Soul mates: 25 R&B songs that should be on every wedding playlist

There’s no doubt about it that Stevie Wonder is easily one of the best songwriters in music history. In his 1969 single “My Cherie Amour,” Wonder details the admiration he has for a potential lover. As he sings in the first verse, “My cherie amour, lovely as a summer day / My cherie amour, distant as the Milky Way / My cherie amour, pretty little one that I adore / You're the only girl my heart beats for.”

In 2011, Beyoncé' teamed up with The-Dream and Shea Taylor on her single “Love On Top.” On the track, Beyoncé' gleefully expresses how her lover makes her feel and puts her as a priority in their relationship. As she sings on the hook, “You're the one that gives your all / You're the one that always calls / When I need you, baby, everything stops / Finally, you put my love on top.” 

“Let’s Get Married” is one of the most popular songs by R&B group Jagged Edge. Released as the third single from their sophomore album J.E. Heartbreak, the group uses the track to highlight a couple that’s put in many years in their relationship and it’s time for them to take the next step, and that’s walking down the aisle.

In 2002, Musiq Soulchild released his sophomore album Juslisen which featured his endearing single “Dontchange.” On the track, Soulchild highlights that no matter the ups and downs in his relationship, he’s going to continue to love his partner unconditionally until the end of time. As he sings on the hook, “I was meant for you and you were meant for me, yeah / And I'll make sure that I'll be everything you need, yeah / Girl, the way we are is how it's gonna be / Just as long as your love don't change.”

On Usher’s 2010 single “There Goes My Baby,” the R&B heartthrob is a master at detailing his admiration for his partner. As he sings on the hook, “There goes my baby / There she go, there she go, there she goes now / Ooh, girl, look at you / You don't know how good it feels to call you my girl.”

Sometimes there are singers who come along and fans recognize how much their tones and styles are perfectly yolked for each other. That’s the case for Daniel Caesar and H.E.R. when they teamed up on their 2017 duet “Best Part.” It’s a gorgeous track that highlights the love they have for their partners. As they sing on the hook, “I just wanna see how beautiful you are / You know that I see it, I know you're a star / Where you go, I'll follow, no matter how far / If life is a movie, then you're the best part."

If you need a dance track for the wedding reception, then Next’s 2000 single “Wifey” is the perfect song for a newly married couple to groove to. On the track, the group describes how much they admire their partners and how they see their lives spending a future with them. 

In 2001, Ginuwine released his third album The Life which featured the hit ballad “Differences.” On the track, Ginuwine details how much a special someone has had a great impact on his life. His feelings are evident on the hook as he sings, “My whole life has changed / Since you came in, I knew back then / You were that special one / I'm so in love / So deep in love / You made my life complete.”

Although “So Amazing” is originally a song by Dionne Warwick, Luther Vandross wrote it and then released his own version three years later. On the track, Vandross describes how love has come into his life, made an impact, and changed his outlook on things. As he sings on the bridge, “Truly it's amazing, amazing / Love brought us together, together / I would leave you never, and never / Yes, we've got amazing love.”

In 2019, Snoh Aalegra released her sophomore album Ugh, Those Feels Again, which featured her hit single “Find Someone Like You.” On the track, Aalegra describes the longing and yearning she felt to find the perfect partner, and now that she has him, she wants to make sure it lasts forever. 

On K-Ci and JoJo’s 1998 single “All My Life,” the duo expresses how long they’ve waited to find someone to spend the rest of their lives with that special someone. As they sing on the hook, “And all my life / I prayed for someone like you / And I thank god that I / That I finally found you.”

The vocal styles between Lauryn Hill and D’Angelo are a match made in heaven on their 1998 track “Nothing Even Matters.” On the track, the two describe how other things in life can seem so small, but as long as they have the love of their partners, they don’t have to worry about anything else. 

Jesse Powell is all about pouring his heart and highlighting how his partner makes him feel on his hit song “You.” As he says in the second verse, “Next year let's call this day our anniversary / The day I put my heart in your hand / And said that it was yours to keep / From this moment on say that you'll always be mine.”

When Eric Benet and Tamia teamed up on their 1999 single “Spend My Life With You,” the two had the type of song and synergy that can make anyone want to fall in love. On the track, they detail how they didn’t know that true love would ever come to find them, and now that they have it, they want to spend forever with that partner. As they sing on the hook, “Can I just see you every morning when I open my eyes? / Can I just feel your heart beating beside me every night / Can we just feel this way together 'til the end of all time? / Can I just spend my life with you?”

When it comes to a newlywed couple’s first dance song, then Kenyon Dixon’s “Can I Have This Groove” is a perfect song. On the track, Dixon describes the feelings he has for his partner and how their love first began. His feelings are on display singing, “Ain't it funny how it feels the same? / It never left, it only camе / The butterfliеs still runnin' wild / And time is nowhere to be found.”

Charlie Wilson’s 2008 single “There Goes My Baby” describes the feelings he had when a special someone caught his eye. It’s the type of feeling when you’re so enamored with someone, you’re already thinking about the future. As he sings on the hook, “There goes my baby, there goes my destiny / Onliest one for me, there go my baby / There goes my lady, she gon' be the one / We gon' fall in love, we gonna have some babies.” 

Although Case’s 1999 single “Happily Ever After” tells the story of a man proposing, it’s still one of those songs that could be played at a wedding. On the track, he also details how much he always knew his future wife was the one he was meant to spend his life with. In the music video, Case is seen proposing to his love interest, played by Beyoncé. 

Justin Timberlake and Beyoncé team up on their 2007 single “Until The End Of Time.” Co-produced and co-written by frequent collaborator Timbaland, Timberlake and Beyoncé use the track to describe that no matter how bad things are in the world, all they need is love from their partners. As they sing in the first verse, “There's so much darkness in the world / But I see beauty left in you, girl / And what you give me lets me know that I'll be alright.”

Miguel lets his partner know how much he’ll be a protector, supporter, and lover on his 2012 track “Adorn.” He expresses how he’ll never let harm come in his partner’s way and how much his life would be incomplete without his partner by his side. 

In 1997, Mary J. Blige released her third album Share My World, which featured the hit single “Everything.” With a sample of The Stylistics’ 1971 track “You Are Everything,” Blige uses the track to describe how much a partner truly means to her. As she sings in the second verse, “My darling only you can make my dreams come true / And every night I pray, you'll never go away / I promise I will try until the day I die / To treat you like a king 'cause you are my everything.”

Lil Mo is ready to take her relationship to the next level on her 2003 single “4Ever.” On the track, she describes how she’s ready for life as a wife with her partner, children, and a house to call their own. As she sings on the hook, “Can you live with it, loving me for life / To have and hold forever / Baby ride or die til' death do us part / Let's make it last forever.”

On Amerie’s breakout single “Why Don’t We Fall In Love,” she details her strong feelings for a potential partner and she’s ready for them to know the truth. As she sings in the second verse, “It takes such a load off to let you know That you're the only one, I never want to go / Things I never did, now I want to do / A love I never felt, now I feel for you, why?”

In 1986, Anita Baker released her sophomore album Rapture, which was led by the smooth single “Sweet Love.” On the track, Baker describes the admiration she has for her partner and how much she believes they need to stay together. Baker breaks down her feelings saying, “How sweet this dream, how lovely baby / Stay right here, never fear / I will be all that you need / Never leave 'cause, baby, I believe / In this love, sweet love.”

Faith Evans realizes she’s finally in love like never before in her 1998 single “Love Like This.” Now that she’s experiencing a new kind of love, she never wants to let it go. As she sings in the second verse, “If we can work together / Maybe this could last forever / This is something that I wanna hold on to / So baby, try to understand.”

In 1974, Barry White released his third album Can't Get Enough, which featured the hit single "You’re the First, the Last, My Everything." On the track, White describes how he feels he's found his forever partner.