New slate of playlists, podcasts and Amazon Original songs will be released
Amazon Music is honoring Black History Month with a new weekly Twitch series, new playlists, podcasts and Amazon Original songs in February. The new slate of content aims to highlight the lasting and far-reaching impact of black music pioneers and today’s groundbreakers, who defied expectations and racial constructs to create radical and innovative work across every style and era.
“The stories and sounds across America’s black music landscape have contributed heavily to American culture, and directly inform today’s popular music, from hip-hop to dance, pop and more,” says Rochelle Balogun, senior music curator at Amazon Music. “This February, we’re excited to showcase a range of incredible creators for our Amazon Music customers to learn more about the enduring influence of Black music.”
History in the Making is a new weekly Twitch series spotlighting artists and creators like Earthgang and Masego who have redefined the look and feel of black artistry. Beginning February 5th, Amazon Music will host weekly conversations hosted by Wayno, with artists who have redefined black artistry and their supporters who are also making black history of their own. The show will air at each Friday at 5 pm ET/2 pm PT through the end of the month on the Amazon Music Twitch channel.
“Storytelling is one of the most important parts of history, and in this new series with Amazon Music, I will share the backstories behind the success of some of the most influential and important Black artists who have redefined the culture and our history,” said Wayno.
In addition, Amazon Music is rolling out additional Black History Month content throughout the month of February.
Launching on February 4th, Invisible Blackness with Adrian Younge is an Amazon Music-exclusive podcast that documents the development and evolution of racism in America. Hosted by revered producer Adrian Younge, this four-part series analyses the Black consciousness of America with new historical parallels to the future and the past, and is a companion podcast the artist’s new album and short film, The American Negro.
On February 2nd, Amazon Music will debut the season finale of Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums podcast, which explores the legacy of Marvin Gaye’s legendary album, What’s Going On. Named the No. 1 album on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums list, the episode features archival interviews with Marvin Gaye, as well as brand-new interviews with Gaye’s sister Zeola Gaye, soul legends Aaron Neville and Smokey Robinson, and biographer David Ritz. For the episode’s roundtable discussion of the album, Rolling Stone is joined by legendary filmmaker Spike Lee and author/filmmaker Nelson George.
Each week, Amazon Music’s global catalog music brand, [RE]DISCOVER, will unveil a brand new series of playlists highlighting a wide swath of black musicians. Every Tuesday in February, Amazon Music will release a new collection of artist-specific [RE]DISCOVER playlists, as well as genre-based [RE]DUX playlists that will celebrate innovative black artists and their on-going legacies. From jazz and soul, R&B and gospel, to funk, hip-hop and much more, the new playlists will spotlight trailblazing artists including Janet Jackson, Sam Cooke, Mavis Staples, Sly & The Family Stone, and the Fugees, among others.
Debuting on February 5th, Amazon Music will reveal PRSM, a brand-new playlist that will highlight black artists like Thundercat, Sault, and Arlo Parks who are currently bending genres, defying expectations, and making history.
Hitting one year on the service, “The New Black” playlist shines a light on the creativity of a younger generation who also defy musical expectations. Through the playlist, customers are introduced to emerging black talent and creativity, including artists such as Ai Bendr, Bakar and Dua Saleh.
Amazon Music will release two new Amazon Original songs including a cover of Beyoncé’s “If I Were A Boy” from country star Mickey Guyton and a new track from rising hip-hop star Blxst.
