Queens of R&B

Featuring musical icons Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, R&B legends Mary J Blige, Aaliyah and Ashanti, and current icons SZA and H.E.R., Queens of R&B is an electrifying must-read for R&B enthusiasts.

This joyful book explores the genre’s journey – from 1940s rhythm and blues, through funk, soul and hip-hip – and its explosion in the 1990s – to the R&B we know and love today. Featuring complementary playlists alongside detailed profiles of ten female trailblazers, this bold book is fully illustrated throughout.

Featured artists

Janet Jackson / Whitney Houston / Mariah Carey / Mary J. Blige / Aaliyah / Brandy / Destiny's Child / Ashanti / SZA / H.E.R.

The Queens of... series

Packed with iconic images, cultural history and playlists, the Queens of... series is a celebration of influential music genres and the female pioneers that defined them.

Author: Kiana Fitzgerald

Soul & R 'n' B, Biography: arts & entertainment

Published on 12 Feb 2026 by Gemini Books Group Ltd.