Daddy B. Nice's

Corner - Best of 2024

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January 26, 2025:

WINNERS ANNOUNCED!
SOUTHERN SOUL MUSIC AWARDS


18th Annual Southern Soul Music Awards 2024
Categories:


Best Mid-Tempo Song (The Sweet Spot of Southern Soul)
Best Southern Soul Club Song (Fast Tempo)
Best Southern Soul Ballad (Slow Tempo)
Best Southern Soul Song by a Longtime Veteran
Best Southern Soul Female Vocalist
Best Southern Soul Male Vocalist
Best Southern Soul Debut
Best Southern Soul Collaboration
Best Out-Of-Left-Field Song
Best Chitlin' Circuit Blues Song
Best Southern Soul Cover Song
Best Southern Soul Production
Best Southern Soul Album

Best Mid-Tempo Song (The Sweet Spot of Southern Soul)

Finalists:


"Cheating On The Weekend" ----- O.B. Buchana

"Living For The Weekend" -----Cecily Wilborn

"Stand On Business" ---- Myia B

"This Is Texas" ---- Ciddy Boi P

"On Ya Feet" ---- Big Mel

"Back Roads" ---- Curt The Country Man feat. Shawty Mac

"Step By Step" ---- Summer Wolfe

"Can't Judge Nobody" ---- King George

"Pour Me A Drank" ---- Sir Charles Jones

"Talk My Shit" ---- Jay Morris Group

"Wasn't None Of You (Remix)" ---- LLJuna

"She Say I Make Her Cheat" ----- M. Cally

Best Mid-Tempo Song (The Sweet Spot of Southern Soul)

Rough-hewn and youthfully-innocent, yet melodically-haunting and ingeniously produced, "Back Roads" blended a country-western lead vocal with a hip-hop chaser that combusted the southern soul status quo with its emotional power and authenticity---an eerie echo of Beyoncé's entrance into commercial country on the national stage. A subsequent remix with southern soul star Marcellus The Singer substituted a more soulful verse for the rap. Ironically---and possibly because it was such a mind-bending mixture of country, hip-hop and southern soul---Curt didn't put the original with Shawty Mac up for sale.

"Back Roads" ---- Curt The Country Man feat. Shawty Mac

"Back Road" ---- Curt The Country Man feat. Marcellus The Singer


Listen to GMB Li Curt (aka Curt The Country Man) and Shawty Mac singing "Back Road" on YouTube.

Listen to Curt The Country Man and Marcellus The Singer singing "Back Roads" on YouTube.

Buy Curt The Country Man's "Back Roads" at Apple.

Honorable Mention: "Living For The Weekend" by Cecily Wilborn, "Stand On Business" by Myia B

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide


Best Southern Soul Club Song (Fast-Tempo)

Finalists:


"Down In The Sippi" ---- Falisa JaNaye

"Let's Get Drunk" ---- L.J. Echols

"He Ain't Gone Do Right" ---- Shae Nicole

"Whatcha Know" ---- FPJ

"I'm Soul Country" ---- Black Koffee

"100 Missed Calls" ---- Young Guy

"Let It Move" ---- Arthur Young

"Do The Rodeo" ---- Stan Butler

"That Neck" ---- Unkle Phunk feat. Mr. Same Thang

"Have A Good Time" ----- Karen Wolfe

"Body Roll, Fast Or Slow" ----- Narvel Echols

Best Southern Soul Club Song (Fast-Tempo)

Of all the young, up-and-coming southern soul recording artists, FPJ owned 2024 with an astounding sequence of well-received singles including "2 20's," "Last Time," "Still With Her" and "Blues Paradise". But it was "Whatcha Know (About This)," the follow-up to his 2023 dance floor classic "Po' Me Up Some Mo'," that impressed the most. Reminiscent of Juvenile's devastating monochrome groove in "You're A Big Chief" ("Ha" Remix feat. Jay-Z) "Whatcha Know" was FPJ's most odds-defying accomplishment.

"Whatcha Know" ---- FPJ


Listen to FPJ singing "Whatcha Know" on YouTube.

Buy FPJ's "Whatcha Know" at Apple.

Honorable Mention: "Do Right" by Shae Nycole, "Let's Get Drunk" by L.J. Echols

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide


Best Southern Soul Ballad (Slow-Tempo)

Finalists:


"Dirt Road" ---- Jeter Jones

"Crazy About You" ---- Derek "The Change Man" Smith

"Cut Friend" ---- Sky Whatley feat. Cowboy Tap

"Sooner Or Later" ---- Tonio Armani

"Too Soon" ---- Kandy Janai

"It's Over" ---- King George

"I'll Beg" ---- Stacii Adams

"One More Day" ---- Ciddy Boi P

"Take It Slow" ---- Tucka

"Cheating On Me" ---- Magic One

"2 20's" ---- FPJ

Best Southern Soul Ballad (Slow-Tempo)

In a year populated with trail rides, cowboy boots and "daisy dukes," Stacii Adams went against the grain, delving into the deepest, most ageless well of traditional rhythm and blues for inspiration. With its unique melody, soul-stirring organ runs, female back-up fills and cathedral-like choruses, "I'll Beg" transported fans back to the glory days of Stax, and balancing like a golden surfer above the gorgeous waves of the instrumental track was Stacii's perfectly-calibrated and resounding lead vocal.

"I'll Beg" ---- Stacii Adams


Listen to Stacii Adams singing "I'll Beg" on YouTube.

Buy Stacii Adams' "I'll Beg" at Apple.

Honorable Mention: "Crazy About You" by Derek "The Change Man" Smith, "Dirt Road" by Jeter Jones

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide


Best Southern Soul Song By A Longtime Veteran

Finalists


"Let's Get Married Today" ---- Stan Butler

"Uber" ---- Stevie J. Blues

"Ain't Got Time" ---- Sheba Potts-Wright

"Love Will" ---- Lenny Williams feat. West Love

"My Kind Of Man" ---- Crystal Thomas

"Love Bone" ---- Donnie Ray

"Backyard Party" ---- Terry Wright feat. West Love

"Pour Me A Drank" ---- Sir Charles Jones

"Fallay Party" ---- Uncle Fallay

"Where The Party At?" ---- Lacee

"Baby What's The Matter?" ---- Andre' Lee

"Can I Get A Witness" ---- LaMorris Williams

"Cheating On The Weekend ---- O.B. Buchana

"Have A Good Time" ---- Karen Wolfe

Best Southern Soul Song By A Longtime Veteran

Twenty-five years ago, Sheba Potts-Wright's covers of "Slow Roll It" and "I Can Bag It Up" were frequently out-selling the originals by The Love Doctor and Nathaniel Kimble, and through a circuitous career she's recorded just enough to keep fans from forgetting her. In 2024, however, she returned with a vengeance, recording a string of noteworthy singles, none more solid and bluesy and tough-as-nails than "Ain't Got Time".

"Ain't Got Time" ---- Sheba Potts-Wright


Listen to Sheba Potts-Wright singing "Ain't Got Time" on YouTube.

Buy Sheba Potts-Wright's "Ain't Got Time" at Apple.

Honorable Mention: "Pour Me A Drank" by Sir Charles Jones, "Love Will" by Lenny Williams

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide


Best Southern Soul Female Vocalist

Finalists:



"You My Man" ---- K. Monique (The Jay Morris Group)

"Red Cup Blues" ---- Cecily Wilborn

"Do Right" ---- Shae Nicole

"Too Soon" ---- Kandy Janai

"Swing Out" ---- West Love

"Step By Step" ---- Summer Wolfe

"Stand On Business" ---- Myia B

"Ain't Got Time" ---- Sheba Potts-Wright

"Come Over Baby" ---- Lady Redtopp

"Wasn't None Of You (Remix) ---- LLJuna

"The Game" ---- Nila Milan

"Hell On My Hands" ---- J'Cenae

Best Southern Soul Female Vocalist

The singer who became famous in 2023 with her hit single "Southern Man" went rogue---all "country"---in 2024 with a stunning, acapella-like tour de force. Kang803 of King George fame contributed a steel-guitar-dominated soundtrack that matched Cecily Wilborn's vocal in its single-minded, brilliant clarity, setting the stage for the richest-toned vocal of Wilborn's upwardly-trending career.

"Red Cup Blues"---- Cecily Wilborn


Listen to Cecily Wilborn singing "Red Cup Blues" on YouTube.

Buy Cecily Wilborn's "Red Cup Blues" at Apple.

Honorable Mention: "Stand On Business" by Myia B, "Step By Step" by Summer Wolfe

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide


Best Southern Soul Male Vocalist

Finalists:



"Freaking With Our Boots On" ---- T.K. Soul

"With Time" ---- J-Wonn

"Crazy About You" ---- Derek "The Change Man" Smith

"Back Road" ---- Curt The Country Man

"This Is Texas" ---- Ciddy Boi P

"Whatcha Know" ---- FPJ

"Pour Me A Drank" ---- Sir Charles Jones

"Take It Slow" ---- Tucka

"Dirt Road" ---- Jeter Jones

"I'll Beg" ---- Stacii Adams

"Can't Judge Nobody" ---- King George

"She Say I Make Her Cheat" ---- M. Cally

"Until We Meet Again" ---- Marcellus The Singer

Best Southern Soul Male Vocalist

This violin-drenched ballad evoked lying on one's back under a blue sky watching clouds scudding by, and Jeter Jones obliged with one of his most tender and intimate vocals ever. Employing every possible technique from call and response to double-tracking to double tracking with harmony, Jones deftly conjured a world made a paradise by the miracle of love.

"Dirt Road" ---- Jeter Jones


Listen to Jeter Jones singing "Dirt Road" on YouTube.

Buy Jeter Jones' "Dirt Road" at Apple.

Honorable Mention: "Can't Judge Nobody" by King George, "This Is Texas" by Ciddy Boi P

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide


Best Southern Soul Debut

Finalists:


"Please Forgive Me"---- Jay "Da Franchize" Watts

"The Game" ---- Nila Milan

"Crazy About You" ---- Derek "The Change Man" Smith

"Back Road"/"2 Beers" ---- Curt The Country Man

"Do You!" ---- Big Nick J

"Let It Be Said" ---- J. Lake

"Take You Out Tonight" ---- T-Man

"In Love With You"/"Tell Me Baby" ---- B.J. Moodswing

"Ride" ---- JaLi The Gentleman

"Low Down Soul" ---- Prince DeLeon

"I'm Soul Country" ---- "Black Koffee

"Just Friends" ---- Tia Catillia

"Bring That Here"/"I Love That Man" ---- Tina Brown

"Faces" ---- Catt Daddy

Best Southern Soul Debut:

In a year clamoring with new recording artists eager to make their mark on southern soul, one performer stood head and shoulders above the rest by virtue of his experience, character and breathtaking ability to communicate them musically. He arrived, as they say, fully "grown". His name was Pastor Derek "The Change Man" Smith, and his song captivated millions.

"Crazy About You" ---- Derek "The Change Man" Smith


Listen to Derek "The Change Man" Smith singing "Crazy About You" on YouTube.

Buy Derek "The Change Man" Smith's "Crazy About You" at Apple.

Honorable Mention: "Back Roads" by Curt The Country Man, "Low Down Soul" by Prince DeLeon

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide


Best Southern Soul Collaboration

Finalists:


"Backyard Party" ---- Terry Wright & West Love

"Ride It" ---- Mikal & Angel Faye Russell

"Low Down Soul" ---- Price DeLeon, Tre' Williams & LaMorris Williams

"Love Will" ---- Lenny Williams & West Love

"Please Forgive Me" ---- Jay "Da Franchize" Watts & Devonese

"Just Won't Break" ---- Sky Whatley & Tonio Armani

"Sorry" ---- Ty Daniels & Boss Lady

"$$'s Looking Good" ---- Highway Heavy, Robert Butler & Johnny James

"Back Roads" ---- GMB Li Curt (Curt The Country Man) & Shawty Mac

"Back Road" ---- Curt The Country Man & Marcellus The Singer

"Lean Back And Stroke It" ---- Jeter Jones & FPJ

"Dangerous Love" ---- Catt Daddy & Jalesa McRae

"Freaking With Our Boots On" ---- T.K. Soul feat. Luster Baker

Best Southern Soul Collaboration:

Sounding ageless, the legendary Lenny Williams paired with southern soul's Blues Is Alright Tour-headlining diva, West Love, on a one-of-a-kind ballad written and produced by Stan Butler. The two meshed as if they had been singing and chumming together for years.

"Love Will" ---- Lenny Williams & West Love


Listen to Lenny Williams and West Love singing "Love Will" on YouTube.

Buy Lenny Williams and West Love's "Love Will" at Apple.

Honorable Mention: "Please Forgive Me" by Jay "Da Franchize" Watts & Devonese, "Dangerous Love" by Catt Daddy & Jalesa McRae


Best Out-Of-Left-Field Song

Finalists:


"Under There" ---- Hisyde

"Gin And Juice" ---- Avail Hollywood

"Can't Make 'Em Drink" ---- Koffee Bean feat. Jeter Jones

"This Is Texas (Beyonce Reply)" ---- Ciddy Boi P

"Stand On Business" ---- Myia B

"Just Friends" ---- Tia Catillia

"Love Me No More" ---- Tee Dee Young

"Jeans And Boots" ---- Country Boy

"Faces" ---- Cat Daddy

"Wasn't None Of You (Remix)" ---- LLJuna feat. Tavarus

"Red Cup Blues" ---- Cecily Wilborn

"Back Roads" ---- Curt The Country Man feat. Shawty Mac

Best Out-Of-Left-Field Song:

All you had to do was hear the dulcet moans and melisma in the opening eight bars to know this was a generational talent in a singing genealogy going all the way back to Dinah Washington's "What A Difference A Day Makes". And with its courageous yet seemingly effortless description of lesbian attraction, it was literally made for Daddy B. Nice's " best out-of-left-field" award category.

"Stand On Business" ---- Myia B


Listen to Myia B singing "Stand On Business" on YouTube.

Buy Myia B's "Stand On Business" at Apple.

Honorable Mention: "Just Friends" by Tia Catillia, "Wasn't None Of You" by LLJuna

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide


Best Chitlin' Circuit Blues Song

Finalists:


"D.D.B.N.M. (My Dog Don't Bark No More)" ---- Arthur Young

"Ain't Got Time" ---- Sheba Potts-Wright

"Knock On Wood" ---- Black Koffee

"Black Cat" ---- Arthur Young

"Last Time" ---- FPJ

"Busted Cheating At The Holiday Inn" ---- Mr. Midnight

"Yo Truck (Ain't Better Than Mine)" ---- Jeter Jones

"Take Me To The Bedroom" ---- Big Yayo feat. Tre Da Joker

"Foolish" ---- Squirt Kelly feat. FPJ

"2 Beers" ---- Curt The Country Man

Best Chitlin' Circuit Blues Song

Like two sticks being rubbed together by a camper without matches, this particular track puffed and smoked until it burst into musical flame. No other artist came close to laying down the bluesy side of southern soul in 2024 like Mr. Arthur Young .

"D.D.B.N.M. (My Dog Don't Bark No More)" ---- Arthur Young


Listen to Arthur Young singing "D.D.B.N.M. (My Dog Don't Bark No More)" on YouTube.

Buy Arthur Young's "D.D.B.N.M. (My Dog Don't Bark No More)" at Apple.

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide


Best Southern Soul Cover Song

Finalists:


"Slow Hand" ---- Big Yayo

"These Arms Of Mine" ---- Tucka

"Slow Roll It" ---- Mike Clark Jr.

"One More Day" ---- Ciddy Boi P

"Thin Line (Remix)" ---- Marcellus The Singer

"No Gettin' Over Me" ---- Tucka

Best Southern Soul Cover Song

One of the most under-the-radar and quietly productive artists in the genre had another banner year in 2024 with the eyebrow-raising
country anthem "This Is Texas" and, even more spectacularly, this transformative remake of New Edition's "One More Day".

"One More Day" ---- Ciddy Boi P


Listen to Ciddy Boi P singing "One More Day" on YouTube.

Buy Ciddy Boi P's "One More Day" at Apple.

Honorable Mention: "Slow Roll It" by Mike Clark Jr., "Slow Hand" by Big Yayo

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide


Best Southern Soul Production

Finalists:


"I'll Beg" ---- Stacii Adams

"Take It Slow" ---- Tucka

"Dirt Road" ---- Jeter Jones

"Red Cup Blues" ---- Cecily Wilborn

"Back Road" ---- Curt The Country Man feat. Shawty Mac

"Until We Meet Again" ---- Marcellus The Singer

"One More Day" ---- Ciddy Boi P

"Love Will" ---- Lenny Williams feat. West Love

"Stand On Business" ---- Myia B

"This Is Texas" ---- Ciddy Boi P

"Crazy About You" ---- Derek "The Change Man" Smith


Best Southern Soul Production

We tend to think of the finest production as being technically slick, shiny and overpowering, but---as Tina Turner reminded us---a rough-hewn approach can cut even deeper. The originality of this record was off the charts. Off the charts! I don't think I've ever listened to a song more than I listened to "Back Roads" (the rap version), literally hundreds if not more than a thousand times, never tiring of its exhilarating blend of musical and black-cultural elements, struck in awe by its humbly-sourced inspiration. Yes, it is country, but it's cross-over country by a black soul man, and its soulfulness courses through every note and entertaining production motif.

"Back Roads" ---- Curt The Country Man (aka GMB Li Curt) feat. ShawtyMac


Listen to Curt The Country Man (aka GMB Li Curt) singing "Back Roads" on YouTube.

P.S. I have searched in vain for a way to buy this record. Come on, Curt. Do it for the fans. Label it southern soul. Denise LaSalle did it with zydeco ("Don't Mess With My Toot Toot"). Nellie Travis did it with funk ("Mr. Sexy Man"). You can do it with country ("Back Roads"). Southern Soul is a big tent and you belong in it. DBN.

Honorable Mention: "I'll Beg" by Stacii Adams, "Take It Slow" by Tucka


SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide


Best Southern Soul Album

Finalists:


Straight Outa Summit ---- Arthur Young

Trailride Kang ---- Jeter Jones

40 & Up (EP) ---- M. Cally

Calling All Crack Babies (EP) ---- Marcellus The Singer

Liquor Talk ---- Tyree Neal

Get It Right (EP) ---- Summer Wolfe

U-Turn (The Album) ---- P2K DaDiddy

The Truth About The Blues ---- Stan Butler

Let Me Talk ---- The Jay Morris Group

Sitting On The Sidelines ---- Big G

Blue Rose ---- Big Mel

Mississippi Soul Girl ---- Lady Redtopp

Soul Highway Vol. 1 (EP) ---- Tony T

Best Southern Soul Album

Stan Butler's long-awaited third album assembled the greatest hits of his second decade while simultaneously chronicling his ascension from young and under-appreciated singer/songwriter to multi-million-viewed master of down-in-the-country anthems with riveting, voice-over narratives. Few southern soul albums have summed up an artist's career with such precision and authority.

The Truth About The Blues ---- Stan Butler


Listen to all the tracks from THE TRUTH ABOUT THE BLUES on YouTube.

Buy Stan Butler's THE TRUTH ABOUT THE BLUES album at Apple.

Honorable Mention: TRAILRIDE KANG by Jeter Jones, CALLING ALL CRACK BABIES by Marcellus The Singer

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

Congratulations to all!



December 28, 2024:

Southern Soul 2024: The Year In Review


It was a year of parity.

At last, after two years of unforeseen takeover and absolute domination of the southern soul music scene, the mighty King George came down to earth, recording songs ("It's Over," "Can't Judge Nobody") that seemed almost ordinary in comparison with his incandescent hits of 2022 through 2023. In a distinct but little-noticed mutation, the new tunes arrived not so differently in artistic stature than the new work of his distinguished peers. One of those eminent rivals, Big Pokey Bear, didn't even bother to record anything, which---at least in the short term---did nothing to hinder his popularity, as Pokey's acclaimed stage show made him a virtual lock on southern soul's most acclaimed national circuit, the Blues Is Alright Tour. Another esteemed member of southern soul's elite and another mainstay of the tour, Tucka recorded steadily throughout the year but favored more introspective, low-key ballads ("Take It Slow," "Night On That Tequila," "Give It Up") that fell well short of his multi-million-viewed classic singles.

The careers of other members of southern soul's top echelon of artists---Sir Charles Jones, Nellie "Tiger" Travis, J-Wonn---maintained a holding pattern based as much on their storied histories as their current recording output, as well could be said of the still-living, baby-boomer legends---Theodis Ealey, Bobby Rush, Lenny Williams & Latimore.

J-Wonn
was the most prolific but also the most monochromatic, his post-Big Yayo work being consistently romantic, slick and more suggestive of the mainstream R&B of Calvin Richardson than the rougher, bass-heavy and gospel-grounded sound of southern soul and the blues. Sir Charles bulled his way through the year, sometimes singly and successfully ("Pour Me A Drank") and sometimes (and less successfully) duetting, while Nellie Travis's declining studio work (with no Floyd Hamberlin material or production) was indicative of a troubling trend in which trips to the creative well by southern soul's top female performers---including Ms. Jody, Lacee and Karen Wolfe---were less frequent and productive.

Headlined by Jeter Jones, Avail Hollywood, L.J. Echols, The Jay Morris Group, T.K. Soul, Bigg Robb & Big Yayo, the tier of southern soul artists just below these nationally-famous luminaries could best be defined by their abilities to sell out stadiums and outdoor festivals across the black Deep South---the traditional "chitlin' circuit"---and that they did in record numbers (at least until the intolerably hot weather of late July and August). In addition, they were the major engines of the southern soul recording industry. Wendell B's passing (2023) continued to be as huge a loss as Bishop Bullwinkle's a few years prior, but despite hinting he would be otherwise, Jeter Jones was jaw-droppingly prolific, and in spite of the doubters L.J. Echols continued to prove his durability, while the Jay Morris Group persisted in confounding their critics by maintaining and enlarging their fan base. It was the hard-working productivity of this second-highest tier of top southern soul artists who primarily generated the most common lament of southern soul deejays in 2024: the "gap" between the haves and have-nots.

It was a year of changing of the guard.

But wait.... If there was a breach between the haves and have-nots in 2024, why the talk of parity? Well...While the "blue-bloods" dominated the big-money venues, it was the emerging younger generation who captured the hearts of the fans as memorialized on the monthly charts and YouTube streams. And if you consider the history of popular music, this has always been the case: the wheel turning with new artists and new sounds replacing the old and familiar. The most prominent "new-blood" was West Love, who---propelled by her recent hit singles---surpassed Ms. Travis, Ms. Jody et.al. to claim the southern soul diva's throne. She even became the female fixture on the perennially male-dominated Blues Is Alright Tour, a major indicator of strong national interest.

The dominant new male performer was arguably balladeer Marcellus The Singer, whose every single and live performance drew interest and even top billing above stars with historically more cachet. Marcellus was seemingly everywhere, bolstering other young talents like Curt The Country Man with guest-artist stints. Moreover, other young artists like F.P.J., Young Guy & Mike Clark Jr. catapulted to southern soul stardom, performing songs that collected millions of YouTube views and leaving day jobs for their own headlining tours. Notched close behind were other up-and coming stars: Arthur Young, Ciddy Boi P, M. Cally, Coldrank, Lady Redtopp, Stacii Adams, J'Cenae, Derek "The Change Man" Smith, Summer Wolfe, P2K DaDiddy, Stan Butler, Magic One, Big Mel, Tonio Armani & B.J. Moodswing, among others.

And yet there was one other artist who went from no-name to the glittering glare of fame. Her name was Cecily Wilborn and her ground-breaking rise was synonymous with the most momentous and noteworthy change in the southern soul genre in 2024: the merger and incorporation of country music into the southern soul genre, including unabashedly country-style vocalizing, pedal-steel guitar and all the county-western tropes.

It was the year "country" integrated into southern soul.


Southern soul singers---which is to say African-American singers---had historically dabbled, gone back-and-forth, and even migrated like the great Ray Charles to world-wide fame via country music. But in spite of their roots in rural America, the two genres' stylistic differences had remained seemingly incompatible. Either you heard it on a country station or a rhythm & blues station, and if you were a black singer singing country, you had to make it in the (white) country market. That all changed in 2024, albeit not without the confusion and outcry that accompanies any tectonic musical shift, and the main reason was a young black singer named Cecily Wilborn.

Wilborn had crashed the southern soul scene in 2023 with her hit song, "Southern Man," reprised later that year in a duet with West Love that further burnished its reputation. In 2024 Cecily took the country vibes that worked to perfection in "Southern Man" to a level never before seen in southern soul in the take-no-prisoners, country-styled, quasi-acapella anthem "Red Cup Blues," in effect daring southern soul deejays to either accept or reject it. Later in the year, she returned with yet another country/southern soul hybrid hit single, "Living For The Weekend," blending country instrumental motifs with lyrical references that only avid southern soul music fans could truly appreciate:

"Play me some Johnnie Taylor
Or some Marvin Sease...
If I play that Tina Turner
He know I'm about to fight,
If I play that Barry White
He know he get lucky tonight."

Meanwhile, a much lesser-known, less industry-sophisticated singer named Curt The Country Man came to the attention of Daddy B. Nice via a YouTube video from late 2023. The song was "Back Roads," originally published under the name GMB Li Curt with assistance from the rapper ShawtyMac. Although infused with the soul and spirit of a southern soul singer, the vocal was stylistically pure, unadulterated country. The video, replete with horses and the kind of country scene that characterized dozens of popular, Jeter Jones, trailride-influenced song videos throughout the year, featured the cowboy-hatted Curt doing a perfect back flip out of the bed of a pickup truck onto a Mississippi-green pasture.

Marcellus The Singer, the wunderkind of southern soul mentioned above, recognized the song's worth and partnered with Curt (now called Curt The Country Man) on a remix called "Back Road" (deleting the "s"), inserting a southern soul verse in place of the rap stanza. Due to Curt's lack of marketing savvy, the tune never achieved the success of Wilborn's material, but "Back Roads" struck like lightning amongst southern soul insiders, with Daddy B. Nice comparing it favorably in historical significance to J-Wonn's "I Got This Record". And Ciddy Boi P ("This Is Texas: Beyonce Reply," "One More Day"), Tucka ("Take It Slow") and other artists paid it subtle homage by imitation.

It Was The Year Southern Soul "Came Out"

Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't report 2024 was the year southern soul expanded its sexual boundaries for the first time since Peggy Scott-Adams' nationally-acclaimed, nineties' hit single "Bill" and its brief spate of imitators. As in "Bill," there was no political motive, no progressive theme, no "woke" agenda. And once again like the Jimmy Lewis-written "Bill," it came about purely organically---real life colliding with love.

Gifted with a rich, gospel-influenced vocal timbre, the recording artist was Myia B. The beautifully-melodic, mid-tempo gem was "Stand On Business," a phrase, coincidentally, that had replaced "Keep It 100" in hip black culture. The tune recounted Myia's pursuit of a "pretty young thing" who just happened to also be a woman, had two young kids, and was listening "to that Johnnie Taylor" (to come full circle) "before she put that snapper on my face". The late, beloved and always ornery Jimmy Lewis would have loved it!

Reporting from the headquarters of southern soul...

Daddy B. Nice

************
SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide
Send product to:
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Or e-Mail:
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*************



December 7, 2024:

TOP 40 SOUTHERN SOUL SINGLES: DECEMBER

An expanded list of the songs vying for "Top Ten Singles" in DECEMBER 2024.

1. "Step By Step"---Summer Wolfe
2. "They Talkin' 'Bout Me"---M. Cally
3. "Give It Up"---Tucka
4. "Please Forgive Me"---Jay Da Franchize Watts feat. Devonese
5. "I Know He's Cheatin'"---Lady Kay
6. "Freaking With Our Boots On"---T.K. Soul feat. Luster Baker
7. "She Say I Make Her Cheat"---M. Cally
8. "Slow Roll It"---Mike Clark Jr.
9. "Sorry"---DeVonese
10. "The Paul Rich Slide"---Paul Rich


11. "Glide"---P2K DaDiddy
12. "Take Me To The Bedroom"---Big Yayo
13. "Grass Ain't Greener"---Tiffany Rachel
14. "I Came To Party"---Troy Henry
15. "It's All About You"---Memphis Jackson
16. "Change Is Gonna Come"---West Love feat. Boosie
17. "Side Chick"---Wanda Lewis Fullmer
18. "Make You Fall In Love With Me"---Leroy Allen
19. "Trailride Movement"---Mr. Don't Leave feat. Jeter Jones
20. "40 & Up"---Shay Jones feat. Willie Rich

21. "Mr. Poke It"---T-Lyons
22. "I Can Try"---M. Cally feat. Ronnie Spencer
23. "Play It Off So Cool"---Mr. Hot Topic
24. "What You Gonna Do"---Miss Lady Blues feat. J-Wonn
25. "Good Love"---Legendary Lap
26. "Just Done With It"---Lady Redtopp feat. Alon J
27. "All Night Long"---Big Money Fame feat. 2 Smooth
28. "Shoot My Shot"---J-Wonn
29. "Feel So Good"---O.B. Buchana
30. "Trail Ride Jigg"---Arthur Young

31. "Ain't No Loving Like This"---M. Cally
32. "Bus Stop Please"---Cupid
33. "Country Man"---Big Mel
34. "Mississippi"---Ace4K
35. "Come On"---JaLi The Gentleman
36. "Rooster"---Sir Charles Jones
37. "Stay At Home"---Jay Morris Group
38. "Mr. Two Stepp"---Gwen Yvette
39. "Changed Man"---Calvin Richardson
40. "Thin Line Remix"---Marcellus The Singer

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October 6, 2024:

TOP 40 SOUTHERN SOUL SINGLES: OCTOBER

An expanded list of the songs vying for "Top Ten Singles" in OCTOBER 2024.

1. "The Game"---Nila Milan
2. "Living For The Weekend"---Cecily Wilborn
3. "Stand On Business"---Myia B
4. "Too Many Irons In The Fire"---Derek "The Change Man" Smith & Niecy Leshae
5. "My Dog Don't Bark No More" aka "D.D.B.N.M."---Arthur Young
6. "Changed The Game"---Big Mel
7. "Bring That Here"---Tina Brown
8. "Nothing But You"---Big Mel
9. "Black Cat"---Arthur Young
10. "I Love This Man"---Tina Brown

11. "Southern Soul Party"---Joe Nice feat. Nelson Curry & Doug E. Fresh
12. "Grannies Anthem"---Rico C
13. "Country Anthem"---Denise Cannon
14. "1-800 Good Loving"---Tiffany Rachal
15. "Party At The Trailride"---Badd Newz feat. West Love
16. "Web Of Love"---Big Cutty feat. B.J. Moodswing
17. "Life"---Highway Heavy feat. Porter
18. "Back To The Streets"---Sunshine The Singer
19. "Listen"---Knott Enuff
20. "Stand On The Wall"---Meme Green feat. Shelton Richardson

21. "I Don't Get Down Like That"---Volton Wright
22. "A Whole Lotta Woman"---Jay "Da Franchize" Watts feat. Jeter Jones
23. "Queen's Night Out"---Gregg A. Smith
24. "Ain't Going Nowhere"---Shae Nicole
25. "Sponsor You"---Maurice 337
26. "All I Do Is Talk About You"---Jeff Floyd
27. "Must Be Nice"---Marcellus The Singer
28. "Still Out In The Country"---RnB Pooh feat. Volton Wright
29. "Not Worried"---Married Couple Of Southern Soul
30. "When The Smoke Clears"---Big Mel

31. "Hold On To Something"---Adrian Bagher
32. "Liar (Sidepiece Edition)---Mr. House
33. "Strokin' And Pokin'"---Staci Russell
34. "Miss Jackie"---Highway Heavy feat. Robert Butler & Omar Cunningham
35. "Swing Baby"---Ms. Priscilla
36. "In Da Country"---Cecily Wilborn
37. "Hole In The Wall"---The Real Hub
38. "Tipsy Mix"---Chrissy Luvz
39. "All The Above"---Synethia
40. "Work Dat Body"---Mister Cotton

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September 7, 2024:

TOP 40 SOUTHERN SOUL SINGLES: SEPTEMBER

An expanded list of the songs vying for "Top Ten Singles" in September 2024.

1. "Can't Judge Nobody"---King George
2. "Dirt Road"---Jeter Jones
3. "Night On That Tequila"---Tucka
4. "2 20's"---F.P.J.
5. "Cheating On The Weekend"---O.B. Buchana
6. "Real Good Day"---Kendo Country Trim feat. Curt The Country Man
7. "Have A Good Time"---Karen Wolfe
8. "Gin And Juice"---Avail Hollywood
9. "Dog House"---Mike Clark Jr.
10. "Don't Bother Me"---Charles Wilson

11. "Backyard Party"---Terry Wright feat. West Love
12. "Slide"---Dopeboybluez
13. "Leave"---Jeter Jones feat. Gary Charles Jones, David Jones & Tiffany Rachal
14. "Sippin' For The Club"---Bigg Robb
15. "Trick On Ya"---Gold Gillis feat. LaMorris Williams
16. "Auntie Fine"---Ty Juan
17. "Spoil Me" (Re-entry)---Boosie Badazz feat. King George
18. "Tell The Truth"---L.J. Echols
19. "Knock On Wood"---Black Koffee
20. "Azz Whooped"---Brown Bottle Boyz

21. "Karma"---Cecily Wilborn
22. "Just One Of Them Things"---Willie Clayton
23. "Party For Y'all"---Rico C. feat. Nelson Curry
24. "I Wanna Go"---Geno Wesley
25. "Too Young (Remix)"---J. Red The Nephew
26. "Cat Smasher"---Rodnae
27. "Black Cat"---Arthur Young
28. "Complacent"---Jeter Jones
29. "Keep Lighting My Fire"---D. Riggs
30. "I'm In A Good Man"---T-Man

31. "Grown Man"---Ronnie Bell
32. "Whole Lotta Woman"---Jay Watts feat. Jeter Jones
33. "Going Through Some Thangz"---P2K DaDiddy
34. "Yummy Yum"---Mr. Don't Leave
35. "Junk In Yo Truck"---Mizz Coco
36. "It Gets Hard"---Kandy Janai
37. "Body"---Lokey Country feat. Till 1
38. "Drama Girl"---Jeter Jones
39. "Give Him His Papers"---Big G
40. "Party Tonight"---Alex Williams

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August 6, 2024:

TOP 40 SOUTHERN SOUL SINGLES: AUGUST

An expanded list of the songs vying for "Top Ten Singles" in August 2024.

1. "Wasn't None Of You"---LL Juna feat. Tavarus
2. "Low Down Soul"---Prince DeLeon feat. Tre' Williams and LaMorris Williams
3. "Love Will"---Lenny Williams feat. West Love
4. "Pour Me A Drank"---Sir Charles Jones
5. "Stand On Business"---Myia B
6. "Just Friends"---Tia Catillia
7. "Two Beers"---Curt The Country Man
8. "Let It Move"---Arthur Young
9. "Dangerous Love"---Catt Daddy feat. Jalesa McRae
10. "What You Waiting For"---Ciddy Boi P feat. Sugar Daddy

11. "Big Boss Moves"---Lady Redtopp
12. "Foolish"---Squirt Kelly
13. "Homewrecka"---Shelton D. Richardson feat. Meme Green
14. "Addicted"---Ty Juan
15. "Friday"---Curt The Country Man
16. "In Da Kuntry"---Cecily Wilborn
17. "Lil' Ol' Shaq"---Memphis Jackson feat. Bigg Robb
18. "Hey Mr. DeeJay"---Chavonna Adams
19. "Set The Groove"---J'Cenae
20. "A Mother's Plea (Slack Mix)"---DJ Wildman Tim

21. "She's Ratchet"---Jeter Jones feat. Pokey Bear
22. "Party In The Country"---T. Bryant
23. "Mr. Mechanic Man"---Sheba Potts-Wright
24. "Grey Goose & Cranberry Juice"---Vince Hutchinson
25. "Damage"---Napoleon
26. "Southern Girl"---Showtyme
27. "She's So Fine"---M. Cally feat. Roi "Chip" Anthony & Nino
28. "Cake And Eat It Too"---Brei Carter
29. "Sexy Mothafucka"---Mr. Smoke
30. "Pound Cake"---King Fred

31. "D.D.B.N.M"---Arthur Young
32. "Little Girl Left Me"---Big G
33. "Lord I'm Trying"---Sir Charles Jones feat. Boosie Badazz
34. "Good Feeling"---Meme Yahsal
35. "Birthday Train"---Poka Jones
36. "Honey Swang"---T. Honey Brown
37. "Ladies Up In Here"---Leroy Allen
38. "Goodie"---Matthew Davis
39. "Sneaky Link"---Lynny Redd
40. "Buck Love"---Kyia Buckingham

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July 5, 2024:

TOP 40 SOUTHERN SOUL SINGLES: JULY

An expanded list of the songs vying for "Top Ten Singles" in July 2024.

1. "Take It Slow"---Tucka
2. "Whatcha Know"---F.P.J.
3. "100 Missed Calls"---Young Guy
4. "Love Me No More"---Tee Dee Young
5. "Cruising With The Top Down"---T. Bryant
6. "Blues Paradise"---F.P.J.
7. "$$ Looking Good"---Highway Heavy feat. Robert Butler & Johnny James
8. "Touch It"---Tara Keith
9. "Fallay Party"---Uncle Fallay
10. "Ride"---JaLi The Gentleman

11. "She Got That Cougar Love"---Mr. Willy feat. Ms. Jody
12. "Texas Grown"---C-Mo Smooth
13. "Summer Time"---Jack Forte
14. "Sweet Love"---Frank Johnson feat. King George
15. "Southern Soul Jam"---A.G. Thomas
16. "Trail Ride Slide (Remix)"---Honey Gurl feat. Jeter Jones & JFly Barber
17. "Shame On Me"---Tucka
18. "Sipping And Thinking"---Bigg Robb
19. "Spoil Me"---Official Boosie feat. King George
20. "Can I Tell On Me"---Fat Daddy

21. "Mr. Truck Driver"---Young Guy
22. "Party In The Country"---T. Bryant
23. "Dangerous Love"---Catt Daddy feat. Jalesa McRae
24. "Step In This Party"---Solomon Thompson
25. "If I Put This Thang On Ya"---Sweet Nay
26. "Trail Ride Love"---Avail Hollywood
27. "She Ready"---Jeter Jones
28. "Good Love Recipe"---Mr. Bowleggs
29. "Stop Fussin'"---Joe Nice
30. "Shake With Those Fries"---Lamar Brace

31. "Lied On Me"---Curt The Country Man
32. "Lotto"---Ronnie Bell
33. "Forever And Ever"---Roi "Chip" Anthony feat. Keith Sweat
34. "Can't Run Me"---Nephew Jones
35. "Big Steppin'"---Toy Toy feat. Love Jesse
36. "I Got My Hands Up"---Coco Wade
37. "Just Wanna Party"---Chill Will
38. "Trying To Love Two Ain't Easy"---Rick Lawson
39. "Spinnin'"---Gentry-Jones
40. "Southern Soul Party"---Sheila B. Sexi

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June 4, 2024:

TOP 40 SOUTHERN SOUL SINGLES: JUNE

An expanded list of the songs vying for "Top Ten Singles" in June 2024.

1. "I'll Beg"---Stacii Adams
2. "One More Day"---Ciddy Boi P
3. "I'm Soul Country"---Black Koffee
4. "Tell Me Baby"---B.J. Moodswing
5. "The New Jody"---Ced Wade feat. Ciddy Boi P
6. "(Two) Faces"---Catt Daddy
7. "Under There"---Hisyde
8. "Sorry"---Ty Daniels feat. Boss Lady
9. "Just Won't Break"---Sky Whatley feat. Tonio Armani
10. "My Kind Of Man"---Crystal Thomas

11. "Cheating On Me"---Magic One
12. "Where The Party At?"---Lacee
13. "I Can't Choose"---Sir Charles Jones
14. "Slow Hand"---Big Yayo
15. "Soul Party In VA"---Souja Kwan
16. "What You Won't Do"---Mr. Boo Leggs
17. "Do U Wanna"---Mr. Magic
18. "Stepping And Swinging"---Magic One
19. "Cornbread Fed"---Mr. Beatz
20. "What's It Going To Be?"---Boss Lady feat. Ty Daniels

21. "Juke Joint Lover"---Joe Nice & Nelson Curry
22. "The BK Shuffle"---Black Koffee

(DBN notes: Also see #3 single "I'm Soul Country" by Black Koffee, the same song.)


23. "Back To The Streets"---Sunshine The Singer
24. "Cut Up"---Dolla Bill Dodson
25. "Too Young For Me"---J. Red The Nephew
26. "Hey Pretty Lady"---Cuz Band
27. "Are You Serious?"---Arthur Young
28. "I Ain't Gone Spill No Drank"---Cupid
29. "Hey Mr. DJ"---Teeza
30. "Come And Play"---Miss Storm

31. "I Will"---J-Wonn
32. "He Lied"---J'Cenae
33. "Country Boys"---Big Yayo feat. LaMorris Williams
34. "Cafe Messie"---Shonta Greer feat. Messie C
35. "I Can't Walk Away"---Mz. Suga
36. "Lying On Me"---Jo-Us Band
37. "Keeper Not A Sweeper"---Lonne G
38. "Dump Truck"---Terry B
39. "Man Of Mine"---Mz. Dria
40. "I Wanna Love"---Mose Stovall

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May 5, 2024:

TOP 40 SOUTHERN SOUL SINGLES: MAY

An expanded list of the songs vying for "Top Ten Singles" in May 2024.

1. "Back Road"---Curt The Country Man feat. Marcellus The Singer
2. "Can't Make 'Em"---Koffee Bean feat. Jeter Jones
3. "Fishing Hole"---Ciddy Boi P
4. "Take You Out Tonight"---T-Man
5. "Jeans And Boots"---Country Boy
6. "On Ya Feet"---Big Mel
7. "Body Roll, Fast Or Slow"---Narvel Echols
8. "In Love With You"---B.J. Moodswing
9. "No Way"---Sheba Potts-Wright feat. L.J. Echols
10. "On The Way"---Big Nick J

11. "Do Me"---Marcellus The Singer
12. "Mama Don't Worry"---ERealist feat. Big Mel
13. "Found My Peace"---Breeze MrDo2Much
14. "One More Day"---Ciddy Boi P
15. "She Wants That Money"---Mr. House feat. Ciddy Boi P
16. "Karma"---Cecily Wilborn
17. "Party At Home"---Sean Dolby feat. Ms. Nikita & Joe Nice
18. "Tell Me Baby"---B.J. Moodswing
19. "Hole In The Wall"---Lamar Brace
20. "Better Man"---Curt The Country Man

21. "Follow Me"---Lacee feat. J-Wonn
22. "I'm With You"---Dee Dee Simon
23. "Let Me See It"---Gold Gillis feat. Narvel Echols
24. "Good Time"---Tamara "Mz Hollywood" McClain feat. Audi Yo
25. "Put That Thang On Me"---Nelson Curry
26. "Fed Up"---Ronnie "Rude" Perkins feat. Lacee
27. "You Can't Use Me"---Freaky B 2.0
28. "If I Step Out"---Lisa Denevo feat. Ciddy Boi P
29. "Big Boi Stroke"---Big "Ro" Williams
30. "Country Girl"---The Signature Band

31. "Red Rooster"---Coldrank
32. "Club House"---Rico C
33. "You Don't Have To Down Me"---Son Of Soul
34. "Feel Sumthin'"---Zach Stewart McGee & Dolla Bill Dodson
35. "Party Ride"---Lamar Brace
36. "Loving Girl"---Rylo
37. "Summertime Fine"---Cadillac Man
38. "Love Me No More"---Tee Dee Young
39. "Big Girl World"---Gwen Yvette
40. "I Put A Claim On That Thing"---Jesse James feat. Millie Jackson

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March 7, 2024:

TOP 40 SOUTHERN SOUL SINGLES: MARCH

An expanded list of the songs vying for "Top Ten Singles" in March 2024.

1. "Red Cup Blues"---Cecily Wilborn
2. "Back Roads"---GMB Li Curt feat. ShawtyMac
3. "Texas Hold 'Em"---Beyonce
4. "Come Over Baby"---Lady Redtopp feat. Bri Rocket
5. "Let's Get Drunk"---L.J. Echols
6. "Church Girl"---Tex James feat. Stan Butler
7. "You My Man"---Jay Morris Group
8. "Party Tonight"---P2K DaDiddy feat. Urban Mystic
9. "Lost And Found"---Volton Wright feat. Sir Charles Jones
10. "Going Out"---Curt The Country Man feat. Countryboii Tye

11. "Biggest Mama"---Rosalyn Candy
12. "Keep Your Dog On A Short Leash"---Sheila B. Sexi
13. "Big Boss"---Jeter Jones feat. T. Howell
14. "This Is Texas (Beyonce Reply)"---Ciddy Boi P
15. "Chocolate"---Mz Tori feat. Pardeeboy
16. "I Gotta Leave Home"---Mr. Laidback
17. "Rumors"---LaMorris Williams
18. "Got It Going On"---Mike Clark Jr. feat. DJ Trucker & Mr. Hanky
19. "Where They Do That At"---Al Davis feat. Princess LaShelle
20. "Show Me"---Brutha

21. "Rock That Man In The Boat (Remix)"---Chuck Strong
22. "Langadang"---Hambone Bandicoot
23. "Me And My Hennessy"---Sema'J
24. "5-Star Kitty"---Darnell Da Bachelor
25. "Swing My Way"---LaMorris Williams
26. "The Electric Slide"---Klay Redd
27. "Boots On"---Lokey Kountry
28. "Let's Stay Together"---Willie Clayton
29. "Get Loose"---Cecily Wilborn feat. Bre Wooten
30. "I'm So Ready"---Uncle Luck

31. "Tell Me Where You From"---Solomon Thompson
32. "Big Girl World"---Gwen Yvette
33. "Puttin' In Work"---Mr. Jimmy
34. "Ride It"---Mikal feat. Angel Faye Russell
35. "Don't Forget About Me"---Adrian Bagher feat. Big Yayo
36. "Really Love You"---Keneisha feat. Omar Cunningham
37. "Give Me Love"---Melodic Princess
38. "Heaven"---Carlin Taylor
39. "Trailriders Party"---Electrohorse feat. Nigel Perkins
40. "Should've Been Home"---J. Red The Nephew


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February 3, 2024:

TOP 40 SOUTHERN SOUL SINGLES: FEBRUARY

An expanded list of the songs vying for "Top Ten Singles" in February 2024.

1. "Swing Out"---West Love
2. "In Front Of Me"---The Jay Morris Group
3. "You Baby"---Marcellus The Singer feat. Cecily Wilborn
4. "Crazy About You"---Derek The Change Man Smith
5. "Put It In Ya Life"---Lil' Runt feat. Jeter Jones
6. "Too Soon"---Kandy Janai
7. "Love Bone"---Donnie Ray
8. "Yo Truck (Ain't Better Than Mine)"---Jeter Jones
9. "Let It Be Said"---J. Lake
10. "Can I Get A Witness?"---LaMorris Williams

11. "Back To Myself"---Karen Wolfe
12. "Mz. Judy"---CuznJed feat. Prince Hodge
13. "Wet Anthem"---Big 251
14. "Southern Soul"---El Willie
15. "Let Me Know"---Big Mel
16. "Why Not?"---J-Wonn
17. "Henn Peck Man"---Lady J
18. "Swing My Way"---Ice Doll feat. Cupid
19. "Loving You Wright"---Champagne Wright feat. Dope Boy Bluez
20. "He Ain't Gone Do Right"---Shae Nycole

21. "God Still Working On Me"---Avail Hollywood
22. "Alone"---King South
23. "Elevator"---Royal D feat. Cupid
24. "Give Him His Papers"---Big G
25. "Yapping"---Summer Wolfe feat. Narvel Echols
26. "Don't Fuck With Me"---Lady Shebazz
27. "Sexy"---Black Diamond
28. "Just Us 2"---Memphis Jackson
29. "Outside"---Mz. Pat feat. Ciddy Boi P
30. "Transition"---Columbus Toy

31. "Make It Rain"---Vick Allen
32. "Baby Come Home"---Mz. Poochie
33. "Living My Life"---Jeff Floyd feat. Roi "Chip" Anthony
34. "You Can Make It"---Maia B
35. "Put It On Me"---Shell-B
36. "Good Good Man"---T.J. Hooker Taylor
37. "Thick Country Girl"---Mr. Laidback
38. "Tootsie"---O.B. Buchana
39. "Ain't Nobody Crazy"---Princess Towanna Murphy
40. "Party People"---Ms. Priscilla feat. Narvel Echols

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January 8, 2024:

TOP 40 SOUTHERN SOUL SINGLES: JANUARY

An expanded list of the songs vying for "Top Ten Singles" in January 2024.

1. "Until We Meet Again"---Marcellus The Singer
2. "Down In The Sippi"---FaLisa JaNaye
3. "Busted Cheating At The Holiday Inn"---Mr. Midnight
4. "I Can't Live Without You"---Memphis Jackson
5. "Party"---Cecily Wilborn
6. "Let's Get Married Today"---Stan Butler
7. "Cut Friend"---Sky Whatley
8. "Good Tyme"---P2K DaDiddy feat. Frank Johnson
9. "Older Woman"---S. Dott
10. "Sooner Or Later"---Tonio Armani

11. "Trail Ride"---Jonathan Burton
12. "Mr. Right"---Ced Wade feat. Willie Clayton
13. "Let's Ride"---David J
14. "Feenin'"---Urban Mystic
15. "Here For You"---Big Mel
16. "Why Not?"---J-Wonn
17. "Mr. Fix It"---Ty Juan
18. "Rooty Tooty"---Cadillac Cho
19. "Ayyyeeee"---Sean Dolby feat. Dani Dolce
20. "Pull Up On Me"---Keneisha

21. ""Steppin' And Swingin'"---Magic One
22. "Get My Party On"---Meeka Meeka
23. "Big Bone Girl"---Ced Wade feat. Big Mel
24. "How Does It Feel"---Dee Dee Simon
25. "Used To Love Her"---Willie Rich
26. "Show Me That You Love Me"---Delo Brown
27. "Stress Me Out"---Marcellus The Singer
28. "Cafe Shuffle"---MTM Rara
29. "It's U"---Volton Wright feat. Songbird
30. "Glide"---Rosalyn Candy

31. "It Ain't Good For You"---Tyree Neal
32. "Make That Body Roll"---Ciddy Boi P
33. "Wind It Up"---Choppa Law
34. "If You're Ready (Come Go With Me)"---Joe Nice feat. Jonathan Butler
35. "Flow With It"---Meme Yahsal
36. "Club People"---UNYQC
37. "Take You Out Tonight"---T-Man
38. "Don't Get Mad At Jody"---Uncle T
39. "Hot And Spicy"---Gentry-Jones
40. "Grownman"---Rico C

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Top 10 Singles

Top 25 Singles '24


1."Back Roads"-----Curt The Country Man (aka GMB Li Curt) feat. ShawtyMac

"I was sitting with the guys on the back road,
We was singing, fishing, letting the time go..."

Alternate version:

1. "Back Road"-----Curt The Country Man feat. Marcellus The Singer

"And I never knew I could make this song,
And my heart been broke for so so long..."

2. "One More Day"-----Ciddy Boi P

"With a little love it can be all right,
And with a little kiss let me hold you tight..."

3. "Living For The Weekend"-----Cecily Wilborn

"Take me to the country, where we love slow living..."

4. "I'll Beg"-----Stacii Adams

"Girl I know you're independent, and you got your own cash,
And you could walk right out the door and never look back..."

5. "Whatcha Know"-----F.P.J.

"Whatcha know about this, growing up in the sticks,
We be sipping that shine, we be dropping our shit..."

6. "Can't Judge Nobody"-----King George

"Always talking down on other people,
You ain't no better than nobody, we all equal..."

7. "Love Will"-----Lenny Williams feat. West Love

"Because I remember the days and the sleepless nights,
Thinking love was only real when it came with a fight..."

8. "Stand On Business"-----Myia B.

"She invited me over, had a nice little place,
Her kids were fast asleep, she was bumping that Johnnie Taylor..."

9. "Take It Slow"-----Tucka

"Watch the fire burn so bright,
Make love by candlelight,
Take it slow..."

10. "This Is Texas (Beyonce Reply)"-----Ciddy Boi P

"Taking the shortcut through the creek woods,
Around here you know you're good,
Best place on earth I've ever lived..."

11. "Wasn't None Of You (Remix)"-----LLJuna feat. Tavarus

"Are you leaving me, let me know,
Is it over, are you sho'?..."

12. "Crazy About You"-----Derek "The Change Man" Smith

"I heard you got three kids,
And they say your oldest boy looks like me..."

13. "Red Cup Blues"-----Cecily Wilborn

"I told the bartender man I don't mean no offense,
I need tequila in my big red cup..."

14. "Dirt Road"-----Jeter Jones

"Come on baby let's go,
To our favorite spot where no one knows..."

15. "Until We Meet"-----Marcellus The Singer

"He was right there on one knee,
And he asked her, 'Would you marry me?..."

16. "Step By Step"-----Summer Wolfe

"Step by step, we move as one,
In the dance of love we've already won..."

17. "2 20's"-----F.P.J.

"Slow roll it in the bed, then I put her on the floor,
I turned that girl every way but loose..."

18. "She Say I Make Her Cheat"-----M. Cally

"What you working with, she a cowgirl,
Daisy dukes on, she in her own world..."

19. "Pour Me A Drink"-----Sir Charles Jones

"My supervisor was hard this week,
Gave me a rough time,
Jeering and yelling,
I don't pay him no mind..."

20. "Low Down Soul"-----Prince DeLeon feat. Tre' Williams & LaMorris Williams

"I may not be the smartest guy but I ain't no fool,
I know you been out there breaking all the rules..."

21. "The Game"-----Nila Milan

"Stop fucking up the game, giving it all away,
Then you want to turn around and complain that all he want to do is play..."

22. "Cheating On The Weekend"-----O.B. Buchana

"Monday through Friday, a good man for sure,
She give me good loving but I just gotta have some more..."

23. "On Ya Feet"-----Big Mel feat. DJ A

"So I grab my hat and put on my boots,
Got to make sure I'm country boy fly..."

24. "Just Friends"-----Tia Catillia

"I'm not your woman, you're not my man,
We just enjoy one another, we're just friends..."

25. "Please Forgive Me"-----Jay "Da Franchize" Watts feat. Devonese

"I know I was wrong for turning off my phone,
And hanging out all night while you were all alone..."

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles For. . .

-------DECEMBER 2024-------


1. "Step By Step"-----Summer Wolfe

"I've got my baby by my side...In the dance of love we've already won..." What a beautiful turn of phrase from the superb songwriting team of Robert Gonzalez and Velma Wolfe. What a melody and irresistible stepping tempo! After years of toil in the second ranks of southern soul singers, Summer Wolfe takes a breathtaking leap in career artistry. There's not a diva in southern soul who wouldn't recognize Summer's consummate vocal as one of the finest of the year.

Listen to Summer Wolfe singing "Step By Step" on YouTube.

2. "They Talkin' 'Bout Me"-----M. Cally

2023 Best Southern Soul Debut Artist M. Cally showers his burgeoning fans with a new 5-star EP and a blazing new single to close out 2024. M. Cally "heard it through the grapevine" and ain't having any of the hate. His double-tracked, mahogany-rich, vocal timbre resonates like the bells of Cathédrale de Notre-Dame.

Listen to M. Cally singing "They Talkin' 'Bout Me" on YouTube.

3. "Give It Up"-----Tucka

Is there another recording artist in all of southern soul who "goes his own way" as Tucka does? He blocks out all the outside static and listens to his own muse. I think he's only gotten better as the year has gone by, shifting back from the atypical party anthems of 2023 to the intimate love songs that made him a southern soul icon.

Listen to Tucka singing "Give It Up" on YouTube.

4. "Please Forgive Me"-----Jay Da Franchize Watts feat. Devonese

Really impressive, vintage-deep ballad by two gospel-strong vocalists. Jay "Da Franchize" Watts, (a great moniker, by the way) backs it up with the goods and Devonese more than matches the intensity.

Listen to Jay Da Franchize Watts & Devonese singing "Please Forgive Me" on YouTube.

5. "I Know He's Cheatin'"-----Lady Kay

Somebody tell me where this rocking instrumental track came from---it is so familiar! That's not going to be easy because it's not on YouTube. Hopefully, it will be. Refreshing take on cheating, though. She doesn't give a damn because he pays the bills.

6. "Freaking With Our Boots On"----T.K. Soul feat. Luster Baker

Great to get whole-heartedly behind a T.K. Soul song again, and not because the topic is fashionably "trail ride". No, it's the wonderful instrumental sound and the vocals, aided by Luster Baker.

Listen to T.K. Soul & Luster Baker singing "Freaking With Our Boots On" on YouTube.

7. "She Say I Make Her Cheat"----M. Cally

Another new and rousing anthem from M. Cally. See Daddy B. Nice's five-star 40 & Up EP review.

Listen to M. Cally singing "She Say I Make Her Cheat" on YouTube.

8. "Slow Roll It"-----Mike Clark Jr.

Cover songs are typically a dime a dozen, the fodder by which aspiring artists learn the southern soul "ropes". The Love Doctor's classic, however, turns out to be an anomaly in Mike Clark Jr.'s skillful rendition. Deserves to be a hit song all over again.

Listen to Mike Clark Jr. singing "Slow Roll It" on YouTube.

9. "Sorry"-----Devonese

Another stirring single from the new diva who guested on Jay Da Franchize Watt's "Please Forgive Me" (#4 Single above).

Listen to Devonese singing "Sorry" on YouTube.

10. "The Paul Rich Slide"----Paul Rich

A carefree, throwback-sounding stepper that can't exit 2024 without being recognized and celebrated.

Listen to Paul Rich singing "The Paul Rich Slide" on YouTube.

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles For. . .

-------NOVEMBER 2024-------


1. "Ain't Got Time"-----Sheba Potts-Wright

Little Sheba of "Slow Roll It" fame is all grown, sounding larger than life. I don't know what impresses me more, the bluesy, slinky, seemingly family-generated instrumental track or the blistering vocal. If only her daddy (Dr. Feelgood Potts) could hear her now. Get your partner and dirty-dancing shoes and head for the floor. From Sheba's just-released Ain't Got Time, The New Beginning EP.

Listen to Sheba Pott's Wright singing "Ain't Got Time On YouTube.

2. "Do The Rodeo"----Stan Butler feat. Deacon Low Down

Remember Deacon Low Down, the head-turning character from the "Cowboy Ride" and "Down In The Kuntry" videos? Stan Butler brings the Deacon in to sing for the first time and it sounds like a hit.

Listen to Stan Butler & Deacon Low Down singing "Do The Rodeo" on YouTube.

3. "She Looks Good In Anything"----Ciddy Boi P feat. Mr. Stuff

Quirky but enticing new song with fascinating lyrics by a guy who just keeps recording one good track after another. See this month's featured artist: Ciddy Boi P: Country Styling.

Listen to Ciddy Boi P and Mr. Stuff singing "She Looks Good In Anything" on YouTube.

4. "That Neck"----Uncle Phunk feat. Mr. Same Thang

This is actually the most southern soul-ish tune Unkle Phunk (Carolyn Staten's "Nukie Pie," etc.) has ever recorded. Nice vocal too.

Listen to Unkle Phunk & Mr. Same Thang singing "That Neck" on YouTube.

5. "Good Woman"----Harold G

This guy---Harold Guillory---looks primed to enter the southern soul ring and make some serious moves.

Listen to Harold G singing "Good Woman" on YouTube.

6. "Baby What's The Matter?"----Andre' Lee

Andre' Lee has been around since the early days of contemporary southern soul (that first Mardi Gras anthology with Sir Charles, if memory serves) and he's back and swinging for the fences with this project showcased by a beautiful vintage arrangement and production, not to mention stellar lead guitar.

Listen to Andre Lee singing "Baby What's The Matter?" on YouTube.

7. "Whiskey"-----Curt The Country Man feat. Countryboii Tye.

More than anyone else, Curt is the singer who has me listening to "southern soul country" for the first time in my life. No matter how many times I hear it, "Back Roads" never fails to knock me out. And what's fascinating to me is how enthralled The Country Man is with drinking. Mel Waiters sang about whiskey but he was actually not into alcohol. Curt is into alcohol the way a high school kid is, and it's that apparent youth, that apparent rawness, that dreamy infatuation with the drinking lifestyle and ultimately that seeming lack of self-awareness that makes Curt The Countryman even more interesting and ironically authentic.

Listen to Curt The Country Man and Countryboii Tye singing "Whiskey" on YouTube.

8. "Hole In The Wall"-----The Real Hub

Melody, tempo and depth, with fine vocalizing and production. The Real Hub is a male duo with uncredited female background. No relation to the Mel Waiters classic.

Listen to The Real Hub singing "Hole In The Wall" on YouTube.

9. "Steppin'"----Ladi Londyn

Promising debut by a young singer named Londyn Jones.

Listen to Ladi Londyn singing "Steppin'" on YouTube.

"Uber"----Stevie J. Blues

Imagine a J. Blackfoot vehicle updated with a P2K sound. Stevie J. has always had a knack for infusing his vocals with a lot of personality, and this one is no exception.

Listen to Stevie J. Blues singing "Uber" on YouTube.

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles For. . .

-------OCTOBER 2024-------


1. "The Game"-----Nila Milan

This song comes out of nowhere to become a number one single for an unknown artist first time out. It's got that King George "Keep On Rollin'" vibe. Same tempo and verse construction, same swagger and hooky momentum, but utterly original and sung by a woman who delivers it with the required toughness and charm. Whatta tune! It will be a line-dancing sensation.

Listen to Nila Milan singing "The Game" on You Tube.

2. "Living For The Weekend"-----Cecily Wilborn

You thought "Southern Man" and "Red Cup Blues" were flukes? No, sir. Cecily does it again, mining that country (Arkansas) style. Some old-timers may be shaking their heads, wondering whatever happened to the southern soul of twenty-five years ago. It's still there, just a little tired-sounding. The southern soul tent has expanded, incorporating the country style, and it's here to stay. Produced by steel-guitar maestro Kang803 (King George, Cecily's own "Red Cup Blues"). From the new album, Kuntry Gurl Playlist.

Listen to Cecily Wilborn singing "Living For The Weekend" on YouTube.

3. "Stand On Business"-----Myia B

"Stand On Business" re-enters the Top 10, propelled by the fans' enthusiastic response to both its music and ground-breaking lyrics. Even the heroine of Nila Milan's #1 single "The Game" (above) is now "standing on business". Listen to the jaw-dropping "ooohs" and "aaahs" of Myia B warming up in the opening eight bars, however, and you realize she could be singing "Little Jack Horner sat in the corner" and still have a hit song on her hands.

Listen to Myia B singing "Stand On Business" on YouTube.

4. "Too Many Irons In The Fire"-----Derek "The Change Man" Smith feat. Niecy Leshae

Here's a duet for the old school, and a high-quality one at that. Derek "The Change Man" Smith and Niecy Leshae recreate the excitement of the legendary J. Blackfoot and Queen Ann Hines.

Listen to Derek "The Change Man" Smith and Niecy Leshae singing "Too Man Irons In The Fire" on YouTube.

5. "My Dog Don't Bark No More" (aka "D.D.B.N.M") -----Arthur Young

When it comes to old-school blues, there isn't anyone doing it as well and as often as the "Funky Forty" man, Arthur Young. From his four-star album Straight Outta Summit.

Listen to Arthur Young singing "My Dog Don't Bark No More" on YouTube.

6. "Changed The Game"-----Big Mel

Move over, Marcellus The Singer and Young Guy. Make room on the elevator. There's another young balladeer going UP. From Big Mel's new album Blue Rose.

Listen to Big Mel singing "Changed The Game" on YouTube.

7. "Bring That Here"----Tina Brown

Tina Brown brings a refreshingly different vocal (think the half-talking style of the late, great Big Cynthia) to this ambling rocker written and produced by those Shreveport sidekicks, Jeter and Slack.

Listen to Tina Brown singing "Bring That Here" on YouTube.

8. "Nothing But You"-----Big Mel

Another impressive ballad from Big Mel.

Listen to Big Mel singing "Nothing But You" on YouTube.

9. "Black Cat"-----Arthur Young

Arthur Young brings the mouth harp back to southern soul. Bobby Rush says, "Right on!"

Listen to Arthur Young singing "Black Cat" on YouTube.

10. "I Love This Man"-----Tina Brown

Tina Brown takes a different vocal approach on this memorable ballad. An Omar Cunnningham composition.

Listen to Tina Brown singing "I Love This Man" on YouTube.

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide


Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles For. . .

-------SEPTEMBER 2024-------


1. "I Can't Judge Nobody"-----King George

King George has come down to earth. From "Keep On Rollin'" through last year's "Grown Man," George launched a series of other-worldly singles (including "Too Long," "Friday Night," "Leave & Party" and "Night-Time") like fireworks from the pearly gates of Southern Soul Heaven. And that blank, glassy stare you often see on George's face is simply the proof---the after-effects---of George being so near the Deity for a prolonged period. That all changed late last year with the down-to-earth "Lil' Weight," which, despite its charm and 12 million YouTube views and counting, brought King George back to terra firma and the more natural musical surroundings of his peers. This year's "It's Over" and, now "Can't Judge Nobody," merely extend this new, more mortal phase of George's career. And for George, like an astronaut finally returning to Earth, what a relief it must be!

Listen to King George singing "Can't Judge Nobody" on YouTube.

2. "Dirt Road"----Jeter Jones

Think of the happiest moments of your life, no matter how small or fleeting, times when you knew exactly who you were and liked what you saw. "Dirt Road" is a rare potion dispensing the essence of all those happy little epitomes. Jeter's vocal is a wonder, conveying tenderness, vulnerability and self-awareness (think Ollie Nightingale or Billy "Soul" Bonds), all the while grounded in the strength and sturdiness of the trail-ride, dirt-road mystique. From Jeter's new Trailride Kang album. Read Daddy B. Nice's new five-star review.

Listen to Jeter Jones singing "Dirt Road" on YouTube.

3. "Night On That Tequila"----Tucka

Tucka follows up #1 Single "Take It Slow" (July '24) with another laid-back, country-feeling yet more up-tempo tune with plenty of space for his vocal pyrotechnics.

Listen to Tucka singing "Night On That Tequila" on YouTube.

4. "2 20's"-----F.P.J.

The hottest young southern soul artist of the moment tosses out another can't miss single, this one a new take on Arthur Young's "Funky Forty".

Listen to FPJ singing "2 20's" on YouTube.

5. "Cheating On The Weekend"-----O.B. Buchana

This is O.B.'s finest single since "Drinking My Problems Away," with the added bonus of being up-tempo and unapologetically mischievous. More importantly, it rocks with the storied swagger of the O.B. of old.

Listen to O.B. Buchana singing "Cheating On The Weekend" on YouTube.

6. "Real Good Day"----Kendo Country Trim feat. Curt The Country Man

"Cheesy programmed horns" was my favorite term back in the aughts for this song's instrumental background, but it's still got country steel guitar and wild cowgirl fills and none other than guest artist Curt The Country Man (Curtis Pettway), whose "Back Roads" and "Country Man" form the template for this hybrid, southern-soul/black-country sound.

Listen to Kendo Country Trim & Curt The Country Man singing "Real Good Day" on YouTube.

7. "Have A Good Time"-----Karen Wolfe

Not the greatest composition, but by song's end Karen and the producers have whipped it into one of the best singles of Karen's storied career.

Listen to Karen Wolfe singing "Have A Good Time" on YouTube.

8."Gin And Juice"----Avail Hollywood

A daring and peculiar song featuring a jazz saxophone, clarinet and violin romping on a bed of percussive effects. Think of it as southern soul meets bebop. Avail Hollywood's eye-opening vocal weaves in and out and sometimes smashes through like a Targaryen on a dragon.

Listen to Avail Hollywood singing "Gin And Juice" on YouTube.

9. "Dog House"----Mike Clark Jr.

Full of the same, stunning vocal projection and clarity, Mike Clark Jr.'s finest single since his breakthrough hit, "Auntie Outside Tonight".

Listen to Mike Clark Jr. singing "Dog House" on YouTube.

"Don't Bother Me"----Charles Wilson

The "Mississippi Boy" still has one of most identifiable voices in southern soul. Written and produced by Stan Butler.

Listen to Charles Wilson singing "Don't Bother Me" on YouTube.

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles For. . .

-------AUGUST 2024-------


1. "Wasn't None Of You (Soul Remix)"-----LLJuna feat. Tavarus

Lost and forgotten for two decades, the original version of this song was the #4-ranked southern soul single of 2006, the first year I began doing singles charts, ranking behind only Willie Clayton's magnificent "Going Crazy," Nellie "Tiger" Travis's classic "If I Back It Up" and the late, legendary Reggie P.'s "Droppin' Salt". At the time I called it the "most authentic and personable female monologue since Shirley Brown's 'Woman To Woman,'" and with its lyric, "Trying to look like Beyonce / But looking like Wesley Snipes in "To Wong Fu," I see no reason to change that assessment. LLJuna has at last resurfaced with a new, not-quite-as-angry remix of this DBN all-time Top 10 "One Hit Wonder," assimilating the man's side of what is evidently a "case of mistaken identity".

Listen to LLJuna & Tavarus singing "Wasn't None Of You (Soul Remix)" on YouTube.

2. "Low Down Soul"-----Prince DeLeon feat. Tre' Williams & LaMorris Williams

First-class vocalists Tre' Williams and LaMorris Williams are the obvious attractions here, but what really hooks me musically is the rhythm section (the drums and bass). Is that Ringo Starr on the drum kit? Or Motown's Benny Benjamin? If programmed, it almost sounds like two drum tracks, one slightly off-setting the other. If live, it may break some longstanding taboos.

Listen to Prince DeLeon, Tre' Williams & LaMorris Williams singing "Low Down Soul" on YouTube.

3. "Love Will"-----Lenny Williams feat. West Love

Deep, musical, anthemic, epically-scaled, "Love Will" is the finest song Lenny's released since the onset of Covid, instantly casting his previous singles, good as they were, in its monumental shadow. West Love's spell-binding contribution defines what being a female southern soul singer today is all about. "The Princess Of Southern Soul"? I'd say it's time to coronate her as "Queen". Stan Butler provides the masterful production.

Listen to Lenny Williams and West Love singing "Love Will" on YouTube.

4. "Pour Me A Drank"----Sir Charles Jones

This is a great, getting-back-on-track record for the King. Simple. Direct. Brimming with audience empathy. "Love Machine" type stuff. Not to mention...good melody, great refrain and captivating vocal. The key thing, though, is the simplicity and resulting timelessness. "I just wanna wooo-sa!"

Listen to Sir Charles Jones singing "Pour Me A Drank" on YouTube.

5. "Stand On Business"----Myia B

Is this the most gender-bending southern soul song since Peggy Scott-Adams' "Bill"? Most of the comments on its YouTube page effuse about the beauty of both the song and Myia B's gospel-timbred voice---and rightfully so. But curiously none of the enthusiastic comments and emojis address the fact the song is about a "she" and a "she" and includes the phrase "she set that snapper on my face". If the southern soul audience embraces this tune, it will be on a culturally much different and inclusionary level than it was in the nineties with "Bill". Bottom line? It's a flat-out great song, the kind of song that launches a career.

Listen to Myia B singing "Stand On Business" on YouTube.

6. "Just Friends"----Tia Catillia

Buoyant, zydeco-burnished southern soul with a simple message that'll resonate with just about everyone, especially sexually-active men. This tune gives the vineagar a nice thick coating of sugar, guys. You'll find yourself thinking, "Oh yeah, I can go with that."

Listen to Tia Catillia singing "Just Friends" on YouTube.

7. "Two Beers"----Curt The Countryman

I've been listening to a lot of Curt's singles and dismissing them except for a new one in a southern soul format that was going to be slotted here until I realized the more country-ish "Two Beers" was just too good to not take that space. "Two Beers" came out of the same deep personal well that number-one single "Back Roads" did around a year ago and has now reappeared in a new YouTube video. Enough said?

Listen to Curt The Countryman singing "Two Beers" on YouTube.

8. "Let It Move"-----Arthur Young

A torrid, guitar-fueled club jam from Arthur Young's sixth full-length studio album. Read Daddy B. Nice's four-star review.

Listen to Arthur Young singing "Let It Move" on YouTube.

9. "Dangerous Love"-----Catt Daddy feat. Jalesa McRae

Moving up from #23 on last month's Top 40 Singles...this song has staying power.

Listen to Catt Daddy & Jalesa McRae singing "Dangerous Love" on YouTube.

10. "What You Waiting For"----Ciddy Boi P feat. Sugar Daddy

Listen to Ciddy Boi P & Sugar Daddy singing "What You Waiting For" on YouTube.

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles For. . .

-------JULY 2024-------


1. "Take It Slow"-----Tucka

Tucka goes country? Well...Sorta. In a Ray Charles kind of way. (Meaning on his own lofty terms.) And what a gutsy intro! The usual eight bars of instrumental pass, you're anticipating the first words of the vocal, and instead you're treated to another eight bars of gorgeous background dominated by what sounds like a five-thousand-dollar pedal steel guitar. And you're thinking, "Oh yeah, this is Tucka. I gotta get my Al Green ears on. If I can't slow down, I'm not going to appreciate this." And as if on cue, the first words out of Tucka's mouth are: "Take it slow". And he rewards you with one of the most expressive vocals of his career.

Listen to Tucka singing "Take It Slow" on YouTube.

2. "Whatcha Know (About This)"-----F.P.J.

This is one of those club bangers that makes you leap out of your chair tripping over people to get to the dance floor. Husky and dark, FPJ's vocal tone grounds this bubbly groove that otherwise might float away like a kid's balloon and makes it down-to-earth, grown-folks real.

Listen to F.P.J. singing "Whatcha Know" on YouTube.

3. "100 Missed Calls"----Young Guy

You wouldn't know this was the same guy who did "Take Heed". "100 Missed Calls" is light, fast and musically variable (with no voice-overs), by comparison with "Take Heed" mere fluff, yet hours later you'll discover the melody line running through your mind, putting a swing in your gait.

See Young Guy Enters New Generation Chart At #33.

Listen to Young Guy singing "100 Missed Calls" on YouTube.

4. "Love Me No More"----Tee Dee Young

Remarkable old-school southern soul, expertly sung and produced, with gospel music choruses that will thrill anyone who cherishes the interrelatedness of pulpit and stage.

Listen to Tee Dee Young singing "(Why You Don't) Love Me No More"

5. "Cruising With The Top Down"----T. Bryant

Refreshingly straightforward yet romantic debut by a singer with a mahogany-rich vocal tone.

Listen to T. Bryant singing "Cruising With The Top Down" on YouTube.

6. "Blues Paradise"-----F.P.J.

A fine reworking of Johnnie Taylor's "Soul Heaven" by a young singer who dreams the dream of singing his "Po' Me Up Some Mo'" surrounded by his idols, "with us all onstage, standing hand in hand, with nobody trying to hate, nobody trying to 'be a man'".

Listen to F.P.J. singing "Blues Paradise" on YouTube.

7. "$$ Looking Good"-----Highway Heavy feat. Robert Butler & Johnny James

This trio from Highway Heavy's Baton Rouge musical mafia collectively delivers some of the best vocal performances of their careers. That would be the ultimate front-man Robert Butler, the inimitable and lyrically irrepressible Johnny James and Heavy himself with a rap that finally fits perfectly into one of his southern soul vehicles.

Listen to Robert Butler, Johnny James and Highway Heavy singing "$$ Looking Good" on YouTube.

8. "Touch It"----Tara Keith

Debut artist Tara Keith, the lone diva on July's Top 10, hits this one out of the park. A Jesse Redmond (J. Red) production.

Listen to Tara Keith singing "Touch It" on YouTube.

9. "Fallay Party"------Uncle Fallay

Chris Andrus, once known as Lil' Fallay, now known as Uncle Fallay, wants to "get dis' party started!"

Listen to Uncle Fallay singing "Fallay Party" on SoundCloud.

10. "Ride"----JaLi The Gentleman

Another debut with good material and first-rate vocal. "She got an accent from Alabama / But she born and raised in Mississippi..." Who knew? (That accents were that different across the border?)

Listen to JaLi The Gentleman singing "Ride" on YouTube.

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

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Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles For. . .

-------JUNE 2024-------


1. "I'll Beg"-------Stacii Adams

Finally. An original urban-style song to knock country out of the southern soul conversation for a minute. You know within the first eight bars, as you listen to the overlapping time signatures and the stirring vintage organ, this is a song that'll lift your spirits. And who broke it? None other than Stacii Adams. We had a bit of a falling-out years ago, can't remember what about, maybe my shrugging off his more histrionic R&B (like the Lenny Williams-style "OH-OH-OH" marathon in "I'll Beg"), but man...Stacii balls. He remains true to the profound promise of that organ-luscious intro. You can't ask for more. Kudos also to the wonderful, contrast-painting, female background.

Listen to Stacii Adams singing "I'll Beg" on YouTube.

2. "One More Day"----Ciddy Boi P

Patrick Rodriguez (aka Ciddy Boi P) has been making music in multiple genres for years. Maybe that's why he's been in such demand as a producer-collaborator since his first acclaimed southern soul single, "Can I Get It?" two years ago. This year he's on a creative tear ("This Is Texas," "Fishing Hole" on the last two Top 10's). An old New Edition classic, "One More Day" sets Ciddy Boi's gritty vocalizing against an acoustic guitar as gentle and delicate as The Beatle's "Michelle" while a country steel guitar glides like a magnificent raptor in the background. As southern soul singer Sharnette Hyter has remarked, "You've found your sound."

Listen to Ciddy Boi P singing "One More Day" on YouTube.

3. "I'm Soul Country"-----Black Koffee

Like Stacii Adams' "Don't Beg," this is a refreshing salvo from the urban-sounding corner of the southern soul universe. Don't believe the country title. The instrumental track's biting guitar is as funkadelic as Nellie "Tiger" Travis's "Mr. Sexy Man," and the vocal has the swagger to match. A line-dancer's (and free-dancer's) dream, it feels like you're dancing to a machine-gun.

Listen to Black Koffee singing "I'm Soul Country" on YouTube.

4. "Tell Me Baby"----B.J. Moodswing feat. Dirty D

Second consecutive week on the Top 10 for the accomplished B.J. Moodswing. How swiftly strange names become familiar and ordinary (if the music's good).

Listen to B.J. Moodswing and Dirty D singing "Tell Me Baby" on YouTube.

5. "I'm The New Jody"-----Ced Wade feat. Ciddy Boi P

Before trail rides, back roads and country boys became the rage, there was Jody, the sneaky bastard trying to get into your wife's pants. It's a testament to how much time has passed that Ced Wade's "New Jody" sounds almost unique, although at times you wonder if his vocal is going to collapse. It's all good though and all the more authentic.

Listen to Ced Wade and Ciddy Boi P singing "New Jody" on YouTube.

6. "(Two) Faces"-----Catt Daddy

A little southern soul, a little rock and roll, a pinch of blues guitar and a charismatic southern soul singer to stir the pot.

Listen to Catt Daddy singing "(Two) Faces" on YouTube.

7. "Under There"-----Hisyde

As with Hisyde's "Hap Here" you may struggle at first with the opaqueness of the production, like a movie scene that went through too many takes to get it right. Stick with it though. The catchy melody does surface and ultimately rewards.

Listen to Hisyde singing "Under There" on YouTube.

8. "Sorry"-----Ty Daniels feat. Boss Lady

Time-honored, chitlin'-circuit, male-female back and forth. What gets your attention at first is the faraway voice of Ty Daniels on the phone. His contrite male comes to the fore by song's end.

Listen to Ty Daniels and Boss Lady singing "Sorry" on YouTube.

9. "Just Won't Break"-----Sky Whatley feat. Tonio Armani

A rousing song of female empowerment by the young artist who did "Bae Changed Me".

Listen to Sky Whatley & Tonio Armani singing "Just Won't Break" on YouTube.

10. "My Kind Of Man"-----Crystal Thomas

One of southern soul's most storied divas returns with a song modelled on Cecily Wilborn's acclaimed "Southern Man".

Listen to Crystal Thomas singing "My Kind Of Man" on YouTube.

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles For. . .

-------MAY 2024-------


1. “Back Road”-------Curt The Country Man feat. Marcellus The Singer

Curt The Country Man’s “Back Road” is the glorious apex of the country style sweeping through southern soul with songs like Cecily Wilborn’s “Red Cup Blues,” Country Boy’s “Jeans & Boots” and Ciddy Boi P’s “This Is Texas”. This full-scale country trend began in earnest, fittingly enough, a few months ago with Curt’s rousing music video of ”Back Roads” (plural) under his previous (or alternate) name GMB Li Curt (#2 March Top 10 Singles). This remix replaces guest rapper ShawtyMac from the original with southern soul balladeer Marcellus The Singer, otherwise retaining key elements of the original like the double-tracking of Curt’s vocals, the horses’ neighing, the wild cry. “Back Road” is a personal artistic statement comparable to J-Wonn’s monumental “I Got This Record,” and if it gets distributed to southern soul deejays it’s a shoo-in for southern soul song of the year.

Listen to Curt The Country Man & Marcellus The Singer singing “Back Road” on YouTube.

2. “Can’t Make ‘Em”------Koffee Bean feat. Jeter Jones

“You can lead a horse to the water / But you can’t make ‘em drink.” This old truism is transformed by Koffee Bean, whose exceptionally charismatic vocal recalls Theresa Brewer from the fifties---only Brewer never swung like this. Ms. Jody did, though, two decades ago in the country-comfortable ”I Never Take A Day Off”.

Listen to Koffee Bean and Jeter Jones singing “Can’t Make ‘Em” on YouTube.

3. “Fishing Hole”----- Ciddy Boi P feat. Novak

This is Ciddy Boi’s fiddle & steel guitar follow-up to “This Is Texas” (#1 Top 10 Singles April), accompanied by the humble yet intriguing, country background fills of the lady Novak. Do you ever wonder if "City Boy" misnamed himself?

Listen to Ciddy Boi P and Novak singing “Fishing Hole” on YouTube.

4. “Take You Out Tonight”------T-Man

There’s no other way to say it. The chorus sucks. Which is too bad because the vocal swagger T-Man displays in the verses will raise the hair on your neck. If T-Man turns up that exciting vocal “swag” even more, he’ll be on the yellow brick road to a hit record.

5. ”Jeans And Boots”------Country Boy

Like Curt The Country Man, Country Boy has been dawdling in the wings for awhile now. I’m just catching up, although he had a #1 single here a couple of years ago---promoted, if memory serves, by T.K. Soul. "Jeans & Boots" resonates long after listening.

Listen to Country Boy singing “Jeans And Boots” on YouTube.

6. “On Ya Feet”----Big Mel

Big Mel is looking like the real thing. He understands melody and tempo, has a voice that inspires empathy, and just about everything he puts out is notable. But someone please help me with the lyrics. I keep hearing, over and over, “I’ll pour acid on your feet,” which sounds pretty weird in front of “and have a country time with me”.

Listen to Big Mel singing “On Ya Feet” on YouTube.

7. “Body Roll, Fast Or Slow”----Narvel Echols

A lot of people counted Narvel out in the early days. He just kept coming on, getting better and better, until he became what he is today, an aficionado of original southern soul material and presentation.

Listen to Narvel Echols singing “Body Roll, Fast Or Slow” on YouTube.

8. “In Love With You”-----B.J. Moodswing

If this song by newcomer B.J. Moodswing sounds vaguely familiar, it’s because it’s structured on the chord progressions and tempo of King George’s “Keep On Rollin’,” which becomes obvious (almost an homage) towards the end with the “keep-on-rollin'” guitar licks.

Listen to B.J. Moodswing singing “In Love With You” on YouTube.

9. “No Way”-----Sheba Potts-Wright feat. L.J. Echols

It’s great to have Sheba back and vying for a hit. And bringing in L.J. Echols was an inspired choice.

Listen to Sheba and L.J. singing “No Way” on YouTube.

10. “On The Way”---Big Nick J

Big Nick’s second consecutive Top 10 Singles appearance (after “Do You!” in April).

Listen to Big Nick J singing "On The Way" on YouTube.

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

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Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles For. . .

-------APRIL 2024-------


1. "This Is Texas" ---Ciddy Boi P

Country music influ-
ences continue to waft like fresh breeze through southern soul. Ciddy Boi P, who had a down year in '23 after a resounding debut in '22, recorded "This Is Texas" as a reply to Beyonce's "Texas Hold 'Em," but it's much more than that. The "ying-ying-ying-ying" man's very heart and soul course through this testament with an emotive power that dwarfs his more formulaic southern soul tunes, and at under three minutes you'll want to play it over and over, soaking up the man's inspiring and unbounding love for his life and land.

Listen to Ciddy Boi P. singing "This Is Texas" on YouTube.

2. "It's Over"----King George

Well, it's time to cede the throne to King George. He is the #1 artist in southern soul. Yes, he has only two solo albums to his credit, but if you look at his oeuvre from the standpoint of hit singles, no one else comes close. Whereas most artists have maybe one hit single per album, every track King George records is a hit single---even "It's Over," his own toned-down version of "country"-style southern soul. See Daddy B. Nice's #1: King George: The Greatest Hits.

Listen to King George singing "It's Over" on YouTube.

3. "Keep Pushing"----West Love

I first experienced this tune on YouTube as part of a newly-posted, ten-minute-long, inspirational two-song video entitled "Reach and Keep Pushing" ("Keep Pushing only starting around the seven-minute mark) and was so impressed I resolved to recommend it not only to fans but to West Love for commercial release. Then, while looking for an alternative YouTube link just now for publication, I discovered a "Keep Pushing" video released by one Kelsie West five years before she became famous as West Love---a self-fulfilling classic!

Listen to West Love singing "Keep Pushing" on YouTube.

4. "Puttin' In Work"----Mr. Jimmy

New blood rejuvenating the sound of old-school southern soul. Authoritatively sung, authoritatively produced (Shuga Rai).

Listen to Mr. Jimmy singing "Puttin' In Work" on YouTube.

5. "I Gotta Leave Home"-----Mr. Laidback

More new blood for southern soul. "I Gotta Leave Home" (produced by Tony Tatum) sounds like it was recorded yesterday but actually has been wandering in the musical wilderness since 2022. Mr. Laidback recorded a tune ("She Got Me Trippin'") with Tyree Neal (this month's featured artist) in 2020 and I found a citation for Mr. Laidback in my own Comprehensive Index dating back to 2014.

Listen to Mr. Laidback singing "I Gotta Leave Home" on YouTube.

6. "Swing My Way"----LaMorris Williams

Trivia question. Who is the only current southern soul artist to have recorded a southern soul song with Al Green? That's right, LaMorris Williams. "Swing My Way's" light---but it grows on you. From the Rumors album.

Listen to LaMorris Williams singing "Swing My Way" on YouTube.

7. "Do You!"----Big Nick J

Afficionados will decry the embarrassing appropriation of the opening bars of Marcellus The Singer's "Until We Meet," which just charted #1 three months ago, but after that misstep it's all smooth sailing for this competent young vocalist through some of the sweetest, mid-tempo, southern soul since Terry Wright, Stan Mosley of "Rock Me" and the slow-rolling Love Doctor.

Listen to Big Nick J singing "Do You!" on YouTube.

8. "(He Ain't Gon') Do Right"----Shae Nicole

Rousing debut by a singer who for a finale launches into a verse of electrifying falsetto like an instrumental track.

9. "Goin' Jackie Neal (At The Zydeco)"----Tyree Neal feat. Pokey Bear, C-Loc, Adrian Bagher, Johnny James & Bro Bro)

"Everyone takes an entertaining verse, Pokey giving obeisance to Jackie more vehemently than anyone. Adrian Bagher sings that when he first heard Raful Neal, Tyree's uncle, at ten years old, he knew he wanted to be a blues man." From Daddy B. Nice's new review of Neal's Liquor Talk.

Listen to Tyree Neal et.al. singing "Goin' Jackie Neal" on YouTube.

10. "Ride It"----Mikal feat. Angel Faye Russell

Mikal has an abrasive vocal tone that lends a gritty distinctiveness to the raucous back-and-forth between the couple, but the high point comes when Angel Faye sings "Auntie outside tonight! / I've got all of my bills paid."

Listen to Mikal and Angel Faye Russell singing "Ride It" on YouTube.

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide


Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles For. . .

-------MARCH 2024-------


1. "Red Cup Blues"-----Cecily Wilborn

Mark March 2024 as the month and year when country music invaded and dominated the southern soul top ten singles, and none leaped the genre boundaries with the breathtaking ease of Cecily Wilborn's "Red Cup Blues". The recent winner of the 17th Annual (2023) Southern Soul Award for Best Collaboration ("Southern Man" with West Love), Wilborn is also featured in last month's "News & Notes" "Will Southern Soul Deejays Play Country-Western/Southern Soul?" on Daddy B. Nice's Corner.

Listen to Cecily Wilborn singing "Red Cup Blues" on YouTube.

2. "Back Roads"-----GMB Li Curt feat. ShawtyMac

How close are southern soul and country? Deejays can segue seamlessly from gritty, ultra-bluesy "Mark You Off" by Miron Simpson (2023 Best Southern Soul Debut Nominee and Best Male Vocalist) into GMB Li Curt's pure country music anthem, "Back Roads," and vice versa. Like a tree toppling in the forest, "Back Roads" came and went without notice last year, although 58,000 hardy souls viewed it on YouTube with overwhelmingly enthusiastic comments. And as a southern soul fan, if you're feeling a little ambivalent about enjoying a country song as much as I recounted myself doing in "Will Southern Soul Deejays Play Country-Western/Southern Soul?," remember that southern soul made its post-disco revival in the mid-eighties with Z.Z. Hill's "Down Home Blues," considered "country-bluesy" at the time.

Listen to GMB Li Curt & ShawtyMac singing "Back Roads" on YouTube.

3. "Texas Hold 'Em"-----Beyonce

Well, here's the singer who made all this buzz about country music timely and relevant. Yes, Beyonce might be #1 nationally, but she's #3 on the southern soul charts. And yes, Beyonce has charted here before, with Ronald Isley on "Make Me Say It Again"---September '22 at #2 behind the Tucka/King George remix of "Jukebox Lover". Ever notice how, like in "Make Me Say It Again" and "Texas Hold 'Em," Beyonce likes to play around with her endings---"prettify" them, so to speak---thus the ambient-music coda on "Texas Hold 'Em"?

Listen to Beyonce singing "Texas Hold 'Em" on YouTube.

4. "Come Over Baby"------Lady Redtopp feat. Bri Rocket

At first, not having taken to her slow songs, you might be taken aback. Stick with the unfamiliar, coy and clever vocal delivery and the fresh, pillow-soft instrumental track, however, and you'll be rewarded with a whole new romantic side to this disarmingly original artist. See Lady Redtopp, 17th Annual Southern Soul Awards Triple Winner.

Listen to Lady Redtopp & Bri Rocket singing "Come Over Baby" on YouTube.

5. "Let's Get Drunk"-----L.J. Echols

L.J. rents out O.B. Buchana's most storied title, but once you settle down and get used to that you begin to glean that L.J.'s rediscovering his rhythmic acoustic mojo. I only wish he'd stuck more percussive, "Mad Dog 20-20"-like guitar-picking into the instrumental track.

Listen to L.J. Echols singing "Let's Get Drunk" on YouTube.

6. "Church Girl"-----Tex James feat. Stan Butler

"I can't make this shit up" is the line that'll crack most people up (it did me) while enjoying this off-the-wall, guitar-dominated, hybrid blues.

Listen to Tex James and Stan Butler singing "Church Girl" on YouTube.

7. "You My Man"-----Jay Morris Group

This rare solo effort by K-Monique is a keeper and a harbinger of the exciting possibilities beckoning this extremely talented trio. See Daddy B. Nice's 4-Star CD Review. Also see K-Monique Best Female Vocalist 2021.

Listen to the Jay Morris Group singing "You My Man" on YouTube.

8. "Party Tonight"-----P2K DaDiddy feat. Urban Mystic

Bassists, attention: this is a great bass line! And one of the best collaborations on P2K's new guest-rich album, U-TURN. See Daddy B. Nice's 4-Star CD Review.

9. "Lost And Found (Remix)"-----Volton Wright feat. Sir Charles Jones

(No YouTube at time of publication.)

10. "Going Out"----Curt The Country Man feat. Countryboii Tye

Listen to "Going Out" on YouTube.

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles For. . .

-------FEBRUARY 2024-------


1. "Swing Out"-----West Love

It's not even the best of the "Swing Outs," a storied title going back to Mel Waiters' "Swing Out Song," but it's an immediate winner, the perfect, mid-tempo showcase for the talent, skills and energy that have taken West Love to the top of southern soul diva-dom. See her many upcoming dates as a rare female headliner on the Blues Is Alright Tour. (See Daddy B. Nice's Concert Calendar.)

Listen to West Love singing "Swing Out" on YouTube.

2. "In Front Of Me"-----The Jay Morris Group

Getting back into Jay Morris after King George is a mind-bender. The trio is so verbal---like going down a rabbit warren of conversations. One of my favorite couplets from this fascinating female take-off on "Sho' Wasn't Me" is: "Jay, that's his co-worker. / They have lunch from time to time". Sounds preposterous, doesn't it? And yet it not only works but comes off as daring because it is something a woman in denial would really say.

Listen to the Jay Morris Group singing "In Front Of Me" on YouTube.

3. "You Baby"-----Marcellus The Singer feat. Cecily Wilborn

Another choice track from Marcellus The Singer's upcoming album Calling All Crackbabies. His debut Music Therapy only arrived a few months ago, and his ballad "Until We Meet Again" was last month's #1 single. And when, mid-song, Marcellus passes the mike to 2023 Award winner Cecily Wilborn, "You Baby" soars.

Listen to Marcellus and Cecily singing "You Baby" on YouTube.

4. "Crazy About You"-----Derek The Change Man Smith

You may have seen him appearing on upcoming concert venues. Here's why. The man is a flat-out singer.

Listen to Derek The Change Man Smith singing "Crazy About You" on YouTube.

5. "Put It In Ya Life"-----Lil' Runt feat. Jeter Jones

A little rap. A little zydeco. A heaping tablespoon of Jeter Jones. Blend to a fine puree for the ultimate dancefloor gumbo.

Listen to Lil' Runt and Jeter Jones singing "Put It In Ya Life" on YouTube.

6. "Too Soon"-----Kandy Janai

This is the young artist whose debut Das My Kitty" reaped a half-million YouTube views last year. "Too Soon" is totally different---slow, sad, thoughtful, ironic. The key lyric is "I let him meet my kids." That's a touchstone for just about all of us, whether you're on the female side of it or the male.

Listen to Kandy Janai singing "Too Soon" on YouTube.

7. "Love Bone"-----Donnie Ray

A resource that just keeps giving, Donnie Ray Aldredge has a keen nose for good material.

Listen to Donnie Ray singing "Love Bone" on YouTube.

8. "Yo Truck (Ain't Better Than Mine)"-----Jeter Jones

Full disclosure. I've been driving full-sized trucks my entire adult life. Ergo, I think "Yo Truck" is a real hoot and a great song. A note of caution. Jeter is stretching some boundaries (and good for him) in the upcoming "Big Boss" EP from which "Yo Truck" comes, blending southern soul with hard-hitting rap and hardcore country-western.

Listen to Jeter Jones singing "Yo Truck (Ain't Better Than Mine)" on YouTube.

9. "Let It Be Said"-----J. Lake

"A closed mouth don't get fed." J. Lake crafts a fine tune around a southern soul truism recently revisited by Bridget Shield.

Listen to J. Lake singing "Let It Be Said" on YouTube.

10. "Can I Get A Witness?"-----LaMorris Williams

The "Impala" man returns.

Listen to LaMorris Williams singing "Can I Get A Witness?" on YouTube.

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide

Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles For. . .

-------JANUARY 2024-------


1. "Until We Meet Again"-----Mar-
cellus The Singer

This ballad deserves a place on southern soul's top shelf alongside such slow jams as Sir Charles Jones' "Just Another Love Song" (w/ La Keisha) and Big Robb's "Good Loving Will Make You Cry" (w/ Carl Marshall). Nearly eight minutes long, it sails by, never grows repetitive and has every chance of becoming Marcellus's breakthrough and signature song.

Listen to Marcellus The Singer singing "Until We Meet Again" on You Tube.

2. "Down In The Sippi"----- FaLisa JaNaye

FaLisa JaNaye has been inactive since the mid-teens---a cautionary note for performers who succumb to the cushy comforts of the European circuit. She returns to southern soul with this rousing jam, transformed both physically and vocally with a more robust and down-home style.

Listen to FaLisa JaNaye singing "Down In Sippi" on YouTube.

3. "Busted Cheating At The Holiday Inn"-----Mr. Midnight

This old and well-worn southern soul trope ("cheating at the motel or the inn") actually sounds fresh after the avalanche of "trail ride" and "cowboy/cowgirl" singles of the last couple of years.

Listen to Mr. Midnight singing "Busted Cheating At The Holiday Inn" on YouTube.

4. "I Can't Live Without You"-----Memphis Jackson

Memphis Jackson takes a big step forward with this well-wrought new single.

Listen to Memphis Jackson singing "I Can't Live Without You" on YouTube.

5. "Party"-----Cecily Wilborn

The easy-to-listen-to newcomer who notched the #6 single---"Southern Man"---on Daddy B. Nice's Top 25 Singles of 2023 drops another comely track with an intriguing, country-western flavor.

Listen to Cecily Wilborn singing "Party" on YouTube.

6. "Let's Get Married Today"-----Stan Butler

Despite strides in popularity Stan Butler is still one of the most under-appreciated singer/songwriters in southern soul. His writing alone puts him in the top tier, and his singing exudes confidence and authority. Read more in The New Generation: Southern Soul.

Listen to Stan Butler singing "Let's Get Married Today" on YouTube.

7. "Cut Friend"----Sky Whatley

Another worthy single from the newcomer who recorded his debut single "Bae Changed Me" a little over a year ago.

Listen to Sky Whatley singing "Cut Friend" on YouTube.

8. "Good Tyme"----P2K DaDiddy feat. Frank Johnson

From P2K's just-released album, U-Turn, spawned by his hit single of the same name. Frank Johnson is the King George imitator whose debut "Hate On Me" is trending toward a million YouTube views.

Listen to P2K and Frank Johnson singing "Good Tyme" on YouTube.

9. "Older Woman"----S. Dott

S. Dott continues to come into his own, but he's removed his songs from YouTube in a short-sighted career decision he's bound to regret.

Listen to S. Dott singing "Older Woman" on SoundCloud.

10. "Sooner Or Later"---- Tonio Armani

Tonio Armani came to the attention of southern soul fans on S. Dott's stirring "Cowgirl Trailride" (Daddy B. Nice's #1 Single August 2023). Sadly, Armani & Dott will miss out on estimated 50,000 sets of new ears listening to "Cowgirl Trailride's" #13 ranking on DBN's Top 25 over the next month due to Dott's decision to remove it from YouTube.

Listen to Tonio Armani singing "Sooner Or Later" on YouTube.

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide





under construction January 24 X 2

under construction X 2

Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles For. . .

-------JANUARY 2024-------


1. "Until We Meet Again"-----Mar-
cellus The Singer

This ballad deserves a place on southern soul's top shelf alongside such slow jams as Sir Charles Jones' "Just Another Love Song" (w/ La Keisha) and Big Robb's "Good Loving Will Make You Cry" (w/ Carl Marshall). Nearly eight minutes long, it sails by, never grows repetitive and has every chance of becoming Marcellus's breakthrough and signature song.

Listen to Marcellus The Singer singing "Until We Meet Again" on You Tube.

2. "Down In The Sippi"----- FaLisa JaNaye

FaLisa JaNaye has been inactive since the mid-teens---a cautionary note for performers who succumb to the cushy comforts of the European circuit. She returns to southern soul with this rousing jam, transformed both physically and vocally with a more robust and down-home style.

Listen to FaLisa JaNaye singing "Down In Sippi" on YouTube.

3. "Busted Cheating At The Holiday Inn"-----Mr. Midnight

This old and well-worn southern soul trope ("cheating at the motel or the inn") actually sounds fresh after the avalanche of "trail ride" and "cowboy/cowgirl" singles of the last couple of years.

Listen to Mr. Midnight singing "Busted Cheating At The Holiday Inn" on YouTube.

4. "I Can't Live Without You"-----Memphis Jackson

Memphis Jackson takes a big step forward with this well-wrought new single.

Listen to Memphis Jackson singing "I Can't Live Without You" on YouTube.

5. "Party"-----Cecily Wilborn

The easy-to-listen-to newcomer who notched the #6 single---"Southern Man"---on Daddy B. Nice's Top 25 Singles of 2023 drops another comely track with an intriguing, country-western flavor.

Listen to Cecily Wilborn singing "Party" on YouTube.

6. "Let's Get Married Today"-----Stan Butler

Despite strides in popularity Stan Butler is still one of the most under-appreciated singer/songwriters in southern soul. His writing alone puts him in the top tier, and his singing exudes confidence and authority. Read more in The New Generation: Southern Soul.

Listen to Stan Butler singing "Let's Get Married Today" on YouTube.

7. "Cut Friend"----Sky Whatley

Another worthy single from the newcomer who recorded his debut single "Bae Changed Me" a little over a year ago.

Listen to Sky Whatley singing "Cut Friend" on YouTube.

8. "Good Tyme"----P2K DaDiddy feat. Frank Johnson

From P2K's just-released album, U-Turn, spawned by his hit single of the same name. Frank Johnson is the King George imitator whose debut "Hate On Me" is trending toward a million YouTube views.

Listen to P2K and Frank Johnson singing "Good Tyme" on YouTube.

9. "Older Woman"----S. Dott

S. Dott continues to come into his own, but he's removed his songs from YouTube in a short-sighted career decision he's bound to regret.

Listen to S. Dott singing "Older Woman" on SoundCloud.

10. "Sooner Or Later"---- Tonio Armani

Tonio Armani came to the attention of southern soul fans on S. Dott's stirring "Cowgirl Trailride" (Daddy B. Nice's #1 Single August 2023). Sadly, Armani & Dott will miss out on estimated 50,000 sets of new ears listening to "Cowgirl Trailride's" #13 ranking on DBN's Top 25 over the next month due to Dott's decision to remove it from YouTube.

Listen to Tonio Armani singing "Sooner Or Later" on YouTube.

SouthernSoulRnB.com - Chitlin' Circuit Southern Soul Music Guide











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