View source for Slow jam

{{Short description|Subgenre of R&B and soul music}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Other uses|Slow Jam (disambiguation){{!}}Slow Jam}}

A '''slow jam''' is music with [[rhythm and blues]] and [[soul music|soul]] influences. Slow jams are commonly [[Contemporary R&B|R&B]] [[Sentimental ballad|ballads]] or downtempo songs, and are mostly soft-sounding with heavily emotional or romantic lyrical content. The earliest known use of the term is from a July 1, 1961 article in ''[[The Chicago Defender]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.oed.com/dictionary/slow-jam_n?tl=true |title=Slow jam |website=[[Oxford English Dictionary]] |access-date=January 5, 2025}}</ref> The earliest song to use the term as its title is the 1983 [[Midnight Star (band)|Midnight Star]] recording "Slow Jam" on their album ''[[No Parking on the Dance Floor]]''.

[[Essence (magazine)|''Essence'' magazine]] compiled a list of the "25 Best Slow Jams of All Time", containing songs of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.essence.com/news/25-best-slow-jams-all-time/|title=25 Best Slow Jams of All Time|date=29 October 2020 }}</ref> and ''[[Complex (magazine)|Complex]]'' compiled a list of 100 slow jams in "The Best Songs to Get You in the Mood".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.complex.com/music/slow-jams-that-will-definitely-get-you-in-the-mood/|title=The Best Songs to Get You in the Mood|website=Complex}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.yahoo.com/100-slow-jams-definitely-laid-211024964.html|title=100 Slow Jams That Will Definitely Get You Laid|date=5 August 2015 }}</ref>

==In radio==
In 1983, Kevin "Slow Jammin'" James created the [[radio show]] ''Slow Jam'' on [[WKYS]], named after the Midnight Star song, then later the ''Weekend Slow Jam'' show.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.soultracks.com/kevin_james|title=Kevin "Slow Jammin'" James|website=soultracks.com|date=12 May 2007 }}</ref>

In 1994, [[R Dub!]] created the radio show ''[[Sunday Night Slow Jams]]'' on Power 1490 KJYK in Tucson, AZ.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Story of Sunday Nite Slow Jams|url=https://slowjams.com/theshow/|access-date=4 September 2021|website=slowjams.com|language=en-US}}</ref> Today, ''Sunday Night Slow Jams'' can be heard on over 200 radio stations in 17 countries.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sunday Night Slow Jams Radio Stations|url=https://slowjams.com/reach-us/listen/|website=slowjams.com}}</ref>

In 2024, the mayors of San Diego, California and Tucson, Arizona proclaimed the date of June 21 to be "Slow Jams Day", honoring the debut broadcast of ''Sunday Night Slow Jams'' with R Dub!.<ref>{{Cite web |title=San Diego declares June 21 'Slow Jams Day' |url=https://www.kpbs.org/podcasts/kpbs-midday-edition/30-years-of-slow-jams-honors-r-dub-with-slow-jams-day |access-date=2024-08-19 |website=KPBS Public Media |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Blaser |first=Sierra |date=2024-06-14 |title=Popular radio show started in Tucson returns for 30th anniversary concert |url=https://tucson.com/life-entertainment/local/music/popular-radio-show-started-in-tucson-returns-for-30th-anniversary-concert/article_392b93d8-28e3-11ef-bbff-d757cfb5966a.html |access-date=2024-08-19 |website=Arizona Daily Star |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of soul ballads]]
* [[:Category:Contemporary R&B ballads|List of contemporary R&B ballads]]
* [[Republic of Slowjamastan]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Rhythm and blues}}
{{Pop music}}

[[Category:Song forms]]
[[Category:Ballads| ]]
[[Category:Contemporary R&B ballads| ]]
[[Category:Soul music genres]]
[[Category:Contemporary R&B genres]]


{{Music-genre-stub}}
{{R&Bsoul-stub}}