Today’s music post is dedicated to all of the brave, brilliant and experimental musicians and artists out there of African American Descent.
The feature artist for this week is Leon Bridges, whom I rather belatedly discovered this year thanks to his collaboration with Khruangbin on Texas Sun and I’ve been besotted with his voice ever since.
His latest single Sweeter (feat Terrace Martin) is a powerful anthem against racism which would bring more than a tear to one’s eyes.
Another powerful song against police brutality and directly in response to the horrific events that led to the death of George Floyd is Dua Saleh’s body cast. I’ve been paying attention to Dua Saleh’s work since last year because of how compelling it is. This is a visceral song that is definitely a must-listen. You can get more info on the backstory of this song here, as well as how to contribute to the work of black protesters by buying the album.
Here’s Conway the Machine’s Front Lines. Conway has postponed the release of his album because of the protests but has shared his pain and anger in this compelling new track.
Here’s also a shout out to Vulture, who have dropped a more complete list of songs protesting systemic racism and police brutality by black musicians and artists.
And here are some slightly more laidback songs.
yaya my favourite by duendita who has an absolutely gorgeous voice. I’m just so awestruck by how liquid smooth it is.
Here’s Wake Up! by Halima, which has a really sweet groove.
And because I am full of rage and sadness at the state of the world, here’s my beloved Nina Simone with Mississipi Goddamn.