R&B Love Songs 2

So much heart, so much soul, so much passion, so much . . . love. No doubt about it, this second Essentials collection of R&B heart-melters makes for a supremely potent digital aphrodisiac, and like the best potions, it should be deployed sparingly for maximum effect. As befits a hook-up playlist, there's a strong feeling of collaboration here, as Beyoncé gets together with Alicia Keys for a double-strength dose of "Put It in a Love Song", while Rihanna embraces the talents of will.i.am on "Photographs", and Raphael Saadiq entices Joss Stone into his mix on "Just One Kiss" from 2008's classic Sixties soul homage The Way I See It.

Find a couple of 21st-century R&B troubadours alongside the legends, in Next Steps.

"There's something about your love that makes me weak and knocks me off my feet" — so sings Stevie Wonder on Songs in the Key of Life, and that's exactly the feeling we're trying to capture here, whether the R&B speaks to us from decades long gone or belongs to the here and now. Big men required big suits when Luther Vandross scored with "Power of Love/Love Power" back in '91, but the passion remains constant regardless of sartorial choices. Trey Songz refines his own definition of 21st century smooth with "I Need a Girl", and is matched move for move by Joe, whose "Sex Girl" remains a highlight from 2009's Signature.

The old school gets a new groove, but the love remains the same, in Deep Cuts.

Sometimes, there's just no substitute for the hand of experience . . . and here we find a couple of legendary R&B artists whose gold-plated maturity is worth its weight in fine wine. Lionel Richie adds a StarGate production sheen to "I'm in Love" from 2009's Just Go, and his beautifully measured rendition is exquisite, while Chaka Khan turns 2007's "Angel" into a vocal masterclass. And we return directly to the source with "So Much Love" from 1969's Dusty in Memphis, a tune penned by Gerry Goffin and Carole King, and delivered to perfection by the divine Ms. Springfield. Students of love, pay close attention.

Scientific tests have shown that Cupid's arrow flies fifty percent further when dipped in the concentrated aural ambrosia of these R&B love songs — which is another way of saying that once you've plugged in, the passion is guaranteed to follow. These tracks mark the sweet synthesis of vocal talent and heartfelt emotion, whether it's R. Kelly getting frisky in his inimitably saucy way on "Echo", Aretha Franklin stripping it right back to jazz basics on "(There Is) No Greater Love", Mariah Carey gliding through the octaves like satin on "Inseparable", Mayer Hawthorne channelling the masters with uncanny ease on "Make Her Mine" or Leona Lewis redefining devotion with "I Got You". These freshly selected R&B Love Songs are not just tracks to smooch to . . . they're the soundtrack to your love life; the lifeblood of your deepest love.