2017 was a great year for R&B Soul music, if you were a fan. Not so much on the mainstream or at radio, which more than ever has treated R&B or adult contemporary as a step child to Hip-Hop and even Pop music. That is unless its created by Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith, artists of the like are still doing 90s Hip-Hop numbers making music that sounds a lot like R&B, but isn’t called R&B. That’s neither here nor there though. I decided to compile my list of the best soul albums of 2017, rounding out the 17 best albums of the year.
Interestingly, neither Ed Sheeran or Sam Smith made the list. Not because I didn’t like their albums, but because they both released underwhelming projects.
There were more than enough quality albums to fill in the gaps though. Relive them here. In no particular order.
Best Soul Albums of 2017
Sza – CTRL
Sza has her mainstream coming out party with this official debut album, CTRL. The songstress, who is signed to TDE, revealed her potential on the mixtape scene years prior. CTRL still surprised many listeners who weren’t yet familiar with her. CTRL is easily one of the best soul albums of 2017.