Soft Soul
tagStarted 1976Peak 1979-1990Last big hit still active
Located in 1 route
Mellow, smooth-textured soul that trades grit for silk: feathery falsetto and gentle leads, plush layered harmonies, soft-attack drums, and rounded bass over warm chords. Production is light and airy with subtle guitar and keys, favoring a relaxed, caressing flow over the punch of harder funk or driving soul.
History
An offshoot of Philadelphia and Chicago sweet soul that softened further in the late 1970s, soft soul leaned on smooth tenors and falsettos. Acts like The Stylistics, Smokey Robinson, and DeBarge carried gentle, melodic balladry into the quiet-storm format, valuing tenderness and tone over rhythmic aggression.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quiet_storm
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stylistics
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeBarge