Best of 2010 - R&B/Soul Music

Now it's time to look at my R&B/Soul discoveries from 2010. Don't be surprised that you didn't hear most of these joints on mainstream radio-- you already know about those songs and I'm trying to give you something different! Let's check 'em out...

1. Windows Seat | Erykah Badu | New Amerykah Part Two: Return Of The Ankh. To be honest, I'm not sure if this song is on the list because of the song itself or the controversial video. You decide...



2. Feels Like The First Time | Corinne Bailey Rae | The Sea. I'm really ashamed to say that, despite her obvious talent, I'm super late to the Corinne Bailey Rae experience and The Sea was my first album. (I know! Shameful!) Feels Like The First Time was the first song of hers that hooked me, but I'll definitely be coming back for more...



3. Detroit Sunrise | Dwele (feat. Monica Blaire & Lloyd Dwayne) | Wants, World, Women. It was great to see Dwele release yet another solid, soulful album and I debated which song to include on this list. Detroit needs as much help as we can give them, so I felt that it was apropos to showcase Dwele's tribute to his home town. 313 stand up!



4. Celebrate | Eric Roberson (feat. Sy Smith) | Music Fan First. Eric Roberson's Left album was major turning point in his creative journey and Music Fan First was another step in the right direction. Lots of great songs on this album, but I was really moved by Celebrate, dedicated to the people that have passed away and influenced the makeup of Eric's musical DNA.



5. Can't Hardly Wait | N'dambi | Pink Elephant. Man, N'dambi really captured something that every woman can relate to with Can't Hardly Wait. And don't be fooled by the title--it's not that obvious! Be sure to check out the actual song vice the video--it comes a little stronger and makes a world of difference.



6. Right Where You Are | Amp Fiddler | Afro Strut. I know Amp is a Detroit legend, but I've rarely liked any music that he's produced for himself until Afro Strut. Right Where You Are is a great dance song that finally made me a fan!



7. It Makes a Difference (DK Edit) | Kim English | Lust - Art & Soul. A Personal Collection By Louie Vega. You probably have heard one or more of Kim English's house songs over the last decade, but when Louie Vega showcased It Makes a Difference on his 2006 "mixtape", I finally took notice. (Lust - Art & Soul has a phenomenal number of good songs and well worth the download on Amazon or iTunes.)



8. Shine | John Legend & The Roots | Wake Up! Please don't hate me when I say this, but I didn't exactly love Wake Up! It wasn't a bad album-- I just didn't seem to connect well with most of the songs. But then there was Shine, John Legend's uplifting song about educating our youth--definitely a candidate for song of the year.



9. Love Conversation | Jose James | Blackmagic. I waited anxiously for jazz impresario Jose James' second album and fortunately, he successfully avoided the sophomore jinx. Blackmagic is a R&B/Jazz/Electronica hybrid that effectively displays the depth and range of the most unique voice in all of music. (Yeah, you heard me right.) For couples looking to make a baby this week, I would recommend that you throw on Love Conversation and tell me--is this the song of the year?



10. The Sky Is Ours | Dam Funk | Toeachizown. Dam Funk continues to channel the 80's Funk Gods with The Sky Is Ours. It's still hard to believe that his songs weren't originally recorded Steve Arrington!



In my next posting, we will take an extensive look at my Hip-Hop picks of 2010.