This month, we admire the work of the famous and up-and-coming Black music artists. The influence of Black artists and culture on American music is as old as the country itself and carries on to this day. Whether they are leaving a legacy or are currently carving their path to success, these Black artists are continuing to change the game:
“Hurry Up Tomorrow” – The Weeknd
The R&B and pop artist Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, more widely-known as The Weeknd, released his new album “Hurry Up Tomorrow” this month, and most of the songs aren’t worth skipping. The album is the last of a trilogy following “Dawn FM” (2022) and “After Hours” (2020), both albums being immensely successful, with 16.5 billion streams combined.
In “Hurry Up Tomorrow” there are two or more songs in every genre The Weekend is known for. The album begins with an electronic-style song, “Wake Me Up,” followed by the Brazilian phonk “Sao Paulo,” which I was surprised by and unexpectedly enjoyed. Then, the song “Baptized In Fear” shifts listeners to a slightly more R&B style, followed by slower songs. In the song “I Can’t Wait To Get There,” The Weeknd raps over a catchy pop track that continues to appear towards the album’s end with similar songs like “Give Me Mercy” and “Drive.” The final and title track, “Hurry Up Tomorrow,” ties the album together and is truly magical. It makes me sad to think about how this is The Weeknd’s last album. To me, “Hurry Up Tomorrow”sounded like the ending of an era. But The Weeknd would not be The Weeknd if he did not go out with a bang. The album includes some notable guest artists. Travis Scott and Florence + The Machine are featured on the song “Reflections Laughing,” Future on “Enjoy The Show,” Playboi Carti in the popular single “Timeless,” Lana Del Rey in “The Abyss,” and more. My favorite out of them is “Reflections Laughing” because of how well-done the guitar is. The only song I did not find as enjoyable was “Enjoy The Show” featuring Future. It got kind of repetitive and boring. This album excellently brings The Weeknd’s music career to a close, and as we wait patiently for the film “Hurry Up Tomorrow” to go with this album, we can look back and admire the legacy of The Weeknd.
“Alligator Bites Never Heal” – Doechii
Recent Grammy winner for best rap album Doechii describes her life in fame in her mixtape “Alligator Bites Never Heal.” Doechii is the third-ever woman to win the Best Rap Album category at the Grammys, and her acceptance speech inspired Black women everywhere. Doechii has been making music since 2016 but is gaining more popularity recently because of her old-school hip-hop style.
Her album is like a diary. The song “STANKA POOH” opens with its addictive rap flow and the next song “BULLFROG” harbors a bass-heavy beat with rap lyrics that warn people not to mess with her. Possibly the most popular song off of the album, “DENIAL IS A RIVER,” describes Doechii’s life since 2020. The song has around 8.4 million streams in the U.S. alone and has made its way to the Spotify Top 100 chart. This song feels like a storytime session because of Doechii’s ability to capture her unique experiences with her excellent lyricism. The song “PROFIT” is also a result of Doechiis skilled writing. In it, she talks about the music industry and her attraction to the money she gets from being in it – something many musical artists can relate to. The last song, also the title track of the album, “ALLIGATOR BITES NEVER HEAL,” is mainly instrumental and adlibs. However, att the very end, there is a recording of somebody saying, “Everyone can’t go where you’re going” assumingly towards Doechii. This is impactful, since it conveys that Doechii will go onto do even more great things in her future. My personal favorite songs are “NISSAN ALTIMA” because of its catchy beat and the fact that the rapping that wasn’t backed up with the beat, “DENIAL IS A RIVER” because of the amazing storytelling and “BULLFROG” because of its smooth bass line. Overall, this album has no skips and many songs can serve as an anthem for young Black women everywhere.
RAYE
An artist on the rise, British star RAYE has already had some breakout songs this year. As well as singing, she writes songs for other artists, like Beyoncé, Charli XCX, John Legend and Little Mix. RAYE has already been recognized at the 2024 BRIT awards by winning Song of the Year, British R&B Act, Songwriter of the Year, Album of the Year, Best New Artist and Artist of the Year. She was also nominated for three Grammys this year: Best Songwriter Non-Classical, Engineered Album Non-Classical and Best New Artist. Her most successful songs are “Escapism” and “Oscar-Winning Tears” from her album “My 21st Century Blues.” RAYE harnessed her raw talent for a performance of “Oscar Winning Tears” at the Grammys, which has since gone viral on social media. It appears that RAYE will have a very successful future in the industry and I can’t wait to witness it.
The creativity, resilience, and passion of Black music artists has set the stage for countless genres from jazz to soul, from hip-hop to rap. Each performance, lyric and note carries generations of Black artists pouring their soul into their craft. Let us continue to celebrate music by these artists, not just this month, but every day, recognizing that their voices aren’t just part of our history but vital to our future.
