We are proud to celebrate Black creators on Spotify—whether that’s on playlists such as RapCaviar, Feelin Myself, and African Heat, or through podcasts such as Jemele Hill is Unbothered, Dope Labs, and You Heard Me Write. But there’s always more to do when it comes to fostering racial justice and equity and lifting up underserved voices—and Spotify is committed to using our platform to do just that.
So today we’re unveiling Frequency, a global initiative and holistic destination for celebrating Black art, entertainment, creativity, culture, and community both on- and off-platform. Frequency was created in response to a climate in which Black voices in music, fashion, business, and more continue to be left out of the narrative, their contributions left underappreciated and underrepresented.
Frequency adds to our existing work, such as Black History is Happening Now—a dedicated hub and narrative focused on the importance of celebrating Black history and people—and our commitment to further invest in Black creators through a $10M Racial Equity Donations & Giving Program. Now, Frequency marks an extension of Spotify’s ongoing commitment to and investment in Black voices. Through the rollout of new content, cultural partnerships, and an ambassador program, Frequency aims to further connect the Black community to upcoming and established Black creators.
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 NaimaCochrane and the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture’s Curator of Music and Performing Arts, Dr. DwandalynR. 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 RosettaTharpe. 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 ShannonRoss, 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.”
Black History is Happening Now Inspires Black Female Creatives Initiative
Even after Black History Month has passed, the celebration of Black History should not end. That’s why Spotify launched Black History is Happening Now,in partnership with creative collective Saturday Morning, to celebrate and amplify the voices of black artists, creators, and organizations year-round. With the launch of volume two of the platform, Spotify will continue to tell the stories of and raise topics that are important to black artists and creatives through video, podcast, and music curation.
By paying tribute to the black musicians who have paved the way, Spotify will be empowering the artists who will define what’s next. One such musician is GRAMMY-award winning singer, songwriter, and producer Pharrell Williams, who will be the next curator of Black History Is Happening Now.
GRAMMY-nominated singer, songwriter and actress Janelle Monáe officially kicked off Black History Is Happening Now as the first artist to takeover the platform through playlists featuring artists who have influenced her music, artists to watch for, and a short film on what Afrofuturism means to her.
Pharrell Williams’ Black History Is Happening Now hub will feature exclusive original content including videos and curated playlists. Three original videos, Pharrell is Black History,A Very Serious Force and Something Awakening,were directed by Pharrell Williams’s longtime collaborator Paul Hunter, cofounder of PRETTYBIRD. Each will showcase Pharrell Williams’s perspective on black culture, the power of black women, his beliefs on love, politics, the human condition and more. Pharrell Williams explains in A Very Serious Force, “I think that what’s going to save not only this country but save the world are the Gen Z’ers, the Millennials and the women.”
Inspired by Pharrell Williams’s words and following in the footsteps of the Spotify’s Sound Up Bootcamp and Fellowship programs, Spotify is announcing a new initiative to support up-and-coming black female creators. Together with the women of BLK@Spotify, Spotify will be seeking out three black female creatives across film, literature, and visual arts who are breaking new ground. These three women will receive funding to collaborate in creating original content to uplift the message that “black women are a very serious force.” The content will be launched early this fall.
Saturday Morning, an organization that helps to promote peace, generate love, raise awareness of injustice and fights for fairness to create change and understanding between all races, played a major role in co-creating Black History is Happening Now, alongside Spotify’s Employee Resource Group, BLK@. Additionally, Spotify worked closely with Color Of Change, the nation’s largest online racial justice organization, as an advisor.
Black History Is Happening Now will be live in the US, UK, Brazil, Mexico and Canada.
You can access the Black History Is Happening Now hub here or via the browse section on Spotify’s homepage.
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