
FAQ About The Influence of Neo-Soul on Modern Music

What is neo-soul, and how did it originate?
Neo-soul is a genre of popular music that emerged in the 1990s as a blend of contemporary R&B and 1970s-style soul with elements of jazz, funk, and hip hop. The term was coined by Kedar Massenburg in the late 1990s to describe a new wave of soul music that moved away from the overly polished sound of mainstream R&B at the time. Pioneers of the genre include artists like Erykah Badu, D'Angelo, and Lauryn Hill, who sought to bring back the depth, authenticity, and emotional expression that characterized the soul music of the past.