Artists like Rachel Chinouriri, Infinity Song, and Willow Smith are elevating rock while Jon Batiste, Russell Thomas, and Davóne Tines are changing the classical landscape.
And when it comes to innovating country music, Beyoncé, Shaboozey, and Taylor Adel are each leaving their mark on the genre.
But pop music is an exceptionally creative playground for Black musicians. And Black queer musicians specifically impact the genre in unforgettable ways—as they grab the top spot on the music charts, break industry records, challenge industry norms, and snag numerous accolades along the way.
To highlight the work of these innovative queer music artists, we’ve curated a few of our favorite Black queer pop stars that are changing the pop game forever.
Lil Nas XA post shared by ☆dreamboy. (@lilnasx)Subscribe to Native Son’s newsletter for more news, information, and conversations about Black gay and queer everything.Not many can light up the music charts like Lil Nas X. The Atlanta-raised rapper, singer, and songwriter became an overnight sensation with his debut track “Old Town Road,” which broke records in 2019 for the longest-running No.
1 single on the Billboard 100 and the longest-running No. 1 hip hop single.
The track—which blended country, pop, and—gained worldwide attention. And while many wrote Lil Nas X off as a “one-hit wonder,” he has since silenced those claims with his continued success as a recording artist and social media personality.
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Janelle Monáe
Willow Smith