ATLANTA — Southern soul is the blues and the rhythm. The country and the western. The Sunday church sermon and the choir. The line dance and the celebration. It’s Otis Redding and Ray Charles. Little Richard and Sam Cooke.

But, for singer Tonio Armani, the musical subgenre boils down to a more literal phrase: “Soul from the southern point of view.”

Over the past year, Southern soul — a mix of blues, country and gospel that originated in the 1960s — has received a giant boost, mainly thanks to the virality of “Boots on the Ground” by South Carolina native 803Fresh. The December 2024 song and its accompanying line dancing routine became a staple everywhere this year, from summer block parties to Beyoncé concerts.

In Georgia, two rising stars are helping to sustain the sound’s popularity:

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