Toronto singer-songwriter Savannah Ré has penned songs for some of the music industry’s most notable names before her rise to stardom. Now, through her honey-drenched vocals, the R&B starlet is gaining widespread acclaim for her own music and relishing in the freedom of artistic expression.

Raised in Scarborough—home to names like The Weeknd and WondaGurl—music played a major role in her household. Her father was a DJ, and both her mother and sister sang so from a very young age, it was something that she gravitated towards. She grew up listening to artists such as Destiny’s Child, Boyz II Men, Brandy, and Aaliyah to name a few as well as reggae and dancehall classics that tap into her Jamaican roots. Although for Savannah, visual art was her first choice followed by dance and then eventually music.

One of Savannah Ré’s first songs she put out, “Impressed,” is a self-directed love song that finds beauty in imperfection. A lot of her earlier and more recent material draws production from frequent collaborators YogiTheProducer and Jordon Manswell, who have evolved with the singer over the course of her career. Early records that really encompass her soulful essence include 2018’s “Best Is Yet To Come” and “DVP,” which arrived two years later. Thus far, Ré’s catalog is lined with authenticity and raw emotion that build fully-realized worlds within each of her songs.

2020 saw the release of Savannah Ré’s eagerly-awaited debut EP Opia, executive produced GRAMMY-winning producer Boi-1da, whom she signed to a few years prior. The 9-track offering serves as a full-circle moment for the singer who’s been laying the groundwork for the second wave of Toronto’s R&B scene. Songs like “Love Me Back,” “Solid,” and even the titular song paint a portrait of self-reflection, vulnerability, and finding strength within her relationship. Ré tempers the album’s vulnerable moments with dreamy and instrument-driven songs that traipse through sultry nights out and scenes from her love life.

Upon the release of her EP, Savannah made Canadian music history being the first artist from Toronto to receive a JUNO Award for Traditional R&B/Soul Recording of the Year in 2021. She celebrated with the release of “24hrs,” a record in search of more hours in the day with her significant other. Naturally, the record rose to popularity, gaining over 2.4 million streams on Spotify and becoming another success in her catalog. Towards the end of the same year, Savannah was amongst 54 other musicians featured in the YouTube Black Voices Class of 2022, which amplifies Black voices on the video platform.

Not to mention, Ré was also at the forefront of Spotify’s Frequency initiative, which celebrates all things Black when it comes to music and culture. The achievement marks another milestone for the singer as she continues to win over the ears and eyes of many R&B lovers alike. This year will certainly be an exciting one as she hopefully prepares to release new music. In the meantime, stream Savannah Ré’s discography below.

Elsewhere in music, West London songstress Kate Stewart is reclaiming her sound.