Celebrating Diversity & Opportunities in Black Music

Whether you're tuning into our award-winning podcast, All Music is Black Music, or shifting through the countless stations on our streaming platforms, it is evident that the Black community’s relationship with music is rich and has far more depth than many people can imagine. 

As a group that spends 23% more time with audio than general audiences, music is the perfect way to connect with the Black community. Over six in 10 of our Black listeners say that musical elements like rhythm, tempo, beats connect them to their culture, and 74% say that the music they listen to helps them to express their culture and identity.

Today, when most brands think about Black music, they immediately associate the community with hip hop and R&B, but Black listeners’ music taste is diverse. They listen to almost 10 genres on average.

For years, many people outside of the culture have tried to put Black people and Black music in a box—and it just can’t be done. For brands, it is essential to understand that the community is not a monolith, and there are endless musical avenues for reaching Black consumers. 

This Black history month, we celebrate the diversity of Black culture and the many different practices, elements, and people that make up our community, and we encourage others to do the same. Here are seven artists and their respective genres showcase the diversity of Black music.

Jazz

Jazz was created in the Black community, but its power took over the mainstream, breaking racial barriers. Overtime, the genre became influential to all music as well as to American culture. And it still inspires listeners and sparks creativity today. 

Samara Joy, a 24-year-old musician from the Bronx, is reclaiming the power of jazz music with the goal of breathing new life into the genre. After releasing her first album in 2021, she’s being compared to the likes of Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone. In 2023, she won the Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards, becoming the first jazz artist to do so in 20 years. Samara embraces the classic sounds of jazz, covering many classic hits, proving the genre’s relevance by performing on stages like the Tonight Show, the Today Show, and more. 

Listen to our Samara Joy :A-Z Playlist on Pandora.

Country

The foundation of many early country hits were inspired by hymns performed by Black ministers and in churches in the South. As the genre has grown in popularity over the years, its relationship to the Black community was often overlooked and forgotten. In addition to mainstream Black artists like Tina Turner, Ray Charles, and, more recently, Beyoncé crossing over, there are many legends in the genre like Darius Rucker and Linda Martell.

The War and Treaty are a husband-and-wife duo from Michigan who are transforming country music with a blend of roots music, bluegrass, folk, gospel, and soul. They began making music together in 2014, with their name symbolizing the inspiration behind their lyrics: “darkness and despair that ultimately finds a higher spiritual purpose.” In recent years, they have gained countless fans and garnered respect for their music with recognition from the Recording Academy, the Country Music Association, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the Grand Ole Opry. 

Hear The War and Treaty discuss their music with SiriusXM’s Willie Jolley.

House

House is the oldest genre of electronic music, born in the late 70s and early 80s in the Midwest. As a direct descendant of disco, house is characterized by a consistent tempo and repetitive beat with roots in jazz, funk, and blues that bring everyone to the dance floor. 

Kaytranada is a music producer, singer, rapper, and DJ who rose to fame after releasing a series of house/techno inspired mixtapes and remixes on SoundCloud in the 2010s. His unique and critically acclaimed electronic music blends Afrobeat, hip-hop, funk, soul, and R&B to create what is called R&B house. His songs, like “Be Your Girl,” brought the electronic house sound to the mainstream, creating viral videos and new radio hits. Although his music streams well, he shines the brightest behind the turntables. Kaytranada is best known for his iconic DJ sets and performances.

Listen to Kaytranada on SoundCloud.

Rock

Rock music’s origins are inextricably linked to legendary Black musicians. From the earliest rock greats like Chuck Berry and Jimi Hendrix to more modern voices like Lenny Kravitz and Alabama Shakes, Black musicians and their listeners are instrumental to the evolution of the genre. In recent years, the Black community has reclaimed rock culture, establishing festivals like Afro-Punk and fearlessly embracing and reimagining the sounds of the genre. 

WILLOW is more than Will and Jada Pinkett Smith’s daughter or even the girl who “Whip[ped Her] hair.” At the age of 23, she is pop punk’s princess. In 2021, WILLOW released a melancholy pop-punk album and quickly followed up in 2022 with the release of a full rock-metal project. As media outlets assessed her transition from pop to metal, the Gen Z icon continued to reiterate that she had been inspired by rock her entire life and hopes that people will stop gatekeeping the genre from those of other cultures. She continues to explore the genre, collaborating with artists like Avril Lavigne and Travis Barker. 

Watch WILLOW make her “mixtape” with SiriusXM.

Alternative

Alternative music can take many forms, but Black artists like Fishbone and Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine have always been active participants in alternative music and culture. Alternative and rock music are often confused, but alternative is a subgenre, characterized by its unconventional approach and non-conformity to mainstream sounds. 

Teezo Touchdown is a rapper, singer, songwriter, and producer from Texas who is redefining alternative and indie music. His debut album, How Do You Sleep At Night? combines the classic feel of alternative music with the swag of hip hop and the musicality of R&B. The rapper is not only known for his unique sound, but also for his unique alternative look, sporting nails in his hair at all times. Teezo Touchdown is one of many examples of Black alternative culture and as an icon in alternative music, he’s just getting started.

Listen to Teezo Touchdown on SoundCloud.

International

From Afrobeat’s biggest moments to the rise of regional Mexican music, international music has taken the mainstage in the last few years. Black artists from all over the world are amplifying their voices and their cultures through music, and Black listeners in the US are discovering the diverse sounds of the diaspora. 

Sech is an Afro-Latino singer from Panama whose music fuses dancehall, reggaeton, and R&B. Singing primarily in Spanish, Sech first rose to fame in Panama before going viral and reaching other Spanish-speaking countries like Colombia, Peru, Honduras, and Mexico. He scored his first hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2019 with “Otro Trago.” Since then, he has gained international acclaim, collaborating with the biggest names in Latin music, headlining SiriusXM + Pandora’s very own El Puso Event in 2020 and maintaining a soulful sound in Latin music. 

Listen to Sech Radio on Pandora.

Tyla is one of the newest beloved artists in Black music with an Afro-pop sound taking influences from R&B and Afrobeat. The 22-year-old from Johannesburg, South Africa started her career in 2019, but gained international fame just last year. Her hit single “Water” was released in July of 2023 and went viral on TikTok, capturing the hearts of millions of listeners. After the instant success of this hit, Tyla went on to perform on some of the biggest stages in music, release a hit debut EP, and win her first Grammy award for Best African Music Performance. In 2024, she is one of SiriusXM + Pandora’s Artists to Watch, and she continues to contribute to the rising success of African music. 

Listen to Tyla and more upcoming artists on Pandora’s 2024 Artist to Watch Playlist.

In honor of Black History Month, get acquainted with the diversity of Black music and culture by celebrating upcoming Black artists across all music genres. Request a meeting with the SiriusXM Media Fluency team to learn more about Black music and the diversity of the Black community.

And check out Unpacking Cultural Pride, our data-backed report with insight into reaching and resonating with diverse communities.