Summer Walker Says She Doesn’t Like Today’s R&B: “No Shade”

Key Takeaways:

• Summer Walker says she favors emotional, classic R&B sounds and cites groups like SWV and Xscape as her influences.
• Her comments echo similar critiques from artists like Lil Yachty and Muni Long about the genre’s emotional depth.
• Walker is currently prepping her forthcoming third album, Finally Over It, while touring with Chris Brown.

Summer Walker isn’t exactly impressed with the current state of R&B — though that’s no shade toward the many amazing artists out right now. On Sunday (Sept. 7) at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards, the “Girls Need Love” singer shared her honest thoughts on the genre nowadays.

“I don’t like it,” she admitted to Complex’s Jordan Rose. “Well, it’s no shade. I’m just an old-school girl. So, I really love just like all the SWVs, and the Xscape, and the Brandy, and oh — I almost said somebody else I can’t say — but I just love old-school R&B.” Take a look at the clip below.

She’s definitely not alone in feeling that way. Last year, Lil Yachty — who also praised Xscape at the time — said the genre was missing a “level of richness to it.” He told the publication, “My favorite type of singing is ’90s Black women on R&B records.”

Meanwhile, in February, Muni Long argued R&B could benefit from more artists “exploring sounds and getting vulnerable.” Speaking with The New York Times Style Magazine, the “Hrs & Hrs” hitmaker said, “Let’s make some wedding songs. Some party songs would be fun, you know, things that they would play in the club.”

Walker, who’s currently on the road in support of Chris Brown’s “Breezy Bowl XX Stadium World Tour,” is gearing up to release Finally Over It. The Grammy-nominated musician’s highly anticipated third studio album has been in the works for quite some time. In fact, its lead single, “Heart Of A Woman,” dropped back in October 2024. Its lyrical video featured “Love Island USA” Season 6 winners Kordell Beckham and Serena Page, while the official visual companion saw NLE Choppa cast as Walker’s love interest.

Fast forward to May, the R&B singer followed up with “Spend It.” The record’s heist-themed music video boasted cameos from “P-Valley” stars Gail Bean, Miracle Watts and Brandee Evans. Joanne the Scammer, as well as Angela “Blac Chyna” White and Eric Roberts, also appeared in the clip.

In anticipation of the LP, Walker launched “Over It Radio” via Apple Music. “My vision for ‘Over It Radio’ is to create a safe space where I can own my own narrative and provide a platform for the women I admire in the entertainment industry to do the same,” she explained. “We discuss the topics that matter to them without any hidden agendas.”