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- Erykah Badu. 994 votes. Erykah Badu, known as the "Queen of Neo Soul," has been a major influence in the movement since her groundbreaking debut album, Baduizm, in 1997.
- Jill Scott. 916 votes. Since her powerful debut with Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1, Jill Scott has provided a much-needed voice for women in the neo soul genre.
- India.Arie. 544 votes. India.Arie is an accomplished singer-songwriter who first rose to fame with the release of her debut album, Acoustic Soul, in 2001.
- Musiq. 592 votes. Musiq Soulchild emerged onto the neo soul scene at the turn of the century with his critically acclaimed debut album, Aijuswanaseing. With a unique voice and style, Musiq has managed to stand out among his peers with his blend of R&B, soul, and hip hop.
- Yazmin Lacey
- Mali Hayes
- Noya Rao
- Downtown Kayoto
- Dijon
- Aaron Taylor
- B-Ahwe
- Eric Mayson
- Simon A.
- Nyah Grace
Yazmin Lacey’s steady, low-energy jazz soul vibes have resonated in a big way across the UK jazz scene. Understated and restrained, in her live performances, Lacey carries an air of humility and warmth – a curious juxtaposition to the coolness of her music, underpinned with hip-hop and jazz grooves. At its core, Yazmin Lacey’s music bears the disti...
Hailing from Manchester, Mali Hayeshas been making waves across the UK with her heavily R&B-influenced brand of neo-soul. Part of Gilles Peterson’s esteemed Future Bubblers programme, Mali Hayes’ smooth, soulful delivery has made her the perfect fit for collaborations with the likes of UK hip-hop heavyweights Foreign Beggar and Leeds’ Abstract Orch...
Describing themselves as electronic-soul, the heavy hip-hop influence in Noya Rao’s grooves, and the lilting voice of singer Olivia Bhattacharjee camp them within the neo-soul space. Based in Leeds, and benefitting, no doubt, from the strong jazz presence in that city, Noya Rao lean towards the more electronic side of the genre, with synths providi...
Downtown Kayoto’s discography is experimental and diverse, and his latest releases have seen his sound coagulate into something firmly alt-R&B. Hailing from near the Victoria Falls in Zambia, Downtown now calls the somewhat-less-romantic Kingston-upon-Hull his home – something which he carries proudly. Releases including the sweetly addictive ‘Feel...
Dijon’s hazy, folky How Do You Feel About Getting Married has been one of the most interesting records in the soul space to emerge in recent years. With heavy folk and indie influences accompanying the R&B-esque vocals, the singer and songwriter’s debut solo EP is saturated with tingling falsetto, glistening acoustic guitars, and even slide guitar....
Of all the artists on this list, London’s Aaron Taylor stays truest to the roots of neo-soul. Drawing heavily on classic soul sounds, brass textures, and jazz changes, Taylor’s tunes are big on tenderness and sensuality. I hear plenty of Stevie Wonder in this. But Taylor also brings some of the rougher, grittier features that distinguish neo-soul f...
Blending elements of jazz, soul, and rock, B-ahwe’s debut album Nuanceis a real melting pot of genres, never straying too far from the neo-soul realm. A stalwart of Leeds’ jazz scene, B-ahwe’s voice meanders like a butterfly over shifting textures on this record. Truest to jazz and soul in her delivery and style, B-ahwe’s is a powerful and versatil...
Eric Mayson forgoes any simplisstic clichés associated with neo-soul in his complex, profound, and searingly expressive music. The Minneapolis-based artist blends soul with electronica and jazz to stunning effect. His outstanding and poetic 2019 album Op-Nopeexplores the march of time, the pain of personal growth, and the vast potential of human ex...
You won’t find him on Google (just try searching ‘simon a.’) – so to make it easy for you, here’s a link to his YouTube, Bandcamp, and Instagram. The mysterious Londoner’s music is reliably downbeat, dreamy, and dripping with soul. Simon a.’s tight and cohesive production is at times reminiscent of James Blake, with his honest and vulnerable lyrics...
Nyah Grace’s music falls towards the smoother end of the spectrum of the artists on this list. Hailing from the rural expanses of Oregon, Nyah Grace now calls the bustling metropolis of London home. Crossing over smooth soul with more contemporary elements of R&B, her debut album Honey-Colouredcalls to mind the likes of Lauryn Hill, Corinne Bailey ...
- Cleo Sol. From Ladbroke Grove, West London, and formed of Serbian, Spanish and Jamaican heritage, Cleo Sol is a special talent who has been an eye catcher in the genre for a few years now.
- Lizzie Berchie. The Neo-Soul singing sweetheart from Newham. Lizzie Berchie is a little bit sultry, a little bit sweet. Berchie welcomes you to her world by gently pulling you into storytimes about the beauty of flourishing love in songs alongside the world’s own heartaches and grief such as in tracks ‘Nsala’ and ‘Trying’.
- SiR. Inglewood, California native, SiR has a laid-back tone in his voice. The same vibe is reflected in the sound of his music. The energy of California feels breathed into his laid back, but deeply resonant, Neo-Soul sound.
- Amaria. Amaria McGee is a sultry Tampa, Florida native with deep roots in Neo-Soul. Amaria may be the most relevant comparison to Erykah Badu in contemporary Soul and R&B there is.
Heavily based in soul music, neo soul is distinguished by a less conventional sound than its contemporary R&B counterpart, with incorporated elements ranging from funk, jazz fusion, hip hop, and African music to pop, rock, and electronic music. It has been noted by music writers for its traditional R&B influences, conscious-driven lyrics, and ...
Neo Soul-Jazz is a genre of music that combines elements of soul, jazz, and R&B. It is characterized by its smooth, soulful sound, often featuring a combination of acoustic and electronic instruments. It typically features a laid-back groove, with a focus on improvisation and experimentation.
Erykah Badu’s Baduizm (1997) and Mama’s Gun (1997) crystallized a distinctive neo soul style that exploits a range of Black aesthetic qualities. Her hybrid of spoken word and jazz includes improvisatory devices unique to jazz, including scat singing.
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Neo Soul-Jazz Mix · Playlist · 42 songs.
