In the world of R&B music, there are a number of artists clamoring for the top spot. At times that can cause some really great artists to not get the recognition that they or their fans feel they deserve, and thus being given the label ‘underrated.’

To combat that problem, we at FEARLESS have created our list of underrated male R&B singers we think are on the verge of becoming household names and are going to break out of the underrated mold and once and for all get the acknowledgment that’s deserved.

1.)    Ryan Leslie: Ryan Leslie has been dubbed by many as one of the hottest underrated singers/producers in the industry. The Harvard University graduate first garnered attention as the producer behind singer Cassie’s debut album. In 2009, Leslie solidified his own fan base when he released his self-titled album in 2009 that spawned the singles “Diamond Girl” and “Addiction” with Cassie and Fabolous. Fans of Leslie’s music can agree that he does a mix of singing and rapping, over beats that are reminiscent of early Neptunes productions. Currently, Leslie is prepping his third release, Les Is More, for July 4, 2012, which will also be a visual album. The first video for the song “A Beautiful Lie” was released last week.

2.)  Mario: Remember back in 2002 when Mario just wanted to be our friend and braid his hair? Three albums after his debut, Mario hasn’t lost what made fans fall in love with him in the first place. His 2004 hit single “Let Me Love You” showed that he meant business as an R&B crooner and was growing as an artist. Two album releases later, his music has matured but he sticks to his R&B roots. Mario will be releasing his fifth album next year.

3.)    Luke James: Haven’t heard of Luke James? You will. But you’ve definitely heard his work and you’ve seen him too. James is joining the list of songwriters-turned-singers and it appears to be working out in his favor. He co-wrote “Crawl” for Chris Brown, wrote Justin Bieber’s “That Should Be Me” and “Kill the Lights” for Britney Spears. Along with penning songs for the hottest names in music, James has appeared in Beyonce’s video for “Run the World (Girls)” and in Melanie Fiona’s “4 AM” video. His first single, “I Want You,” showcases his pure falsetto voice over a hip-hop beat. It’s safe to say that we’ll be seeing and hearing more from Luke James in the near future.

4.)    Timothy Bloom: Timothy Bloom made a splash this year with his hit single “Til the End of Time” featuring singer V. Many say that the song and video displayed an essence of strong black love, even though that wasn’t Bloom’s initial goal. 2011 shaped up to be a breakout year for Bloom, who also wrote songs for Chris Brown’s F.A.M.E album including the power ballad “All Back.” Bloom’s EP The Budding Rose is available for download now.

5.)    Noel Gourdin: What’s a word to describe Noel Gourdin’s music? ‘Timeless’ would be one. Another word would be ‘uplifting.’ Gourdin’s music takes listeners back to a time where music was respectful, which he thinks is a lost art. He came on the music scene in 2007 with the Billboard chart-topping single “The River” from his debut album After My Time. Gourdin released his sophomore album Fresh: The Definition this past April which signified a fresh start in his career with a record label change. That album has since spawned the singles “Beautiful” and “Not Around” to critical acclaim.

What other male R&B singers do you feel are underrated?

By: Brittney Fennell