SOUL music is a style of pop music developed by African-Americans combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues.

The term was first used in the 1960s to describe a combination of rhythm and blues, gospel, jazz, and rock music. Characterized by intensity of feeling and earthiness in its earliest stages, soul music was found most commonly in Southern US. But many of the young singers migrated to cities in Northern US and popularized the genre.

Soul is differentiated from rhythm and blues by its use of gospel-music devices, its greater emphasis on vocalists, and its combination of religious and nonreligious themes.

灵魂音乐是流行音乐的一种形式，是由非裔美国人融入教堂音乐和蓝调元素后发展而来的。

在20世纪60年代，这个术语第一次被用来描述结合了蓝调，教堂音乐，爵士乐和摇滚乐元素的音乐。在早期。灵魂音乐的特点是具有朴实强烈的感情色彩，当时它在南美最受人们的欢迎。但是随着许多年轻的歌手移居到北美的城市后，灵魂音乐变得多元化了。

因为使用了教堂音乐的模式，所以灵魂音乐和蓝调是不同的，灵魂音乐更强调歌手的唱功，更偏爱以结合宗教和非宗教的内容为主题。