Neo Slow Jams

If you're in the mood for some satin-sheets slow jams with a neo-soul slant, hit the pause button on your world and make it wait till you're done drinking in our Neo Slow Jams Essentials. And there's no better place to begin than with the leading ladies of neo-soul, who set your insides on simmer; consider piano princess Alicia Keys, whose sugar-sweet tones deliver the here-and-now plea "Like You'll Never See Me Again." Then prepare for Keys' soul sisters Erykah Badu and Macy Gray, as they bring a jazzy hint of Billie Holiday to the inward-looking lush lives of "Me" and "Finally Made Me Happy," respectively. The boys are on board, too, so coast along with D'Angelo's top-down-cool overhaul of Smokey's classic "Cruisin'."

Set a course for straight-up sexy in Next Steps.

Sultry siren Sade was neo-soul before the term even existed, her super-sleek '80s smash "Smooth Operator" connecting to a love line that R&B singers have had on speed-dial ever since. Who's calling? The most suave, sophisticated gentlemen in soul: Eric Benet's breathless murmur puts it right on the line with "I Wanna Be Loved," while Maxwell takes a proactive approach to his late-night business with the sweat-soaked serenade "…Til The Cops Come Knockin'." And these days, blue-eyed soul is steamier than ever before, thanks to U.K. divas like Amy Winehouse and Joss Stone, who tear their hearts out with the lover's lament "Love Is a Losing Game" and the now-or-never plea "Tell Me What We're Gonna Do Now," respectively.

Dig into more slow-cooked soul in Deep Cuts.

Some of the most original and flat-out phenomenal talents in soul have been known to kick — no, roll — out the slow jams. Acoustic-guitar-strumming earth mama India.Arie takes hip-hop beats and soul-folk sweetness from the coffeehouse to the bedroom to get in touch with some soft "Brown Skin." Riding a deep groove with her funky bass and smoky vocal, Me'Shell Ndegeocello sends a jazzy, soft-funk message that begs her restless lover to "Stay." Even the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul shows up for some slowhand sensuality, as Mary J. Blige casts an eye back to the old school on a gently bumping revamp of the Chaka Khan sugar shot "Sweet Thing."

Quiet Storm Alert: You're about to experience the kind of thunder you can feel, so ease back, pop open a bottle, and settle into the flow of neo-soul's smoothest — and frequently sweatiest — slow jams. This is the sweet spot where the old school meets the new school, where hot-buttered balladry is a thing of nocturnal wonder, thanks to the sophisticated sounds of seduction of legends-in-the-making, like Alicia Keys, D'Angelo, John Legend, and Jill Scott. From the jazzy smoke rings blown by Ledisi and the RH Factor to the soft flutter of young British ladies Corinne Bailey Rae and Joss Stone's soulful feathers, we've slowed down your day, walked it on into the nights, lit the candles, cued the sounds, and left the rest up to you. (Hey, we know when we're no longer wanted…)