1. The History Development of
Pop Soul Music
I decided to look into the development of Pop Soul music because it is one of the genres Jason
Mraz’s music is categorised in. Therefore, I felt it was appropriate to research the history of a genre
I will be studying for this project.
2. Origin:
• Pop Soul music originated around the 1960s in the United States. This style of music was used to
describe rhythm and blues and soul music performed by white artists, which had a strong influence
from pop music.
• Pop Soul music, also known as blue-eyed music and white soul had sub genres of soul music, pop
music and Rhythm and Blues.
• This style of music then continued to be used in the 1970s and 1980s, especially by the British music
press to describe a new generation of white singers who adopted elements of soul music into their
works. Additionally, this style of music has been applied to singers in other music genres that are
that are influenced by soul music such as urban soul.
• Two important recording studios of this time period called: Motown and STAX, are associated with
the rise and popularity of R&B and Soul music and which resulted into the birth of blue-eyed soul
(pop soul) music.
• Examples of Pop Soul artists include not only Jason Mraz but Paolo Nutini, Elton John, James
Morrison, Rolling Stones and Adele.
• Pop Soul music usually includes instruments such as
Guitar, Bass, Piano, Organ, Drums, Keyboards, Acoustic guitars and vocals.
3. 1960s and 1970s:
• Pop Soul began when white musicians remade African American music for mass audiences.
However, there was a perception that the music was diluted for its new audience, a move then
irritated African American culture although it pleased others and many thought the growth of the
music genre was positive.
• Nevertheless, beach music and Carolina Shag was popular in the areas around North and South
Carolina in the late 1950s, almost in a way a demonstration of pop soul emerging.
• Moreover, a Philadelphia Radio DJ, Georgie Woods came up with the term pop soul/Blue-eyed
soul in the 1960s to describe white artists who received airplay on rhythm and blues.
• Groups such as The Rascals had soul-tinged songs, but it was the soulful vocals of Felix Cavaliere
that gave them the blue-eyed soul sound.
• By the mid-1960s, British singers such as Eric Burdon and Tom Jones had become leading vocal
stars of the arising style.
4. 1980s and later:
• 1980 is the period when artists, especially George Michael brought soul influences into his pop
music and was the first white solo artist to sing a duet with Aretha Franklin, with their hit ‘I Knew
You Were Waiting For Me’, in which he was the first white male vocalist to hit number one on the
US R&B album charts.
• In the late 1980s some black individuals felt that white people were cashing in on the popularity
of their music, however this was not entirely agreed upon. As a result in 1989, ‘Ebony Magazine’
published an article exploring whether white people were talking over the R&B music genre. The
article featured various members of the music industry, both black and white, who believed
collaboration would unite them together. In the late 1990s, artists such as Christina Aguilera, Jon
B., Jamiroquai, and 98 Degrees have continued the blue eyed soul movement.
• In the early 2000s, Amy Winehouse, Joss Stone, Duffy, and Adele have had huge success in the
American charts with this style of music, which was known as the "Second British
Invasion", "Female Invasion" or "British soul invasion". In the late 2000s, artists includes Mayer
Hawthorne, Remy Shand, Jamie Liddell and Plan B who are Pop Soul artists that have produced
successful music.
5. Pop Soul Music Videos:
- Happy atmosphere
- Quick paced shots from clips to clips
- Usually uses teenagers as they are the main target audience (pop), however soul can be targeted at
the older generation. Intertwining pop with soul creates a modern feel to the genre.
- Narrative is generally based on romance
- Emotion is shown through their works
- Usually a mixture of both performance and narrative
- Members of the band are usually included in the music video
- Lighting is generally natural on the subject during the narrative scene
- Clothing is usually slightly smart dressed
