- Words Cal McIntyre
To celebrate the release of his thought-provoking, seminal and emotive new track, 'Fix Me', we get rising R&B superstar rum•gold to curate a playlist of vital Black LGBTQ artists that have inspired him.
Recorded in his Brooklyn apartment, rum•gold’s achingly beautiful and vital new track ‘Fix Me’ is his experience and voice of what is currently happening in the world. Before heading to DC to stay with his Grandparents, the necessary protests that have swept the world sparked rum•gold to put his pen to paper. We don’t want to say too much about rum•gold’s ‘Fix Me’ as the song is powerful and needs to be heard for yourself.
If you’re new to rum•gold, it’s a beautiful introduction to rum•gold as an artist. After all, he has been America’s best-kept secret for a while after rum•gold decided to keep his masterful tracks to himself. With a visionary craft of songwriting, it’s rum•gold’s voice that transcends you into greater heights through his poignant and delicate storytelling. It was only a matter of time before the world caught up to him.
There’s a great depth to any rum•gold track that can only be found after a few listens – inciting solitude and reflection, rum•gold’s latest track is both outward and inward, doubling down on the necessity to have Black LGBTQ voices highlighted.
To celebrate the release of this stunning new track, we got rum•gold to highlight Black LGBTQ artists that have continued to inspire him and it’s the perfect playlist to start your Friday after diving into rum•gold’s latest track below.
"Moment" by Victoria Monet
"I’ve known about Victoria Monet and her writing for some time now. She definitely knows how to push her pen. However, Ive only recently discovered her own music, and her vocals and performance abilities are just as strong as her songwriting. An all around dope artist and “Moment” is no exception. A lusty R&B slow jam that makes even me feel a lil sexy (lol)."
"Sunshine" by Merlot
"I adore Merlot. The name is great and stands on its own but once you listen to their voice you’ll really understand how perfect it is. Their take on music is incredibly fresh but also feels nostalgic. “Sunrise” is a sexy track with an infectious chorus. Merlot is one of a kind so I urge everyone to go check them out. Make sure to check out their new single “The Fall” on June 26th as well!"
"Can We Talk" by Tevin Campbell
"An R&B Classic. No matter your age, when that chorus hits, if you are an R&B listener, you know to sing along."
"Again? Again." by Tan Brown
"This artist is very near and dear to my heart. An amazing writer, and a voice that reminds you to relax and take a deep breathe. I hope to hear more from Tan very soon, but until then “Again? Again.” has been on repeat."
"I Ain’t Got Time" by Tyler, The Creator
"Not much needs to be said about Tyler. He’s a genius in his own right. His album “Flower Boy” was one of my favorite rap albums to come out of 2017. When I heard “I Ain’t Got Time” for the first time, I got hype immediately. The production and flow is very reminiscent of Missy."
"BETTY" by Jamila Woods
"Whenever you think of Chicago, there are always a handful of artists that come to mind. For me, Jamila is one of them. An incredible poet, and her latest album “LEGACY, LEGACY” is a prime example of her gifts. Each track highlights a very influential multidisciplinary artist of color. So if you are a person of color looking for music thats centered around our ancestry, our culture, and our art, I highly recommend Jamila. And if you’re just someone wanting to hear some good music with powerful lyrics and unique vocals I highly recommend Jamila. Oh, and it’s pronounced Juh-mee-lah."
"A Comma" by serpentwithfeet
"serpent can do things with their voice most vocalists can only dream of. Their agility, and mastery of their craft is so exciting to listen to. To me, as a vocalist, listening to serpentwithfeet feels more like a lesson rather than just a beautiful song. But it’s surely both which makes it that much more incredible. A Comma is 1/3 of his latest EP “Apparition”, and is a standout track for me."
"You're The One" by Kaytranada (feat. Syd)
"If you’ve ever used SoundCloud you surely know who kaytranada is, and you know that his Teedra Moses - “Be Your Girl” remix is just as much of a classic as the original at this point. Kaytranada has solidified himself as one of the best musicians/producers/ beat makers in music, and his album 99.9% is one of my favorite albums ever. This track with Syd is dope in every way."
"Lucky" by Choker
"I don’t know much about Choker, but I know when I heard this song i knew it was special. I was initially thrown off by the name, but after listening I really enjoyed the contrast of having such an aggressive name paired with beautiful falsettos and acoustic guitars. “Lucky” is a feel good track that should be on everyone’s summer playlists."
"Stay High" by Brittany Howard
"Folk and Soul music reaches a part of me that no other genres can quite touch. It’s where my love for singing was born. Brittany Howard’s voice has seen some thangs. They have a voice that makes you face the feelings you’ve unknowingly been avoiding. So go ahead and feed your soul with “Stay High”."