5 Artists Dropping Fire This Summer That Your Friends Of Color Mentioned A Couple Years Back When You Weren’t Listening

Fireboy DML

This Nigerian artist, considered by many to be the future of Afrobeats, dropped the surefire party starter Playboy last year, which your friend Karim tried to put on at your “4th of July Beach Boogaloo” rooftop hang last year, and you turned off immediately saying, “What is this shit?” Try spinning ‘Bandana’, ‘Afro Highlife’, or ‘Peru’ at your next lit event, especially as your friends might say ‘Whoa, Ed Sheeran is on the remix??” about that last one. 

Kelela

After a long absence, Kelela returned this year with Raven, an album that sounds just as good on the dancefloor as it does vibing in your room. Of course, you would know that if you had listened to Nikki when she said the exact words, “I’m really liking the singles, I can’t wait for her to drop the album” while you told her about your DSA meeting. 

Sudan Archives

Classically trained as a violinist, Brittany Parks records music that touches on hip-hop, R&B and electronica, and songs like ‘ChevyS10’ and ‘Ciara’ off her recently-released record Natural Brown Prom Queen are sure to get the crowd moving, which should have been clear when Luis dropped it at a party a couple months ago. You were trying to get your selfie stick to work at the time.

Dean Blunt

The mysterious British producer has worked with A$AP Rocky, Skepta, and TYSON, and has been releasing singles like ‘Rinsed’, ‘Pressed’ and ‘Slur’ all year, possibly hinting at a summer LP. He also had a great Sade flip a few years ago that seemed like pleasant background music to you when you were trying to hit on Devon’s friend Kim by saying you had “pretty much given up on coke.”

George Riley

Making upbeat and uplifting music that straddles genres, London-born George Riley has a whole host of tracks that are sure to get things going, from her ANZ collab ‘You Could Be’ and her smooth jam ‘Time.’ This was playing last year when you threw up on Karim’s roof (again). He doesn’t invite you to parties anymore.