Normalita.

In a time when the mainstream often feels more algorithm than emotion, Annie & The Caldwells are ushering in a revival of something timeless: soul. Since the early 2010s, “going viral” has replaced “going deeper.” Teens and young adults have grown up in a landscape where social-media metrics outrank genuine emotional connection.

Performing live at Zebulon in Los Angeles on June 11th—presented by KCRW with special guest Moor Mother and DJ sets by Gabriels and Colored Craig (A Club Called Rhonda)—the West Point, Mississippi-based family band, Annie & The Caldwells, left the audience lifted, hearts open, and spirits stirred. The music industry has cycled through a decade of detachment, irony, and digital dependency. Yet this intergenerational family—rooted in gospel, grit, and generational love—is breathing life back into the very thing we’ve been missing: music with meaning.

Their track “I Made It” was recently remixed by Musclecars, following a dancefloor-ready remix by Studio 54 legend Nicky Siano. But whether it’s remixed for clubs or felt in a church pew, Can’t Lose My (Soul) is music that moves the body and the spirit. The album’s heavy themes—faith, struggle, redemption—are drawn from lived experience, not spectacle. Their story isn’t made in a label boardroom. It was made in small-town living rooms, weekend jam sessions, and the resilient heart of a family led by matriarch Annie Caldwell.

A member of the Staples Jr. Singers and the longtime owner of Caldwell Fashions, Annie formed the band to keep her kids out of trouble—and instead raised a generation of musicians who now have fans in The Avalanches, David Byrne, Cornershop, Gabriels, Hot Chip, J. Rocc, Musclecars, and more. What makes Annie & The Caldwells essential is not just their authenticity, but their timing.

The 2010s brought a wave of cynicism and spiritual detachment to pop culture. In a social-media-obsessed era, belief—in self, in others, in something greater—wasn’t trending. Tyler, The Creator, for example, once embodied the darkness of that era in videos like “Yonkers,” but even he has evolved into a more refined, luxurious version of himself. A decade later, Tyler has swapped shock value for sophistication, proving that artistic evolution is possible—and that audiences will follow authentic growth. Listeners are now craving music with heart, history, and hope. Culture is shifting again. And soul music is leading the return.

Originating in church and shaped by the Civil Rights Movement, soul has always been about more than just sound—it’s a movement. It’s a call to feel, to empathize, to believe in redemption. Annie & The Caldwells are bringing back not just that genre, but that spirit. Their music doesn’t require drugs to induce euphoria, alcohol to get on the dance floor, or heartbreak to feel something—they awaken your soul naturally. Its call-and-response vocals, church-inspired chords, and raw testifying turned nightclubs into sanctuaries and radio singles into social statements.

Fast-forward to 2025, and the world is again wrestling with polarization, burnout, and a post-truth news cycle. Authentic soul offers what algorithms can’t: communal catharsis. Annie & The Caldwells pick up that original torch and carry it straight into the TikTok age—no filters needed. Their live performances are not about spectacle, but connection. There’s no pretense. No smoke and mirrors. Just three generations of family channeling their lived stories into harmonies, rhythms, and truths that are impossible to ignore.

As MOJO wrote after their breakout show at Le Guess Who?: “Their rhythm section (dad and two sons) would give the Family Stone a run for its money; the front line (mum and daughters) have unquenchable sass and spirituality.” Audiences want music that feels like community, not content. Even self-described non-religious listeners crave transcendence—soul delivers it without dogma.

Their sold-out Church of Sound performance in London proved it: soul isn’t dead—it’s just been waiting for the right voices to bring it back. And Annie & The Caldwells are those voices: Annie (The Matriarch), Joe (her guitar-player husband of fifty years); sons Willie Jr. (bass) who drives a forklift and Abel Aquirius (drums) who drives hospital patients; daughter Anjessica (vocals) works in customer care for an insurance company, goddaughter Toni (vocals) is an elementary school teacher, and daughter Deborah (vocals) does hair. 

As they continue their global tour and collect praise from every corner of the cultural map, one thing is clear: soul is not a trend. It’s a truth. And it’s back. Scrolling can numb you; soul re-awakens you. Annie & The Caldwells aren’t just reviving a genre—they’re reviving feeling itself. In an age when authenticity is the rarest currency, their music reminds us that hope, harmony, and heartfelt groove will always be trending—because the human spirit is timeless.

Follow & Connect w/ ANNIE & THE CALDWELLS @
23 Profile | Website | Instagram | YouTube

Can’t Lose My (Soul) is out now, listen to and purchase it here.

TRACKLIST
Wrong
Can’t Lose My Soul
I Made It
Don’t You Hear Me Calling
I’m Going To Rise
Dear Lord

CREDITS
Can’t Lose My (Soul) was produced by Ahmed Gallab, known as the artist Sinkane; the cover art was contributed by Raven Jackson from her Mississippi-based film All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt; and the liner notes were written by Danielle Amir Jackson, formerly of Oxford American.