June 1, 2026 — Every June I look back at the first half of the year and pull together a playlist of the Soul/R&B songs that found their way into regular rotation and refused to leave. These aren’t the year’s biggest hits. Nor are they necessarily the year’s “best” songs. Rather, these are the tracks that moved me, surprised me, challenged me, and rewarded repeated listening.
This year’s playlist reveals three trends that are particularly encouraging.
The first is the continuing collapse of genre boundaries. More than ever, soul music feels less like a distinct category and more like a meeting place. Jazz musicians are making soul records. Folk artists are borrowing from gospel traditions. R&B singers are incorporating jazz, Afrobeat, indie rock, electronic music and singer-songwriter influences without a second thought. The old industry labels feel increasingly irrelevant compared to the emotional and musical connections among these artists.
As someone who has spent much of his life listening to Soul/R&B music, the second trend is one that caught me completely by surprise: the return of the acoustic guitar.
For years, R&B largely favored keyboards, programmed rhythms and electronic textures. Yet many of this year’s most compelling recordings place the acoustic guitar front and center. Whether in the folk-inflected storytelling of Mon Rovîa’s “Somewhere Down in Georgia,” the quiet intimacy of Jahson Paynter’s “tangerine!,” or the organic textures found throughout much of today’s alternative soul movement, the acoustic guitar has re-emerged as a powerful emotional instrument. Rather than sounding retro, these recordings feel fresh and modern, reminding us that technology and authenticity need not be opposing forces.
The third trend is the remarkable and continuing vitality of the UK soul scene.
Britain has produced extraordinary soul and jazz talent for decades, but the current wave may be the deepest and most adventurous yet. Artists such as Samm Henshaw, Jalen Ngonda, Jaz Karis, Olive Jones and others are creating music that comfortably melds soul, jazz, folk, gospel, electronic music and African influences. In many ways, the UK has become one of the most exciting incubators for the future of soul music—not because these artists are abandoning tradition, but because they are expanding it.
As usual, the playlist is not in any rank order.
That said, while all of these tracks are strong, a handful of them linger just a bit longer in memory after they conclude. MRCY and Yazmin Lacey’s “Better Days”—with its reverb-drenched atmosphere that evokes a classic James Bond theme—captures the sophistication and optimism that characterize much of the best UK soul music. Jordan Rakei’s “Easy To Love” continues his signature ability to move effortlessly among jazz, soul and singer-songwriter traditions. MALIA’s “Getaway Driver” deftly blends nylon-string guitar, Latin rhythms, R&B and hip-hop textures into something entirely its own. And HILLARI’s “I’m Still” may be the track that stayed with me the longest, pairing emotional vulnerability with quiet self-assurance in a performance that reveals new layers with every listen.
As I listened back through this diverse group of songs, it became clear that what unites them is a commitment to emotional honesty, which has always been the bedrock of soul music, and the willingness to color outside the lines. If this is where the genre is headed, I’m excited to hear what the second half of 2026 brings.
Enjoy.
By Robb Patryk
