Sweet Soul Music

What is “soul” music? What are its characteristics, setting it apart from gospel, blues, jazz, rock, and rhythm and blues? The chapter examines the roots of soul music, and the origin of its name, before delving into three aspects of the genre, drawing on examples by Marvin Gaye and Smokey Robinson and the Miracles: soul as an expression of faith, of love, and of both protest and hope for the future. Can the genre be described as universal, if not—in Tim Ingold’s word—“pluriversal”? The conclusion looks at reasons why this genre of (originally) Afro-American music, whose influence can be felt in the younger generation of artists such as Rihanna, Beyoncé, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith and neo-soul singer SZA, has survived—persisted—so well.