Indie R&B

The term is often used as another name for alternative R&B, the moody, electronic-leaning style that began in the mid-2000s and came to wide notice in the early 2010s. Used more loosely, it points at smaller, self-released artists: soft vocals, lo-fi or minimal beats, guitar or electric piano, and influences from indie rock and bedroom pop. It differs from contemporary R&B mostly in scale and polish, not in its basic ingredients.