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D. Shawn and Soul Have Got ‘Ya Girl’s Playlist’

Set to release this weekend, 'Ya Girls' Playlist,' is a joint effort from Darius Middleton, known as D. Shawn (right), and Howard Joyner, known as Soul (left).
Courtesy of D. Shawn & Soul
Set to release this weekend, 'Ya Girls' Playlist,' is a joint effort from Darius Middleton, known as D. Shawn (right), and Howard Joyner, known as Soul (left).

Duo D. Shawnand Soul say their debut album takes on a different tone than the “turn up” or party songs that loom large in the rhythm and blues scene. According to the artists, a significant amount of R&B music does not show the true depth of who a woman really is, and their release “Ya Girl’s Playlist” is an effort to counter that one-dimensional narrative.

Guest host Anita Rao talks to Darius Middleton, known as D. Shawn, and Howard Joyner, known as Soul, about their new album and they play live in our studio.

The album tells the story of romance and focuses on songs about love: new love, love lost, and those looking for love. Guest host Anita Rao talks to Darius Middleton, known as D. Shawn, and Howard Joyner, known as Soul, about the new album.

D. Shawn and Soul are opening for comedian HaHa Davis at the Durham Armory on Friday, July 13. They will also be at Beyu Caffe in Durham on Saturday, July 14, to release their new album.

Copyright 2018 North Carolina Public Radio

Amanda Magnus grew up in Maryland and went to high school in Baltimore. She became interested in radio after an elective course in the NYU journalism department. She got her start at Sirius XM Satellite Radio, but she knew public radio was for her when she interned at WNYC. She later moved to Madison, where she worked at Wisconsin Public Radio for six years. In her time there, she helped create an afternoon drive news magazine show, called Central Time. She also produced several series, including one on Native American life in Wisconsin. She spends her free time running, hiking, and roller skating. She also loves scary movies.
Anita Rao is the host and creator of "Embodied," a live, weekly radio show and seasonal podcast about sex, relationships & health. She's also the managing editor of WUNC's on-demand content. She has traveled the country recording interviews for the Peabody Award-winning StoryCorps production department, founded and launched a podcast about millennial feminism in the South, and served as the managing editor and regular host of "The State of Things," North Carolina Public Radio's flagship daily, live talk show. Anita was born in a small coal-mining town in Northeast England but spent most of her life growing up in Iowa and has a fond affection for the Midwest.