Over the past decade, contemporary R&B has splintered and evolved in countless directions. Some artists have boldly blurred the boundaries between pop and other genres, expanding the scope of pop to new horizons. Others have opened new worlds within R&B through intimate storytelling and experimental production. Some have pushed the limits of hybrid forms, sparking endless debate about what truly belongs within R&B. Others have looked back to its roots with devotion. In the end, today’s R&B can no longer be defined by a single sound or style. It is better understood as a sonic language that conveys emotions such as love, loneliness, desire, and hurt.

Emerging from this evolution, the R&B duo “DVSN” carried forward what Drake pioneered—the so-called “Toronto sound.” With its dark moods, melancholic melodies, spacious textures, and hushed, lingering vocals, the Toronto sound had already become a distinct style. Yet DVSN took it even deeper, choosing to stay closer to R&B’s emotional intimacy rather than chasing pop’s expansiveness. That doesn’t mean they revived traditional R&B. Through minimal arrangements, honest emotion, and sound design that makes use of space, DVSN capture what 21st-century R&B feels like.

Daniel Daley’s voice seeps into the space around him. When he sings low, it feels like a secret confession. When his falsetto rises, it turns into emotion he can’t hide. His voice isn’t just about melody—it’s a whisper mixed with tension and desire, like an inner monologue caught between parting and reunion. Daley doesn’t try to make love sound perfect. He digs into its uncertainty and unease instead. Their track “Don’t Choose” shows this well. On the surface, it appears to be a slow, sensual love song. But inside, it’s driven by honest desire shaped by hesitation and doubt.

That openness to imperfection is what makes DVSN unique. Their songs don’t romanticize love. Instead, they carry the contradictions, hesitation, and desire that live inside real relationships. Through those imperfect and conflicted moments, DVSN capture feelings that can’t easily be named. In an interview with “NOW Toronto” in 2023, Daley gave a glimpse into that mindset. Asked why he loves R&B, he said, “Now it’s cool to sing about whatever, it doesn’t always have to be about love, it doesn’t always have to be making love and making up.” Even when DVSN explore uncomfortable themes, like infidelity in “If I Get Caught,” that honesty is what draws listeners in.

At the heart of DVSN’s music is Nineteen85’s clean, carefully built production. He had already shown how good he is at building that kind of spacious sound on Drake’s “Hotline Bling.” Within DVSN, that instinct goes even further. It’s hard to find heavy rhythms or flashy instruments here. Instead, the sound is ruled by near-empty space, loose drums, and deep reverb. His production flows softly around Daley’s voice, like the quiet air of a city.

Together, the two have built four studio albums and one collaborative record with Ty Dolla Sign. Their debut, “Sept. 5th” (2016), created a closed world using only a few instruments and simple beats. “Morning After” (2017) followed, where the rush of love and the fear that comes with it ran together. By “A Muse In Her Feelings” (2020), DVSN opened their sound with diverse guests and rhythms, capturing both the tangled emotions and shifting colors of relationships. And in “Working On My Karma” (2022), they turned inward, confessing the debt, guilt, and questions that remain after love fades. Along the way, they’ve released standout tracks such as “Hallucinations,” “Too Deep,” “Mood,” “Don’t Choose,” “Between Us,” “Use Somebody,” and “If I Get Caught.”

DVSN first came up under Drake’s OVO Sound, and now they’re moving into a whole new chapter. They signed a major album deal with Jermaine Dupri’s So So Def and HYBE America. The partnership with Dupri, one of the defining producers of 1990s hip-hop and R&B, carries a quiet resonance. Although DVSN’s core lies in alternative R&B, their music has always carried a clear affection for the emotional and melodic design of 1990s R&B. Their partnership with HYBE goes beyond a simple distribution change; it’s a move to bring their moody, emotional sound to a global stage.

So what does this new chapter mean for DVSN’s music? That shift already comes through in their latest singles, “Excited” and “Love On You.” They’re still singing about love and desire, but the sound is more precise and the melodies stand out more. In that space, Daniel Daley’s voice becomes both an instrument and a confession. In “Excited,” Nineteen85 shows off his sampling skills, flipping the hook from Floetry’s 2002 neo-soul classic “Say Yes” and enhancing the song’s subtle, lingering mood.

Some fans worried that moving to a new label might change the essence of DVSN’s sound. But there’s nothing to worry about. Listening to “Excited” and “Love On You” reveals that they haven’t lost what makes their music special: the honesty and intimate storytelling. Their new work also demonstrates an effort to strike a balance between expansion and intimacy, allowing for growth without losing emotional closeness.

R&B continues to evolve today, blending with pop, hip-hop, and electronic influences. Within that movement, DVSN prove that a quiet, intimate voice can be just as powerful as stardom. Their songs show where modern R&B is heading. They ask how honestly we can face the shadows and the cracks in love—and whether we’re ready for that truth. DVSN don’t try to give answers; they simply let the truth speak in their own voice. And that’s where this new chapter begins.