noted in the press... read more

Alright, can anybody say that they actually don't like Mariah's voice? If there are, then you're all lying to yourself. "We Belong Together" is a masterpiece and not only did it revive her career, it brought her a new, younger generation of fans (like myself).
Her voice may not be what it once was, and she may sometimes seem like she's singing synthetic soul, but what she's achieved within two decades, some people wish they could achieve over a lifetime. And I look forward to her new music.

I love me some old Mariah Carey!
Ledisi

Ledisi Anibade Young, born March 28, 1972, is an American recording artist, songwriter, actress, and author. She is known for her work in R&B and jazz, with a career spanning multiple Grammy nominations and a win for Best Traditional R&B Performance. In addition to performing, she is involved in education... read more

9x Grammy nominated powerhouse!
More than 8 albums under her name. Queens such as Patti Labelle and Chaka Khan love her and take her as their descendant. She is one of the most invited guest artists at The White House (Obama Administration).
Worked with Prince and many others, has been noted for her chart-topping songs: Pieces of Me, High, Going Thru Changes.

The Princess of Neo soul.
9 Time Grammy Nominee.
Seven albums, more times at the White House than most artists. She is the real deal!
Brandy

Brandy Rayana Norwood, known professionally as Brandy, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, model, and actress. She gained fame in the 1990s with her debut album Brandy and the hit single I Wanna Be Down. In addition to her music career, she starred in the television show Moesha and has... read more

Great singer on all of her songs I know of.

The Newcomers

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Hikaru Utada

Utada Hikaru, who has also gone by Hikaru Utada and the mononym Utada, is a Japanese-American singer-songwriter and producer. She is best known for her debut album First Love, which remains the best-selling album in Japanese history. Utada has also contributed theme songs to several games in the Kingdom... read more
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Kelis

The Contenders

Ciara

Ciara Princess Harris, known mononymously as Ciara, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer, model, and actress. She rose to fame with her debut album Goodies in 2004, which featured hits like 1, 2 Step and Oh. She is married to Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.

Hitting the scene in 2004 with the number one international hit "Goodies" and more smash hits like "Promise," "Like a Boy," "1 2 Step," "Get Up," and "Body Party." She is without a doubt our modern-day Janet Jackson. She has made her own lane with her smooth and slick vocals and killer choreography. The Grammy award songbird is in for a long and great career ahead of herself.

A modern-day cross between Janet Jackson and Aaliyah.
Ashanti

Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas, known simply as Ashanti, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer, and actress. She gained prominence with her debut single Foolish in 2002, which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. She has also released multiple Grammy Award - winning albums and... read more

A modern-day cross between Dionne Warwick and Chili from TLC.
Amy Winehouse

Amy Jade Winehouse was an English singer and songwriter known for her deep, expressive contralto vocals and her eclectic blend of soul, rhythm and blues, and jazz. She is a well-known member of the 27 Club, having died from alcohol poisoning at age 27 on July 23, 2011. Her album Back to Black remains... read more

Adding some ivory to the mix now. When I was younger during Amy's prime, I was too naïve to see past her public train-wreckedness (just invented a word) to understand what pure talent Amy Winehouse was. Even after she died, I thought, "Oh well, it's her own damn fault" until I heard "Rehab" and I was like, "Wow, I feel like a complete moronic jackass now." I heard a troubled woman bleeding her soul into her music through an incredible voice.
She is the worst kind of tragedy, in my opinion. It's like we all knew she had so much left in her, but at the same time knew that she would be doomed to an untimely death. It just really sucks that such awesome talent tends to come at a self-destructive cost, and even worse that she only lived to give us two albums before she died. But, she's in peace now, free of her vices, "at home with Ray."
R.I.P. Amy Winehouse
Leona Lewis

Leona Louise Lewis is a British singer, songwriter, and animal welfare campaigner. She was born and raised in the London Borough of Islington, London, England, where she attended the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology. She rose to fame after winning the third series of The X Factor in 2006... read more

This luscious caramel-colored diva of soul stormed onto the scene from X-Factor and amazed everyone with her raw passion and soul with her rendition of "A Moment Like This" at first. Then she released "Bleeding Love," one of my top favorite songs of the 2000s. Her range reminds me of Mariah Carey, especially with the ease she hits her epic high notes with and such pure emotion.
She could probably go above Beyoncé, but the general public would disagree and vote Beyoncé above anyway.
Angie Stone

Angela Laverne Stone (née Brown. December 18, 1961 - March 1, 2025) is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, actress, and record producer. She rose to fame in the late 1970s as a member of the hip hop trio The Sequence. In the early 1990s, she became a member of the R&B trio Vertical Hold. Stone later... read more
Kelly Rowland
Fantasia

A modern cross between Big Mama Thornton and Patti LaBelle.
Whitney Houston

Whitney Elizabeth Houston was an American singer, actress, producer, and model. She holds the Guinness World Record as the most awarded female artist of all time, with over 400 career awards as of 2006, and was named the most awarded female act in 2009.... read more
Aaliyah

Aaliyah Dana Haughton was born on January 16, 1979, and tragically died on August 25, 2001. She was a dancer, actress, model, and R&B singer. Born in Brooklyn, New York, she was raised in Detroit, Michigan, and died in a plane crash near Marsh Harbour, Bahamas.... read more
Corinne Bailey Rae

A modern-day cross between Sade and Joan Armatrading.
JoJo

Joanna Noëlle "JoJo" Levesque is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She rose to fame in 2004 with her debut single "Leave (Get Out)", which made her one of the youngest solo artists to top the Billboard Pop Songs chart. Over her career, she has released multiple albums, acted in films and... read more
Kelly Price

Kelly Cherelle Price is a six-time Grammy-nominated American R&B singer and songwriter. She first gained fame as a backing vocalist for Mariah Carey and later signed with the Def Soul label. Price has released several successful solo albums, including Soul of a Woman and Mirror Mirror.
Toni Braxton

Toni Michele Braxton was born on October 7, 1967, in Severn, Maryland, and is the oldest of six siblings. She has sold approximately 70 million records worldwide. Often referred to as the Queen of R&B, Braxton is known for her distinctive voice and major impact on 1990s and early 2000s R&B music.

Sold 40 million copies. She has one of the best voices ever and every album was a classic.
Lil' Mo
Chante Moore

Chanté Torrance Moore is an award-winning American R&B and jazz singer, songwriter, and actress. She gained fame in the 1990s with hits like Love's Taken Over and Chanté's Got a Man. Moore has also appeared in television shows and reality series.