To start off Black history month I wanted to spotlight a couple of my favorite indie and alternative pop artists. Throughout the month of February I plan to only discuss Black artists from various genres starting off with the most prominent genre of my teens — indie pop.

Break it off by PinkPanktheress

Starting on Tik Tok and becoming an internet sensation, PinkPantheress has become one of my new favorite artists. This was the first song of hers I heard and I couldn’t get it out of my head. Not only are all of her songs extremely short (which continues the joke of her concerts being a total of 17 minutes), but her whole persona fits the exact definition of indie pop. The voice echos combined with the collection of string instruments in this song creates the perfect song to dance and cry to.

If You Feel Alone At Parties by Blvck Hippie

A recommendation from a friend, this song has already become a consistent regular on my everyday playlists. Categorized as “Sad Boy Indie Rock Band,” Blvck Hippie uses their platform to show black kids they can be weird too. Throwback to 2010’s feel of indie pop, Blvck Hippie displays their music as a connection to past and future with this hit.

AMERICAN GURL by Kilo Kish

I actually found Kilo by accident with my weekly recommendations on spotify but was pleasantly surprised. I feel Kilo expresses her art through more than just good music but put it to a perspective on her personal experiences. Her newest song, “AMERICAN GURL,” is a new raunchy style with more of a techno background than her usual content.

tears in the club (feat. the weeknd) by FKA Twigs

FKA Twigs is exclusive to my crying playlists, and this song is no different. While I find it hard to define FKA Twigs to a specific genre, her music is always appealing to fit in most indie playlists with her illusive voice and personal manner.

T r a n s p a r e n t s o u l  by Willow

I’ve loved Willow since her “I whip my hair” era and continued to listen to her as she grew into her own artist. I personally love her growth into more of a rock sound although I still count her as an india pop singer. This song in specific displays a more grunge version of the previous Willow and while this is a very popular song, I still hold it dear to me.