Laurneá - Days Of Youth

What this video is

Released in 1997 on Yab Yum/Sony Music Entertainment, 'Days of Youth' arrived at a pivotal moment when neo-soul was crystallizing as a genre distinct from mainstream R&B. The track's co-writing credit with Speech of Arrested Development signals the conscious hip-hop crossover ethos of the era. Laurneá Wilkerson, who had previously sung with both Arrested Development and UK R&B group Loose Ends, brought an…

Why it matters

A notable artifact of the proto-neo-soul moment: 'Days of Youth' bridges the warm communal storytelling of acts like Arrested Development with the smoother R&B production aesthetics emerging from producers such as Raphael Saddiq and Speech. Its UK chart success (#36) reflects the genre's stronger…