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

January 2026

1. "No Rush""----King George

Sorry to fly in the face of public opinion, but I'm so tired of light fare from King George, be it the inanity of "Lil' Weight" or the too-cute, "hating-on-me" whining of "Believe 'Em". And even more than the light lyrical content, I'm talking about the trivial musical content of these recent singles, because light lyrics---fluff---can be transformed by rich musical depth (witness Tonio Armani's "Help Me Find My Drawls"). But from the minute I heard the "teaser" short of "No Rush" I thought, "Now this is what I'm talking about!" King George is getting back to the basics. Man. Woman. Heart. Soul. Desire. And you can hear it in his spectacular vocal. The tone is so pure. Simultaneously horny and reverent, with a dash of King George-style common sense (keeping it real with the opposite sex, you know). This is a great record, a Beatles-esque three minutes of soulful, artistic fare from the still-champion and undisputed master.

2. "The Book Of Love Chapter 2"----Tucka

Everything I said about King George above can be said of Tucka. What a way for these guys to start the new year. Listen to the "Chapter 2" instrumental track and all the wonderful things going on as the melody wends by like a glorious, sun-speckled river. The "will-he-make-the-note?" vocal---vintage Tucka, radiating vulnerability and charm. The rhythm section---delightfully chunky, as the strings move overhead like scudding clouds. Are we not entertained? Are we not reminded? Tucka is HIM.

Listen to Tucka singing "The Book Of Love Chapter 2" on YouTube.

3. "Mobtown Boogie"----Ida Lee

"Anybody wanna boogie with meeeeee?" Welcome the first fresh new talent of 2026, Ida Lee. This is pure, traditional, mid-tempo southern soul, modest, endearing and timeless. Play that bass, fella!

Listen to Ida Lee singing "Mobtown Boogie" on YouTube.

4. "Being Slept On"----Unkle Phunk

I think Unkle Phunk is "being slept on". I was guilty of underestimating him (Earl Williams) at first---possibly over-reacting to his moniker and consigning him to the funkster fringes of southern soul. Producing Carolyn Staten's "Nukie Pie" only strengthened that take. But when Unkle Phunk produced and guested on his cousin Stephanie McDee's wildly melodic and avant-garde "Let Me Take You There" my jaw dropped to the floor. I haven't got all the lyrics to "Being Slept On" figured out, but I've got the gist of it, and I'm sure enamored with the sound.

Listen to Unkle Phunk singing "Being Slept On" on YouTube.

5. "Still Got It"-----Lina

Lina (aka Shelina Wade) is back! Or almost...No YouTube. She recorded the ecstatic, quasi-acapella-and-bass triumph, "My Man (I Won't Let My Baby Down)" a decade and a half ago. She shoplifts the guitar lick from King George's "Keep On Rolling" for her new single "Still Got It" but that's soon forgotten. The bigger problem now is visibility, with so many new "Lina's" clogging the Google search engines you can't find her.

6. "Thick In All The Right Places"-----Maurice337 feat. J. Neaux

This one's from Opelousas, Louisiana, one of the funkiest little enclaves in the Deep South. Button accordionist J. Neaux teams up with singer Maurice337 for a southern soul/zydeco hybrid club blast second to none.

Listen to Maurice337 singing "Thick In All The Right Places" on YouTube.

7. "Chocolate Love"-----Stevie J. Bluez

"Chocolate Love" reminds me of Stevie J's (Stephen Johnson's) signature song, another soft-as-down record that initially made Stevie's name in southern soul, "Because Of Me". This delicate style is Stevie J's trademark and "Chocolate Love" fills it like a pair of comfortable old shoes.

Listen to Steve J singing "Chocolate Love" on YouTube.

8. "Trailride"-----Tonio Armani

Tonio borrows some of those heavy percussive effects ("Keep On Steppin'" anyone?) from his young colleague Mike Clark Jr. for this bonfire-lit rave down in the boondocks.

Listen to Tonio Armani singing "Trailride" on YouTube.

9. "In The Truck"----Avail Hollywood

Leave it to Avail Hollywood to best me in every way, dissing my most prized possession, a murdered all-black 1500 Dodge Ram with tires too big to make tight turns, with his new 3500 black Dodge Ram (who can afford that?) to while away the hours when he's not in the gym lifting weights so heavy they'd crush my skinny-armed ass. Plus...making it in the truck! Some people have all the fun.

Listen to Avail Hollywood singing "In The Truck" on YouTube.

10. "Cups In The Air"-----Mike Clark Jr.

He's a hit-making machine. Mike Clark Jr., always cutting-edge, drapes this ode to imbibing in an HBCU marching-band production full of big drums and in-your-face brass flourishes.

Listen to Mike Clark Jr. singing "Cups In The Air" on YouTube.