Neo Soul: A Love Story, Part 2

The truth is, soul music never left. What people usually define as "soul music" originated out of the Doo Wop era of the 1950s, followed by the Motown/Stax sound and Philly Soul. Artists like the Tempations, Supremes, Otis Redding and Marvin Gaye came of age during the burgeoning Civil Rights movement that sparked not only a new direction in music, but society as a whole.

However, it was the 1970s that a true "golden age" was born. Leaving the standard, 3-minute long, Motown-influenced single behind, the soul music of the 70s was characterized by an expansion, not only in the length a song could be specifically, but an entirely new direction in general. Whereas the artists of the 1960s indirectly spoke to social injustice, artists like Curtis Mayfield and James Brown grabbed society by the throat. Songs like "Ain't No Stoppin Us Now" and "What's Goin On" were songs that served to inspire.

From a mainstream perspective, the music of the 1980s was a different animal altogether. The 70s featured protest songs from artists across genres, from soul to Rock n roll. The 80's were less rigid and direct. Soul music in the 80's, according to the purists, went through a period were electronically-enhanced music was the norm. Artists like Luther Vandross and Anita Baker seemed to be artists without a genre at times, but were situated within the "Quiet Storm" playlists of radio programmers. But make no mistake about it, the 80's were not a lost decade by no means. From England there came Sade Adu (above) with her band of the same name. Part Nina Simone, part Roberta Flack, Sade` was able to garner a significant buzz both in mainstream and underground circles with their brand of jazz-soul. She became that bridge from the heyday of the 70s and the neo-soul movement of the present day.

Where does that leave us today? Neo-soul's general fanbase, are extremely loyal to their artists. With any genre, past or present, neo-soul suffers from lack of exposure on a mainstream level, causing word of mouth to sometimes be the main avenues of knowledge. But soul music is in good hands and is converting fans everyday. It will continue to go through changes, mostly positive. True soul music has never left us and probably never will. .