In 1976 President Gerald Ford recognized Black History Month for the first time on a federal level, stating the holiday would “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”
Now, 45 years since this initial declaration, Black History Month has been celebrated every February and helped to bring awareness to the issues that Black Americans still face today today, as well as to celebrate the accomplishments and successes of Black Americans each year.
So in order to help ring in Black History Month, we wanted to highlight five of our favorite Black musicians and Black fronted bands who have come across our inbox, playlists, and earbuds over the past year.
You can check out the full list of artists below, as well as a Spotify playlist link at the bottom- which we will add to throughout the month to give some of our favorite rising acts some extra love.
For more information on Black History Month, including the full history, photo galleries, and today’s current status, you can visit History.com.
Meet Me @ The Altar are one of the best rising pop punk acts in the scene today. Signed to Fueled By Ramen in late 2020, the band have most recently released their single “Garden,” which has surpassed half a million streams on Spotify alone. We cannot wait to see what they accomplish in 2021.
Formed in 2014 at Emerson College, Baby Got Back Talk are a punk band that embody what it means to be punk rock. Known for writing about socio political issues and not being afraid to express themselves through hard-hitting, relevant music, the band have just released their debut album Genre Reveal Party this past year and are for sure an artist to watch.
Another rising pop punk act that you do not want to ignore is Maryland based Crosswinds. With only six tracks available on Spotify, but two EPs under their belt, the five piece group are tackling nostalgic punk sounds with a 2020 freshness, writing about real life situations in a way that makes you confront your feelings head on and want to throw yourself into a mosh pit. (As soon as concerts come back, of course.)
You may not know Tayla Parx by name, but you definitely know her lyrics. A Grammy nominated songwriter who has penned some of the most iconic pop songs to date (think “7 Rings,” “thank u, next,” and “High Hopes”) Parx has written three of her own albums, including last year’s Coping Mechanisms. Writing about romance, friendships, and empowerment, the 27-year-old musician is a driving force in the industry who is bound to explode into mainstream success.
If you have ever wondered what your favorite songs would sound like if they were reimagined as a ska anthem, Skatune Network is an artist you must check out. From classic pop punk songs to TV show themes, Skatune’s Jeremy Hunter is constantly at work creating incredible new music that makes you want to scream sing and skank at the same time.
And if ska covers aren’t entirely your vibe, you can also check out Hunter’s band, We Are The Union where they play trombone.
You can listen to all of the above artists now, wherever you stream music, and be sure to check out our ever-growing Black History Month playlist, linked below.
Leave a Reply