The New Era of Soul Playlist

Jesse Rodriguez
Music Journalist

The sound of late 50s and early ‘60s soul music was such a niche time for music and from the wise words of Mr. Brown Eyed Soul himself, Sunny Ozuna, “It can never be duplicated.”

Instead of trying to replicate it, new soul acts have straight-up revived it. Growing up in a predominantly Hispanic area, listening to oldies was the way of life and a major part of my upbringing. But it wasn’t until I was older and able to navigate the internet that I found the “deeper” cuts and found a new passion (and even a hobby).

One day on a search for new music, I came across a recommended video for a song titled “This Love Pt.1” by Bobby Oroza (for the hip-hop heads, you might know this song as the sample to “Hat Trick” by Earl Sweatshirt). Initially, I thought this was another deep cut based on the drum intro alone and I instantly added it to a playlist, but looking further into it, I realized that the song was made and released in 2018.

This song sparked so much excitement and opened the door to a whole new world of soul music.

In 2019 I was able to grab a copy of “This Love Pt.1” in time to get it played in my hometown’s monthly “vinyl night” where we spun classics from San Antonio legends, Sunny and The Sunliners and The Royal Jesters. Needless to say, it was just as praised as the older songs. From smooth guitar licks and basslines to sweet and sultry singing, this new revival of soul music is the full experience of the 50s and 60s that we get to relive.

A song that fully encaptures that essence comes from Thee Lakesiders with their brand new 45 single “Can’t Fool Me Twice” from Mango Hill Records.

lead singer Izcalli Marie even does spoken word over the song just like the singers used to do in the 50s and ’60s. My favorite example of this comes from the song “Why I Love You” by The Ultimates, another heavily sought-after ’45.

This revival of soul music is a major breath of fresh air and to get you started on some tunes, I threw together a playlist that immerses you into the world of soul music, past and present!