Above-Average White Band

Damn you, Justin Timberlake. You kind of ruined it for white people. “It” meaning the white-boy soul image.

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• Justin Timberlake
• Super Bowl XXXVIII
• Jennifer Hudson
• Arts, Entertainment, and Media
• Soul Music

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Though Timberlake’s dance-pop music is much different than blue-eyed soul, too many folks associate his solo albums on Jive and the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime-show nekkidness with soul crooners with a pasty complexion.

However, there seems to be a revolution of sorts going on in the contemporary soul world, thanks to folks like Robin Thicke. The R&B singer isn't just riding on his daddy's (Growing Pains’ Alan Thicke) reputation; dude has serious white-boy soul, à la Bobby Caldwell and Remy Shand. The 32-year old Grammy winner did learn some songwriting chops from his daddy, who penned the theme songs for The Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes, but Robin’s music listens like an authentic brew of soul that recalls the suave stylings of Average White Band and contemporary heavyweights like Jon B.

Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson shares the bill.