Who's the hottest R&B singer of 2014? Always a hotly-contested list, this year, we see a slew of veteran superstars play alongside a host of brand new ingenues. Some of them, like Beyonce and Rihanna, have their own hives (or navy) of fans that keep them hot in the streets whether they're dropping music or not. Newbies like Jhene Aiko, Tinashe and SZA are putting in that work, leading into their debut albums, and are already inking cosigns from some of the biggest names in music.

Here are the hottest women in R&B right now.

  • 1

    Beyonce

    Beyonce…or Mrs. Carter to you. The superstar has us all sippin’ watermelon and sangin’ "Surfbort" to our boy toys with ‘Drunk In Love.’ After a naughty performance at the 2014 Grammys of the hit, Bey and hubby Jay Z are bringing the dynasty on the road with the On The Run tour. Add another HBO special X10, a hilarious Saturday Night Live segment about the Beygency, and an action-packed teaser clip (featuring Hollywood A-listers like Blake Lively and Rashida Jones and that could have been a real movie), and you can see why Beyonce is back on top in 2014.

  • 2

    Rihanna

    What singer is hot enough to make our list without dropping one song in 2014? Rihanna. From her jaw-dropping, barely-there outfits to her rumored romances and social media antics, the superstar is on fire. She’s gorgeous and talented but what we love most about her is that brash, no-nonsense attitude. When she was honored as the Style Icon at the 2014 CFDA Fashion Awards, the singer cheekily showed up…. well, naked. And let’s not forget that she flashed more than a billion fans at the World Cup finals this weekend.  Is there anything the world's 'Most Desirable Woman' won’t do? We sure hope not.

  • 3

    Tinashe

    You may not be able to pronounce her name but you know you love Tinashe. The sexy Cali singer and dancer has everyone wanting to get a little bit out of control with her '2 On' featuring ScHoolboy Q. The fresh-faced beauty may be new to our list, but don’t get it twisted, Tinashe has paid her dues. In addition to being in the girl group The Stunners, she has nabbed acting credits alongside Tom Hanks and Charlie Sheen in 'Polar Express' and 'Two and a Half Men'. Talk about a multiple threat. Following a collabo with RZA, her debut 'Aquarius' is slated for this year and we can’t wait to hear what surprises Tinashe has in store.

  • 4

    Jhene Aiko

    Jhene Aiko is back for the first time. She popped up way back in 2002 as an extended family member of boy band B2K and after a lengthy hiatus, she’s back and hotter than ever. The pint-sized singer has already checked off several things on her r&b bucket list this year, including performing on ‘Saturday Night Live,’ touring with Drake, performing at Coachella and collaborating with everyone from Kendrick Lamar to Wiz Khalifa. Working with producer extraordinaire No I.D., Jhene is preparing her highly-anticipated new album, ‘Souled Out,’ and we’re sure it’s well worth the wait.

  • 5

    SZA

    While everyone is going right, SZA goes left. The raspy singer/songwriter is redefining female r&b in 2014, forging her own path. Part girl-next-door, part husky soulstress, SZA is the cool chick you want to hang with on a summer night. Even before dropping a full album, SZA has our ears at full attention. If her EP ‘Z (featuring cuts like 'Babylon' and ‘Child's Play’ with Chance The Rapper) is any proof, the first lady of T.D.E. will only get hotter this year.

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