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Spotify Amplifies Year-round Celebration of Black History with ‘Phenomenal Black Music’ Campaign

February 19, 2020

Black History is American History. Black History is World History. Black History is Now.

In 2018, Spotify launched Black History Is Now to recognize and celebrate Black creators and culture all year long—not just in February. Over the past two years, the program has seen collaborations with artists Janelle Monáe and Pharrell Williams, as well as distinguished designers Joy Miessi and Brandan “BMike” Odums. In 2020, we’re elevating and evolving Spotify’s mission to focus on the cultural impact that people of color have always played—all through the lens of music.

This year, Black History Is Now presents Phenomenal Black Music—a celebration of the songs and women that have shaped the way music is made, experienced, and replicated across the world. Spotify is inspiring people to discover and celebrate Black music and artists who have defined and continue to define global culture.

Through a series of activations and experiences, we’re looking at Phenomenal Black Music through two lenses: songs that define culture and Black women who have shaped music. As much as there is to applaud regarding the strides Black female artists have made in a traditionally male-dominated industry, there’s still plenty of room for progress.

Here’s how you can celebrate with us this month and all year long:

1. Listen to Spotify’s Black History Is Now hub with curated Phenomenal Black Music playlists. Check out Black History Salute, Black Girl Magic, Black Love Mixtape, and more. 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX4ezQVslkJiT?si=qhb2GZNXRaCL16XoScpG7g

2. Wear merch that brings the feelings of Phenomenal Black Music to life from prominent designers Joe Freshgoods—the fashion designer known for his “Don’t Be Mad” clothing line (whose biggest fans include Malia Obama, Chance the Rapper, and SZA)—and Jamilla Okubo, a mixed-media artist whose work has consistent themes that explore the intricacy of belonging to an American, Kenyan, and Trinidadian identity.

Credit: Mark Clennon

3. At the end of February, the Phenomenal Black Music campaign will culminate in a two-day immersive exhibit-style pop-up in New York City celebrating 32 exceptional songs and women. These artists span genres and generations, from Bob Marley and Mary J. Blige to Lil Nas X and Lizzo. The exhibit will feature a look into the music and musicians, with stories curated by music journalist Jewel Wicker, interactive elements curated by Spotify, surprise merch drops, and performances and panels throughout the weekend. As part of the experience, Spotify partnered with Levi’s® to bring product customization to the two-day event. Guests will have a chance to personalize a Levi’s® Trucker jacket, and all visitors will have access to exclusive patches from Joe Freshgoods and Jamilla Okubo. You can find more details here.

Explore the Black History Is Now hub here, and follow the celebration on @Spotify and @SpotifyNews.

Spotify Celebrates African American Culture with Music Merch Giveaway

February 26, 2019

From the power of Black spirituals and gospels that originated in Africa to the Harlem Cultural Festival of the 1960s, music is a fundamental element of Black history. That’s why this February, as part of our ongoing Black History is Happening Now initiative, we created a line of limited-edition clothing and accessories inspired by contemporary music merch. The collection specifically celebrates the way Black creators have shifted the culture and shaped the music we know and love—and thanks to our giveaway today, you can enter for a chance to wear the pieces proudly.

“We really wanted to tap into the way that we, as Black people, show Black pride,” says Kenia Perez, Associate Creative Director at Spotify. “And one of those ways—throughout history and now in our lives today—is through clothing. As a company rooted in music, merch makes sense for us as a focal point, and this is also a way for people to express their pride. When people wear the merch, we’re taking this conversation out into the world and continuing the dialogue.”

Spotify collaborated with Black music historian and researcher Naima Cochrane and the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture’s Curator of Music and Performing Arts, Dr. Dwandalyn R. Reece, to identify six moments and figures in Black music history. These include the Harlem Cultural Festival, the Chitlin Circuit Black where musicians could play during the Jim Crow era, modern Afro-Latinx rap and hip-hop, and specific artists such as disco queen Sylvester and rock pioneer Rosetta Tharpe. Each of these moments is associated with both a Spotify-curated playlist and a piece of clothing. Fans can use their phones to scan the Spotify code on the merch and get taken straight to the music, available on the Black History is Happening Now Hub through February 28.

“It’s important that music and history are part of a continuum, and that when you look at these stories and moments, we begin to see the connections between our own history and our own music—no matter what generation of music you’re listening to. I want people to see those continuities,” explains Dr. Reece.

To bring every aspect to life, we collaborated with two Black visual artists—Joy Miessi and Brandan “B Mike” Odums—to make the “Wear Black History Collection,” a limited-edition collection that transforms these six cultural moments and figures into wearable art. “I wanted to approach this not just through the rearview mirror, but also to think about how they can inform where we’re going,” says Odums.

On February 23, we held an exhibit showcasing these clothes and bringing each of the six moments to life in New York City. “Wear Black History is our love letter to Black music,” said Shannon Ross, Associate Creative Director at Spotify, at the event. “Black History is Happening Now started last March. Today is a culmination of that year of celebrating Black history.”