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R&B and soul karaoke songs

Soul is where karaoke gets smooth. Here’s where each song sits for your voice, from low, lazy grooves to the big ones that make a room go quiet.

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Tonight only

Tightrope

Janelle Monáe featuring Big Boi

The Magic Mic saysSing this tonight

Bouncy and comfortably in the middle, a funky balancing act.

R&B & SoulStraight off the shelf you asked for.

ListenLyrics

Why it’s yours
  • R&B & Soul. Straight off the shelf you asked for.
  • Somewhere in the middle. (my guess) Sits in the middle, where I guessed you are.
  • A bit of both. (my guess) Sounds good without a prayer before the chorus.
  • Just me. (my guess) One mic, all yours.
  • Anyone. (my guess) Anyone’s songs, so the whole book was open.

Here I only know what you told me tonight. In the app, I remember every night: your list, how each song went, your voice. Get the app

My house pick from the R&B and soul shelf, for a voice in the middle. Turn scripts on and I’ll write one just for you; the rest of the shelf is below.Lit what you came for: “R&B & Soul”. The rest are my guesses.

Let’s tune it

No theory, promise. Just where it feels easy.

Where does your voice sit?

No theory, promise. Just where it feels easy.

Singing R&B & Soul, this page’s shelf

Your voicemy guess
And you’re up there to…my guess

Set the scene

Last round. Anything I should know?

Going upmy guess
Sung bymy guess
Tonight’s occasion
You’re asking for

“R&B and soul songs.”

Tonight only

Starring you

Hold that note…

R&B and soul have a reputation for being only for the big voices, and it isn’t fair. Plenty of the best songs sit low and easy, move at a stroll and sound better the more relaxed you are. Stand by Me even starts with a bass line that counts you in.

The other half is the big stuff: Etta James, Aretha, Chaka Khan. Those are songs to choose on purpose. So everything below is grouped by where it sits, lower, in the middle and higher, and the reason on each one tells you what you’re getting into.

Duets are all over this shelf, so bring a friend. Or let Ask Magic Mic, up top, pick one for you. It’s already on the R&B and soul shelf.

Sits lower

Low and smooth

Cool, slow and unhurried. The groove does the work, and a low voice sounds right at home.

Ask Magic Mic for a lower soul song →

In the middle

Soul down the middle

Motown shout-alongs, slow duets and grooves that sit comfortably. Bring a partner for plenty of these.

Ask Magic Mic for an R&B song in the middle →

Sits higher

The big ones

Songs that soar. Choose one when you mean it, and save it for when the room is warm.

Ask Magic Mic for a higher soul song →

How to pick a soul song for karaoke

Relax into it. Soul rewards a voice that sounds easy. Ain’t No Sunshine and (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay are slow, low and mostly about the mood.

Make it a duet. Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, Where Is the Love and On My Own each give two voices their own part, which is twice the fun and half the pressure.

Know your big one. At Last and A Natural Woman are showpieces. Keep the ones you nail in the KaraokeList app, and the Magic Mic suggests new songs from what you sing well.

R&B and soul karaoke questions

What are the best R&B and soul songs for karaoke?

For a lower voice, Stand by Me, Smooth Operator and Back to Black stay down. In the middle, Celebration and Money (That’s What I Want) sit comfortably. Higher voices can take on At Last or Ain’t Nobody.

What’s an easy soul song to sing at karaoke?

Three Little Birds is unhurried and asks nothing of you, and the chorus of Stand by Me is mostly the title. Both sit low and steady.

What’s a good R&B duet for karaoke?

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough is the shout-together classic. Where Is the Love and Baby, Come to Me are slower and sweeter, with a part for each voice.

Can I sing Motown if I’m not a big singer?

Yes. Plenty of Motown is about the groove and the chorus, not a big finish. Money (That’s What I Want) is all groove and chorus, so it never asks for a big voice.

Know what you’re singing before you’re called.

Keep every karaoke song you nail. Stuck? Tap the Magic Mic for your next one, and it tells you why.

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