ARTIST: SAM V. PHOTO: SAMUEL BERNARD
September 10th, 2026
VICE & VIRTUE is a collaborative album by R&B powerhouse Sam V and award-winning producer choicevaughan.
The album stands as a cohesive, deeply atmospheric exploration of modern romantic relationships, navigating the line between emotional purity and real-world friction. The album’s narrative engine rests on the tension between its two namesakes – Vice (jealousy, blurred boundaries, late-night impulse, and possessiveness) and Virtue (devotion, vulnerability, reassurance, and radical honesty. Across the record, the songs trace the full spectrum of intimacy, from the head-spinning, nervous energy of early attraction to the complicated grey areas of romantic history.
Rather than framing romance through posture or swagger, the lyrics lean into raw insecurity, admitting to a fear of replacement, second-guessing, and a willingness to stay even when things get complex. Musically, choicevaughan bridges sultry Alt-R&B and warm Soul, grounded in detail-oriented, soul-drenched production and live-sounding instrumentation, with help from grammy award winning co-producer Astro (Chris Brown) throughout.
Sam’s lush, multi-layered vocal arrangements, expressive falsetto leads, and stacked harmonies create an intimate, late-night atmosphere. With a mixture of organic textures, deep-pocket basslines, subtle guitar accents, the crisp drum programming ties everything together while giving each arrangement space to breathe. The record balances slow-burning, nocturnal confessions with mid-tempo, head-nodding grooves that keep the project’s momentum flowing smoothly from start to finish.
‘Trade Favor‘: A sultry, nocturnal Alt-R&B centerpiece- co-produced alongside Grammy-winning producer Astro-exploring mutual desire, emotional reciprocity, and blurred personal lines.
‘So Good‘ captures this perfectly, with layers of guitar lines over heavy drums and choral harmonies, ‘So Good’ is a vibrant, groove-heavy anthem built on lavish devotion, warmth, and uninhibited affection.
Strip-backed, lingering tracks (such as ‘I Still Would‘) that highlight the weight of devotion, capturing the struggle between pride and love.
As a whole, VICE & VIRTUE is a sleek, emotionally nuanced R&B project. It captures the duality of love with polish and authenticity, pairing Sam V’s versatile vocal performances with choicevaughan’s signature soulful, arrangement-focused production.