Neo-soul is never sleeker than when wielded by SiR. The California crooner specializes in subdued cool, blending gentle vocals with refined yet understated soundscapes. Born Sir Darryl Farris in 1986, the Inglewood, California-raised singer grew up in a family of musicians, which steered him to become a singer himself. After spending years behind the scenes as a songwriter and producer for R&B luminaries like Anita Baker and Jill Scott, he emerged with his debut album, Seven Sundays, in 2015. For the project, he laced atmospheric production with splashes of delicate falsetto and yearning lyricism (“Love You”). He’s only fortified his technique since, serving up songs that can be sultry and intimate (“Something New” with Etta Bond) or breezy and mysterious (“Hair Down” with Kendrick Lamar). Whether he’s collaborating with Big K.R.I.T. (“Cadillac Dreams”), ScHoolboy Q (“Something Foreign”), or holding things down himself, he presents a dazed yet immersive vision of modern R&B.