Soul Searching: Top 10 Soul Artists of the Year
posted in: By Genres • Features • Urban
It’s been a awesome year for OurStage R&B and soul artists. There is such a large pool of talent here that pinpointing the Top 10 songs (even if the picks are just in our personal opinions) is very difficult. In the end, we selected artists who landed in the top of the Best of Urban Channels, won promotional competitions, and scored the Number 1 spot on the Soul and R&B Channel.
10. Nadirah Shakoor, “Know what I’m lookin’ for” “ Nadirah hit Number 1 in the Soul Channel in June of this year, and placed in the Top 10 for Soul four times over the last year and half!
9. Jeremy James, “Well be as it may” “ Jeremy was previously featured on Soul Searching, so feel free to learn more about him here. He also was first in the urban Best of Charts for 7 weeks.
8. Tess Henley, “Easy to Love” “ Tess is another recently Soul Searching artist and has demonstrated a mastery of the old school soul feel. She resides in Seattle, Washington and, despite her young age, is making her moves as an independent artist.
7. Jeff Hendrick, “Old School Party” “ Jeff’s music is influenced by some of the greats including Michael Jackson, Prince, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder. No wonder he is currently in the Top 20 of the Best of Urban Charts with his song, Old School Party.
6. Bridget Barkan, “Heartbreak Lane” “ Maybe you remember Barkan won Number 1 in the best of Soul Channel all the way back in January thanks to her unique voice. Here’s a reminder why.
5. Ed M.a.e.s.t.r.o., “Choose U” “ Gospel-driven and soul-filled, Ed M.a.e.s.t.r.o. won Number 1 in the Best of Urban Channel in February this year. His profile proudly displays 11 Top 10 badges.
4. Von Sway, “U Mean the World” “ Back in May, Von hit Number 1 in the Soul Channel. Nit a surprising feat from a cat with a voice that’s reminiscent of some of today’s biggest R&B stars like Neyo and Usher.
3. ML the Truth, “ML’s Silent Night” “ Another artist not unfamiliar to the Soul Searching column. His version of “Silent Night” is the perfect touch for our Holiday play list this year.
2. Jesse Idol, “Movie Night” “ Jesse Idol is a past Needle in the Haystack winner ”one of OurStage’s most prestigious awards.
1. Lou Writer, “Dream Girl“ “You can’t float around the Best of Charts without seeing the name Lou Writer and for this reason, he’s earned our Number 1 spot.
We strongly encourage you to go to our Best of Urban Charts and find some of the other OurStage soul stars yourself. Also, if you know of any artists that you feel should be a part of this list, please share a link to their song in the comment section below.