Eric Benét Is Bringing the Live Band Back, and R&B Might Need This

Eric Benét is giving R&B lovers something to look forward to, and no, it is not another greatest-hits playlist. Just one day after his 60th birthday on October 15, the singer announced We Need Everybody, his first solo album in a decade, and shared a new single, “Heaven.”

The upcoming project is expected this fall through his independent JBR Creative Group label, though an exact release date has not been announced. According to information shared with Rated R&B, Benét recorded with a live band, placing musicianship and the feel of a real studio session at the heart of the project. In an era when technology is part of almost every conversation about music, that creative decision is worth paying attention to.

“Heaven,” produced by Camper, leans into the romantic side of Benét's catalog. The album will also include the previously released “Who's Gonna Save Us?”, showing that he has more than one kind of conversation in mind. And for the New York crowd, Benét is scheduled to perform at Sony Hall on December 22.

A veteran artist returning with fresh music, a live-band approach and something to say? That sounds like a pretty solid reason to make room in the R&B rotation.

Source: Rated R&B, Keithan Samuels, October 16, 2026: https://ratedrnb.com/2026/10/eric-benet-announces-we-need-everybody-shares-heaven/

Official single: https://music.apple.com/us/album/heaven-single/6809423222