neo soul
Hip-hop-infused Motown revival
Neo soul is a genre of popular music blending soul with contemporary R&B, hip-hop, and jazz influences.
Emerging in the 1990s, it emphasizes organic instrumentation, socially conscious lyrics, and a return to the warmth of classic soul: Erykah Badu and D'Angelo defined the neo soul sound.
The prefix "neo" signals both revival and reinvention.
Soulful pop genre
- hip-hopRhythmic spoken-word music
- jazzImprovisational American music genre
- funkDepression or groove music
- gospelSacred choral tradition
Erykah Badu · D'Angelo · Maxwell · Lauryn Hill · Frank Ocean · album · singer-songwriter · producer
Without roughness or difficulty
- mellowSoft, ripe, relaxed
- warmModerately heated, or friendly
- sultryHot, humid, or alluring
- groovySixties slang for cool
downtempo · laid-back · organic · lush · dreamy · atmospheric · understated · intimate
Narrow cut or routine
- beatRhythmic pulse or strike
- syncopationStressed unexpected beats
- tempoRate of musical performance
- swingSuspended recreational seat
flow · backbeat · polyrhythm · cadence · pulse · pocket · breakbeat · drumming
Combining into uniformity
- eclecticDeriving from varied sources
- hybridThing of mixed parentage
- cross-pollinationFertilization between different plants
- synthesisCombining parts into whole
conscious · Afrocentric · bohemian · alternative · progressive · experimental
Showing feelings outwardly
- heartfeltDeeply and sincerely meant
- introspectiveExamining one's own mind
- passionateIntensely emotional or enthusiastic
- authenticVerified as original
vulnerable · reflective · melancholic · yearning · poignant · sincere · deep · raw
Pleasing sequence of notes
- chordNotes sounded simultaneously
- progressionSequential forward movement
- vocalsSung musical parts
- arrangementOrdered configuration or agreement
layered · lush · seventh chords · minor keys · modulation · countermelody · vocal runs · ad-libs
R&B
Soulful pop genre
- hip-hopRhythmic spoken-word music
- jazzImprovisational American music genre
- funkDepression or groove music
gospel · Erykah Badu · D'Angelo · Maxwell · Lauryn Hill · Frank Ocean · album · singer-songwriter · producer · live
smooth
Without roughness or difficulty
groovy · downtempo · laid-back · organic · lush · dreamy · atmospheric · understated · intimate · sensuous
groove
Narrow cut or routine
- beatRhythmic pulse or strike
- syncopationStressed unexpected beats
- tempoRate of musical performance
swing · flow · backbeat · polyrhythm · cadence · pulse · pocket · breakbeat · drumming · percussion
blending
Combining into uniformity
- eclecticDeriving from varied sources
- hybridThing of mixed parentage
- cross-pollinationFertilization between different plants
synthesis · conscious · Afrocentric · bohemian · alternative · progressive · experimental
expressive
Showing feelings outwardly
- heartfeltDeeply and sincerely meant
- introspectiveExamining one's own mind
- passionateIntensely emotional or enthusiastic
authentic · vulnerable · reflective · melancholic · yearning · poignant · sincere · deep · raw · confessional
melody
Pleasing sequence of notes
- chordNotes sounded simultaneously
- progressionSequential forward movement
- vocalsSung musical parts
arrangement · layered · lush · seventh chords · minor keys · modulation · countermelody · vocal runs · ad-libs · harmonics
neo soulteen pop
Youth-oriented commercial music
EDM · bubblegum pop · heavy metal · Europop · hair metal
soul, soulful, soulless, neologism, souled, neonate, soulmate, neo, neoclassical