Blood Orange

Raised in London by Guyanese and Sierra Leonean immigrant parents, Dev Hynes has come a long way since his early days of making abrasive indie rock, with a dramatic musical shift in 2011 announced by the release of Coastal Grooves, the first of his five acclaimed solo albums under the moniker Blood Orange.

The 2016 album Freetown Sound saw Hynes defined as one of the foremost musical voices around, picking up comparisons to Kendrick Lamar and D’Angelo for his searing and soothing personal documentation of life as a Black man, after relocating to New York City. That momentum continued with Negro Swan and Angel’s Pulse, released to equally rapturous responses, exploring elements of depression and Black identity.

Constantly in demand for his production work, a hectic schedule has seen him collaborate with Solange Knowles, FKA twigs, A$AP Rocky, Puff Daddy, Mariah Carey and Philip Glass, while directing music videos and composing the scores for the films Palo Alto and most recently Queen & Slim.

There are few performers who can so disarmingly sketch out such beautifully contrasting musical textures and moods. Don’t miss the ambitious, restless and progressive sounds of Blood Orange.