The Vanguard: 14 Black Queer Hidden Gems Reshaping Pop, R&B, and Club Culture
From Bree Runway and VINCINT to Moore Kismet and Destin Conrad, meet the 14 Black LGBTQ+ artists and hidden gems dominating the future of pop and R&B.
If you’ve already exhausted the mainstream playlists (accept PRISM which we update bi-weekly) and are looking to dig a little deeper, the underground is waiting for you. The true heartbeat of Pride has always been found just slightly off the beaten path, where emerging and independent artists are taking risks, breaking genre boundaries, and building communities from the ground up. House, dance, and R&B music simply wouldn’t exist without the Black, queer pioneers who laid the foundational bricks.
This Pride Month, we are stepping away from the algorithms to pass the aux to the new vanguard. From the sweaty, pulsing beats of the techno bunker to the glittering heights of stadium pop, these artists are taking the torch and running with it. Here are the 14 rising disruptors redefining the sonic landscape.
Reclaiming the Dancefloor
The modern club scene is currently undergoing a massive sonic reclamation, spearheaded by artists demanding space for marginalized bodies to sweat, release, and exist freely. Jamaican-born, Brooklyn-based producer and DJ Tygapaw is at the absolute forefront of this movement. Through their club night and label, “Fake Accent,” they are restoring the Black, queer legacy of techno with a sound that is heavy, unrelenting, and deeply cathartic.
“Tygapaw has been a vital force in creating space for Black queer and trans artists in techno... their productions are a furious, necessary reclamation of the dance floor.” — Mixmag
Sharing that same industrial ethos is LSDXOXO. Originally from Philadelphia and now making massive waves in Berlin, he has been steadily building a cult following by bringing the grit, sweat, and unapologetic queerness back to the underground. His sets are a masterclass in blending heavy club beats with pop-leaning vocal samples.
“Praised for reclaiming Black queer spaces in techno... his music is spiritual and punk at the same time. Contemporary, futuristic and ancient.” — Office Magazine / e-flux
That spiritual energy is equally palpable in the modern ballroom scene, heavily architected by Byrell the Great. Producing the crash-heavy house music that soundtracks vogue battles and raves alike, Byrell honors the roots of club culture while injecting it with a fresh, fiercely protective energy. Across the Atlantic, Kiddy Smile, often referred to as the “French Prince of Vogue,” is doing the same with pure joy. Standing at 6-foot-5 and known for his extravagant fashion, his music is deeply rooted in classic 90s house chords and gospel-inspired vocals.
“The dance floor, in their hands, becomes something more than just a place to party—it becomes a site of reclamation... transforming raves and runway battles into rituals.” — Afropunk (on Byrell the Great)
“The undisputed French prince of vogue crafts glittering, retro-leaning house anthems that center the joyous, defiant resilience of the Black queer ballroom community.” — Gay Times (on Kiddy Smile)
Beyond traditional house and techno, Black queer artists are actively rewriting the rules of global bass, hip-hop, and regional club music. Cakes da Killa has been blurring the lines between rap and electronic dance music for years, and his flowers are long overdue. Spitting razor-sharp, breathless verses over classic four-on-the-floor beats, he creates music specifically designed for the queer club underground.
“Pioneering the intersection of hip-hop and house for queer artists, delivering club records that are unapologetic, high-energy, and fiercely authentic.” — Gay Times
Meanwhile, Jersey Club is having a massive global moment, and UNIIQU3 is the undisputed Queen driving the genre forward. As a DJ, producer, and vocalist, she infuses rapid-fire, hyper-kinetic beats with undeniable pop sensibility, creating tracks that demand movement. In the broader EDM space, Moore Kismet is showing us what the future sounds like. Breaking into the scene as a teenager and already playing massive stages like Lollapalooza and EDC, their production style proves that heavy bass music can possess a beautiful, vulnerable heart.
“The undisputed Queen of Jersey Club is pushing global dance floors into the future, marrying regional club history with undeniable pop brilliance.” — Mixmag
“A prodigious force in electronic music, redefining what it means to be young, Black, and non-binary in the EDM scene with bounds of emotional depth.” — Billboard (on Moore Kismet)
While the dancefloor demands energy, the contemporary R&B landscape is being completely reshaped by a wave of intimate, deeply vulnerable storytelling. Destin Conrad originally got his start as a songwriter for artists like Kehlani, but his transition to a solo artist has been intoxicating. Moving away from traditional genre bravado, his music explores the soft nuances of queer love with a silky vocal tone.
“With his honeyed vocals and deeply personal songwriting, Destin Conrad is reshaping the sound of contemporary R&B for a new generation, proving that softness can be profoundly powerful.” — The FADER
Grammy-winning songwriter and artist Ambré approaches soul from a different angle, creating sonic landscapes that feel like a late-night drive through her native New Orleans. She centers queer romance and female desire with an effortless, trippy swagger that immediately pulls you into her world. On the other end of the spectrum is the theatrical brilliance of Durand Bernarr. Blending church-bred soul with funk-heavy grooves, his vocal gymnastics and razor-sharp humor make his music feel like a warm hug and a runway walk all rolled into one.
“Her atmospheric blend of R&B creates a lush, hypnotic sonic landscape where queer love and longing take unapologetic center stage...” — Nylon (on Ambré)
“He is eccentric, a ball of energy, and living proof of the quote: ‘Be yourself so loudly that those that are supposed to find you will be able to find you.’” — Genius (on Durand Bernarr)
When it comes to mainstream crossover potential, a new class of genre-bending superstars is delivering main-pop-girl energy with a disruptive edge. Bree Runway refuses to be put in a box, seamlessly transitioning from 2000s-inspired R&B to high-octane electronic dance-pop. With co-signs from legends like Missy Elliott and Lady Gaga, she is a visual and sonic powerhouse.
“A genre-bending superstar who is actively rewriting the rules of modern pop and R&B with her fearless, disruptive artistry.” — NME
For immaculate, shimmering stadium hooks, VINCINT is unmatched. Boasting a staggering vocal range, he writes the kind of euphoric, crying-on-the-dancefloor anthems that make you feel invincible the second the chorus hits. Vancouver’s Prado Monroe brings a completely different flavor, blending early 2000s electro-clash with razor-sharp pop sensibilities. As an Afro-Indigenous, queer shape-shifter, she is loud, unapologetic, and fiercely dedicated to taking up space. Rounding out this rebellious class is Dizzy Fae, a wildly unpredictable artist whose hyper-energetic, genre-fluid music bounces between sweet melodies and thumping electronic basslines.
“Creating the undisputed anthems of modern Pride, his music acts as a powerful rallying message for the community...” — EQ Music Blog (on VINCINT)
“The queer, Afro-Indigenous pop artist... is more than just disruption and provocation. ‘I’m the mission... Getting educated, people like me having a real life and a real job, and being respected in the world.’” — RANGE Magazine (on Prado Monroe)
“An undeniably magnetic force in alternative pop and R&B, combining infectious danceability with a boldly queer, unapologetic edge that leaves listeners obsessed.” — Paper Magazine (on Dizzy Fae)
While the mainstream has finally started making space for a few high-profile names, the true future of music is bubbling just beneath the surface. These 14 artists are proving that whether you are looking for catharsis, romance, or pure joy, the underground is overflowing with talent that deserves immediate rotation.