Neo-Soul Pop
tagStarted 1995Peak 1997-2008Last big hit still active
Organic, live-band soul revival meeting pop accessibility: warm Rhodes and Wurlitzer, jazzy extended chords, hand-played drums with deep pocket, and rich, unprocessed vocals with conversational phrasing. It foregrounds musicianship and Afrocentric, introspective writing, the antithesis of glossy machine-made R&B, yet melodic enough for crossover.
History
Coined by producer Kedar Massenburg in the mid-1990s around D'Angelo and Erykah Badu, neo-soul reconnected R&B to 1970s soul and jazz. Lauryn Hill, Maxwell and Jill Scott broadened it; India.Arie carried its acoustic-leaning, message-driven strain to pop radio through the 2000s.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neo_soul
- https://www.allmusic.com/style/neo-soul-ma0000012197
- https://www.npr.org/2018/05/24/612573853/the-electric-lady-erykah-badu