If you live on the Northeastern Coast, you’ve experienced firsthand how unpredictable a winter storm can be. Although the weatherperson’s forecast tells us what to expect, we’re in awe of the snow flurries dispersing from the clouds. The spectacle—while angelic in nature—forces denizens to keep indoors and stay warm. To accompany your stay, here are five tracks by Black artists to fill the cold silence.
- “Hope” – Arlo Parks
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Anaïs Oluwatoyin Estelle Marinho, professionally known as Arlo Parks, soothes listeners with her single, “Hope,” which comes from her debut album Collapsed In Sunbeams (2021). In her album notes, Parks says this about the song:
“This song is about a friend of mine—but also explores that universal idea of being stuck inside, feeling depressed, isolated and alone, and being ashamed of feeling that way, too. It’s strange how serendipitous a lot of themes have proved as we go through the pandemic. That sense of shame is present in the verses, so I wanted the chorus to be this rallying cry. I imagined a room full of people at a show who maybe had felt alone at some point in their lives singing together as this collective cry so they could look around and realise they’re not alone. I wanted to also have the little spoken-word breakdown, just as a moment to bring me closer to the listener. As if I’m on the other side of a phone call.”
- “Don’t Judge Me” – FKA twigs, Headie One, Fred again..
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FKA twigs teamed up with UK rapper Headie One and producer Fred again.. for “Don’t Judge Me,” a declaration of their personal struggles on love, race, and compassion. This isn’t the trio’s first time working together, as they have collaborated on Headie One and Fred again..’s collaboration album GANG. FKA twigs was featured in an interlude titled, “Judge Me,” making “Don’t Judge Me” serve as the continuation of said track.
On her Instagram, FKA twigs said this about the song:
“so proud to release don’t judge me into the world. this project is very personal and special to me. it was an honour to shoot with kara walkers fountain exploring the interconnection of black history between africa, america and europe. thank you to everyone for making don’t judge me come to life.”
- “Immune” – Jensen McRae
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Jensen McRae joked on Twitter that if Phoebe Bridgers were to drop an album in 2023, the opening track would be a song “about hooking up in the car while waiting in line to get vaccinated at dodger stadium and it’s gonna make me cry,” (I agree!). In a move to preemptively cover that song, McRae birthed the first verse of “Immune.”
McRae said this in the description of the song’s visualizer:
“A couple weeks ago I had this idea about the idea of the vaccination anthem. This pandemic has colored pop culture permanently, whether we like it or not. On the way to us, almost inevitably, are pandemic romcoms and pandemic novels and, in my case, pandemic songs. This song came about partly as a joke, a parody of one of my favorite songwriters of all time, Phoebe Bridgers, who specializes in dark, spare, precise lyrics about Our Unprecedented Times. My prediction about how Bridgers would tackle love in the time of vaccination—and an accompanying clip of the hypothetical song—took off on Twitter, so me and my producer, Rahki, decided to finish the song and turn it into something that sounds like me. It’s about how the emotional stakes of our relationships have been ratcheted up in light of global calamity, about hipsters and science and dogs and love. Enjoy.”
- “Fellowship” – serpentwithfeet
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serpentwithfeet’s latest release, “Fellowship,” comes from his album DEACON, which is set to release on March 26. When I first saw the title of this song, my mind automatically associated it to The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings (2001). While they differ in terms of aesthetic and sound, there is a similar theme that runs through both works: rapport. Produced by serpent, Lil Silva, and Sampha, the track is an ode to friendship.
In a statement shared with NME, serpent said this on the single:
“I dedicate ‘Fellowship’ to anyone who has had a good friend or been a good friend.”
- “Dirty Nikes – Live Version” – Ruth B.
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If nobody got me, I know Ruth B. got me! The “Lost Boy” singer continues to give us soul-touching, chill records, never disappointing us. She recently released the live version of “Dirty Nikes,” a song that showcases her developing lyrical and vocal skills.
Here’s what her management said about Ruth B. and her single:
“[‘Dirty Nikes’] explores the emotional act of letting go of an ex-love—even the minuscule reminders like dirty Nike shoes…Ruth says she selected [the song]…because ‘it does the best job at capturing my evolvement and how I’ve grown.’ Her sound now leans more into R&B and soul—styles of music that Ruth has long loved. Her new music showcases the 25-year-old Canadian/ Ethiopian singer-songwriter as an accomplished pianist and a uniquely gifted storyteller who writes all of her own songs.”
Listening to these songs not only warms the soul, but it fuels the mind to become creative, which is needed during these times of boredom. When the next snowfall approaches, don’t forget to press play and tune out the cold temperature. As you stream these artists, pay attention to their message; don’t hear, but listen. Their stories are their history—a preservation of the Black identity and experience.