Neo soul
Neo soul is a style of popular music that emerged in the 1990s, blending soul traditions with contemporary R&B, hip-hop, and jazz influences.
Soul music: A popular music genre combining gospel-derived singing with rhythm and blues. Neo soul reworks soul’s vocal intensity and expressive traditions.
Erykah Badu: An American singer-songwriter whose albums helped define neo soul in the late 1990s. Her debut album made her one of the movement’s most recognizable voices.
Dilla time: A loose, swung timing feel associated with hip-hop producer J Dilla’s drum programming. Its subtly displaced beats illuminate the relaxed groove of some neo soul.
New jack swing: A late-1980s and early-1990s style combining R&B singing with hip-hop-influenced rhythms. Its punchy programmed grooves contrast with neo soul’s often looser, live feel.
Soulquarians: A loose collective of musicians and producers who collaborated on influential soul and hip-hop recordings around 2000. Their sessions crystallized a collaborative, groove-focused strand of neo soul.
Contemporary R&B: A late-20th-century popular music style combining rhythm and blues with pop, electronic, and hip-hop influences. Its production and songwriting helped define neo soul’s modern sound.
D'Angelo: An American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist associated with neo soul. His albums shaped the genre’s intimate vocals and groove-centered production.
Sampling (music): The reuse of recorded sounds as components of a new musical work. Sampling connects neo soul’s production to hip-hop’s reuse of musical history.
Quiet storm: A smooth, romantic R&B radio format and musical style that developed in the 1970s. Quiet storm favors polished ballads, while neo soul often foregrounds groove and experimentation.
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill: Lauryn Hill’s 1998 solo album blending hip-hop, soul, reggae, and R&B. Its critical and commercial success gave neo soul exceptional mainstream visibility.