With smooth soulful melodies, energetic R&B beats, or jazzy improvisations to choose from, soul music offers something for everyone. Falsetto vocals and smooth instrumentals will transport you right into the moment!
Soul music often conveys powerful, deep messages such as what Marvin Gaye expressed with What’s Going On; yet other times its messages may be positive and upbeat, like in Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On. Soul is known to explore this duality throughout.
Listen to the best laid-back soul tracks
Soul music has long been associated with romantic longing, with some of its greatest songs being romantically poignant or sorrowful expressions of romantic yearning. Yet soul is about so much more — hope, change and transcendence are central themes within its genre – with laidback soul tracks touching upon issues like social injustice or religious salvation often making an appearance on Sunday afternoon playlists KEXP DJ Supreme La Rock has curated some of his personal favorites to give your Sunday afternoon an easy listening experience.
Listen to the best new soul
Ms. Jody proves in 2022 that soul music still packs a powerful punch with this sensuous new tune from her producer Jack Dine and herself (he won a Grammy Award and she an extraordinary vocal). Together they bring to mind last year’s #1 country soul song by Binky Womack called “Magic Woman”.
Ms. Jody’s track is featured on her five-star, club-friendly album A Night to Remember which will be released this fall. Her music has received high acclaim by many and she has been touring extensively over recent months; currently taking part in her Brown Liquor Tour that runs until the fall.
She and her Royal Family band will serve as opening act for legendary artist Daddy B Nice’s Southern Soul Radio, Music, & Film Conference taking place from August 17th through 20th in Atlanta. This three-day event welcomes artists, producers, publicists, deejays, radio stations, deejays and radio stations from throughout the Southern Soul industry to attend workshops designed to advance careers within this industry.
Ms. Jody has been making great music despite her youth for quite some time now. Since she first posted it to SoundCloud when she was 18, Ms. Jody has developed her understated, classy style of futuristic soul music on album: Tears of a Crown is filled with tracks that address impostor syndrome and injustice while maintaining an upbeat buoyancy that balances out these darker themes.
She also performs her signature version of “The Mac,” an example of how soul music can effectively approach difficult topics like race inequality without becoming overtly political or heavy-handed. West Love produced this sophisticated jazz-influenced track featuring Dinah Washington-esque vocals which make for an irresistibly dance floor jam!
Listen to the best R&B
Soul music encompasses more than just genre. The term conveys history, community and culture – all three having an enormous significance to artists who have made soul their signature style of expression. Wilson Pickett once described soul music as being nothing more than “just an emotion”, while Aretha Franklin described it as giving artists “freedom to sing about any topic they choose”. Music can encompass many facets, ranging from organic traditionalism of neo-soul acts like Bilal and Jill Scott to new piano-driven classicism such as Janelle Monae and John Legend, to goth moodiness from The Weeknd or Monica and SZA; to gritty soul of Bryson Tiller or Drake’s “Exchange.” And of course it includes hybrid sounds such as hip-hop and R&B which first converged during the 90s but have thrived ever since – sharing one another as richly diverse forms.
Soul songs capture an artist’s full emotional range while conjuring up memories from times past and places faraway. Genre-defining hits provide an ample soundtrack for civil rights activism as well as awakening of black consciousness in America.
Soul music has long been associated with Motown Records and its stars such as Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke and Smokey Robinson; however its roots lie elsewhere: in particular Stax Records on McLemore Avenue in Memphis Tennessee was one of three primary sites where this musical style would emerge during its formative stages during the ’50s.
Muscle Shoals in Alabama and Macon in Georgia also played an essential role. Southern soul music drew on elements such as blues and gospel, making it particularly well suited for broadcast radio formats which allowed Black artists to address wider social concerns through radio programs.
The genre continues to adapt in the streaming era. Pop hits remain popular, yet soulful ballads and stripped-back production still find an audience. Summer Walker’s 2018 debut single “Session 32” stands as an example. An unexpected departure from maximalist production that had dominated her genre previously, this track puts Summer’s seductive vocals front and center alongside an acoustic guitar and sparse background of bass, claps, and percussion for an emotive experience that puts Summer Walker front and center. It truly shows her talent and authentic sound.
Listen to the best funk
Funk is one of the most energetic and joyful musical genres available today, mixing soul, jazz, and R&B into an upbeat mix that can lift your mood and help you relax after an exhausting day. Here are some great funk albums you should listen to.
Funk was birthed by its pioneers who stripped down soul, jazz, and R&B music down to its core elements and created a unique genre characterized by heavy bass lines, syncopated rhythms, and horn sections. James Brown is often credited as having pioneered it; using his technique of “playing “on the one” that emphasizes the first beat of each measure for creating grooves which became synonymous with this genre. Funk became especially popular in the 70s and 80s due to artists such as Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, and The Rolling Stones who added their repertoires featuring it into their repertoires as part of their repertoires.
Herbie Hancock’s 1970 album Head Hunters remains one of the classic and influential funk albums ever made, and has been sampled by artists like 50 Cent, Coolio and Erykah Badu. This masterpiece featured Herbie and his Head Hunters band as well as various instruments like clavinet, saxophone and electric piano.
Parliament’s 1972 classic Arrival should also be added to your listening library as a must-listen funk album. Considered one of the greatest ever produced, Arrival has been sampled by legendary artists like Michael Jackson, Erykah Badu, and Kanye West among many others. Notably known for its psychedelic vibe this album should provide an unforgettable journey that expands both mind and spirit alike.
Troy Andrews aka Trombone Shorty hailing from New Orleans is an expert of bayou-style funk. An incredible saxophonist himself, he has collaborated with many legendary musicians. His latest release Unify features soulful swamp funk that will leave you feeling great!