Blue-Eyed Soul Pop
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Blue-Eyed Soul Pop is polished pop made by non-Black artists drawing strongly from soul, R&B, Motown, Philly soul, and funk: syncopated bass, electric piano, gospel-tinged backing vocals, saxophone, drum machines, and expressive lead vocals. Tempos typically range from 70 to 120 BPM, with cleaner, brighter production than classic soul. The sound is emotional but groomed, a suit-and-soul combination when done well.
History
The 1980s form grew from earlier blue-eyed soul and yacht-soul records, then merged with new pop's studio gloss and MTV-era image-making. Simply Red, Hall & Oates, George Michael, Paul Young, The Style Council, Daryl Hall, Spandau Ballet, ABC, Boy George, and Wet Wet Wet carried the style across UK and U.S. charts. It influenced sophisti-pop, adult R&B crossover, smooth pop, and the mainstream expectation that pop singers could borrow soul phrasing within highly polished productions.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- Sophisti-pop genre history
- Treble sophisti-pop album guide
- Sweetwater overview
- UK/US chart histories