Last year, I had the opportunity to introduce to fellow readers a couple of Black artists in the music industry that I deeply enjoy, that you may have not known or heard of before. To carry on this tradition this year, I wanted to continue introducing artists that deserve to be recognized.
Over the past year, music has been an outlet for me, more than I could have imagined. Whenever my favourite artists released a new song, which was a lot more often last year, it would make me happy. In addition, I know that music can be a source of happiness, or a sense of comfort during the hardest days. Throughout the past year, I rarely picked up my guitar or piano to play my songs, and whenever I didn’t feel that sense of creativity, my favourite artists knew exactly how to express the emotions I felt.
However, there are so many small artists I listen to now, some familiar and some that are new, and I didn’t want to keep it my little secret anymore. So, you found out some of the artists I kept a secret last year, are you interested in knowing a couple more?
Here are some amazing small Black artists in the music industry I would love to introduce.
Konyikeh
Konyikeh is a 23-year-old R&B artist, born in London, England, and because of her parents, Konyikeh was introduced to music and the arts at an early age, which broadened her interests and passions. Growing up, she also took vocal lessons, played the trombone in school, and was a part of the National Youth Choir and The National Children’s and Youth Orchestras.
As Konyikeh was introduced to music so young and was heavily involved in different spaces, she expressed her thoughts and emotions by being the only Black kid in her school. In particular, she felt a sense of otherness and displacement. Being in this kind of environment, can be isolating when trying to find your footing. Being at school we experience years of learning and growth, and without that representation, it can affect someone on a deeper level.
“In my year at school I was the only black girl. You just don’t see black people in these spaces at all. It was a very interesting experience to go through.”
Konyikeh
Through her rise to fame journey, in 2022, she was able to join Dave on stage, and the following year, released her debut EP, Liturgy .
I discovered Konyikeh by exploring different playlists on Spotify, and the song Problem with Authority happened to start playing, and I really enjoyed and was moved by this song. I realized I kept on going back to the song ever so often, as it meant more to me over time. I hope you are able to enjoy this song as much as I have.
Flowerovlove
Flowerovlove was born in London, England, and started creating music at just 13 years old, around the same time as her older brother, Wilfrid. Eventually, they created a song together, which was a rap song, which Flowerovlove knew what she wanted to do in the future, with her love for writing.
At the age of just 15, Flowerovlove was balancing modelling and music in one, which led her to drop out of school. Later on, she released her first EP album, “A Mosh Pit In The Clouds”, and signed with Capitol Records when she just turned 18 years old.
I recently discovered Flowerovlove this year, when scrolling to find new songs on YouTube and Spotify. The song, “I’ve seen ur ex” stood out to me, and I decided to give it a chance, and I ended up loving the tune. I have not listened to this song as much as I would like to, but I wish to relive this song over again.
Lagoon Wavey
Lagoon Wavey was born and raised in Barbados and has been writing music ever since he was a little kid. He states that his earliest memory is when he was three years old, blasting a microphone on the street. His main purpose for his music is for enjoyment and to make people smile. But one thing he states influences his music and his sound, is the beach.
Not only has his music been for enjoyment, but it allowed him to get his thoughts and emotions out, kind of like therapy for him.
I have people that I talk to every day who I love very much, but sometimes it just doesn’t get out of the system until I write about it.
Lagoon Wavey
I first discovered Lagoon Wavey, with his song “Occupied” performed on A COLORS SHOW which houses a lot of different performances from artists of all different sounds. If you are interested in soulful music, and calming atmosphere kind of music, I recommend listening to this song:
RIMON
RIMON is a 28-year-old artist, raised in the Netherlands. Her music and sound expands between genres of neo-soul and electro R&B with the occasional hip-hop influence. Her latest releases, from 2023, consisted of the songs, ‘I Choose U’ featuring RINI and ‘Build Me A House’ featuring Tiggs Da Author. Through an interview with RIMON, she expressed how EPs were a way of showcasing her work to the world, saying, “this is the type of music I create.” However, she is now ready to release an official album, which was released in 2024, titled, “Children Of The Night.”
RIMON was also featured on COLOUR, similar to Lagoon Wavey, where she performed her song, Build Me A House, in 2022. I discovered RIMON by scrolling through Spotify and finding new music to listen to. The song, Build Me A House started playing through my headphones, and it offered a sense of calmness listening the whole way through. If you haven’t already heard of this artist, she created such a magical experience with this song and I hope you are able to give it a listen.
Are you going to take a listen?
So, I introduced you to 4 more artists that I believe have something special. The music industry is constantly growing, with more artists making music and more unique sounds. Listening to each of these artists gave me something I had never heard before. However, there are so many more artists that are worth your attention to. Here are some more artists, I believe deserve some love:
Discover RISING stars
Jensen McRae – Praying For Your Downfall
Infinity Song – Lotus
Shae Universe – Passenger Princess (feat. Aqyila)
Leigh-Anne (a member of Little Mix) – Stealin’ Love