soul music

American  

noun

1. a fervent type of popular music developed in the late 1950s by Black Americans as a secularized form of gospel music, with rhythm-and-blues influences, and distinctive for its earthy expressiveness, variously plaintive or raucous vocals, and often passionate romanticism or sensuality.

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Etymology

Origin of soul music

An Americanism dating back to 1960–65

Example Sentences

In September, the AI singer Xania Monet, whose genre is R&B and soul music, became the first virtual artist to enter the bestselling charts in the United States.

From Barron's • Nov. 11, 2025

“Against the grain of bland modern R&B, D’Angelo preserved the Gospel essence of early soul music, mixing it with every other genre of Black music without ever leaving the church,” Leeds said in an Oct.

From Salon • Oct. 19, 2025

The account owner is also a fan of soul music, with an entire playlist dedicated to the likes of Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, and Aretha Franklin.

From Slate • Jul. 19, 2024

That level of camaraderie and encouragement has been crucial for Thee Sinseers, a group of mostly Latino, self-described “emo kids,” as they continue to cruise into the upper echelons of contemporary soul music.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 22, 2024

That moment in the Club Kalfour came swimming back: the swirling paintings, the old-man band busting out that sweet Caribbean soul music, Robbie’s hands wrapped around her...

From "Shadowshaper" by Daniel José Older