About AfroS Picks
Afros Picks is a curated cultural roundup by Afros in tha City spotlighting the music, artists, and creative moments shaping contemporary culture across the globe.
From emerging voices and underground discoveries to internationally recognized artists, Afros Picks exists as a space for thoughtful cultural observation highlighting the sounds, stories, and creative energy driving music and artistry forward today.
More than recommendations, Afros Picks focuses on evolution, storytelling, experimentation, and creative excellence celebrating artists and projects that leave a lasting impression.
AfroS Picks - JUNE 2026
1. Arlo Parks & Sampha deliver quiet brilliance on “Senses”
There’s something beautifully restrained happening on “Senses,” the newest visual release from Arlo Parks featuring longtime creative inspiration Sampha. Taken from Parks’ critically acclaimed new album Ambiguous Desire, the track leans into intimacy, emotional tension, and the quiet unraveling that can exist within destructive relationships and all carried through soft textures, minimalist production, and two artists who understand how to make vulnerability feel cinematic rather than performative.
The chemistry between Parks and Sampha feels effortless, allowing the track to breathe naturally while still carrying emotional weight. Parks continues proving why she remains one of the most compelling lyricists of her generation, while Sampha’s unmistakable voice adds warmth, gravity, and calm to the record’s atmosphere.
The release also continues a major creative moment for Parks, whose album Ambiguous Desire has already been praised by Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, The FADER, and The New York Times as some of her strongest and most fully realized work to date.
2. Ibeyi announce new album Offering
French-Cuban twin duo Ibeyi are entering a new creative era with the announcement of their upcoming album Offering, arriving June 26 alongside the release of the project’s lead single “Aset.”
Built around themes of release, surrender, growth, and transformation, Offering feels intentionally untethered from expectation. Where previous projects focused on manifestation and intention, this new body of work moves toward letting go…shedding ego, certainty, and the need for validation in favor of evolution and trust.
The sisters, Lisa-Kaindé Diaz and Naomi Diaz, continue expanding their sound beyond genre constraints, blending heavy bass, sparse vocal intimacy, percussion, and spiritual undertones into something fluid and emotionally immersive. The project also marks their first independent release and signals a creative shift as they work with a wider range of collaborators while stepping back from some of their traditional instrumental roles.
Visually, Offering also reconnects the duo with Cuba, with all accompanying visuals shot in Havana alongside local artists and creatives, grounding the project in the culture and environment that continues shaping their identity and artistry.
More than a decade into their career, Ibeyi continue evolving without losing the emotional and spiritual depth that made their music resonate globally in the first place.
3. Killer Mike joins the Calgary Folk Music Festival lineup
The Calgary Folk Music Festival just got a serious jolt of energy with the addition of Killer Mike to its Sunday mainstage lineup, replacing Psychedelic Furs for the festival’s 47th edition running July 23–26 at Prince’s Island Park.
A Grammy-winning artist, activist, entrepreneur, and one-half of Run the Jewels alongside El-P, Killer Mike has spent decades balancing sharp political commentary with deeply personal storytelling. His 2023 album Michael marked one of his most introspective projects to date, blending gospel, soul, Southern rap traditions, and autobiographical reflection into a layered portrait of Black masculinity, family, survival, and identity.
Known for his commanding stage presence and fearless approach to both music and political discourse, Killer Mike’s addition to the Calgary Folk lineup feels significant not only musically, but culturally. He remains one of the few artists capable of moving seamlessly between activism, mainstream visibility, independent thought, and uncompromising artistry while still making records that hit with force.
For Calgary audiences, this feels less like a replacement announcement and more like a major moment.
4. Polaris Music Prize heads to NXNE for 2026 Long List reveal
Canadian music’s most respected critical music prize is bringing one of its biggest moments directly into festival season.
For the first time ever, the Polaris Music Prize will unveil its 2026 Album Long List as part of NXNE programming, with the official reveal taking place June 11 at NXNE’s Artist House inside Toronto’s Centre for Social Innovation.
The Long List announcement marks the beginning of Polaris season! This is the moment where 40 Canadian musical artists officially enter the conversation for one of the country’s most culturally significant music honours. Unlike traditional award shows driven by commercial performance, Polaris continues centering artistic merit, critical impact, and musical distinction regardless of genre or mainstream popularity.
And honestly, that’s what continues making Polaris important.
For years, the prize has consistently elevated artists pushing Canadian music into more experimental, emotionally intelligent, and globally expansive territory. Past winners including Backxwash, Lido Pimienta, Kaytranada, Cadence Weapon, Debby Friday, Jeremy Dutcher, and Pierre Kwenders reflect a prize that has often recognized cultural shifts before the mainstream fully catches up. Previous long listers have included The OBGMs, Sargeant & Comrade, Super Duty Tough Work and many more.
The move into NXNE also feels symbolic of a larger evolution happening within Canada’s music ecosystem. One where festivals, media, criticism, artist development, and industry conversations are becoming increasingly interconnected.
The 2026 Polaris season will continue throughout the summer leading into the Polaris Concert & Award Ceremony returning to Massey Hall on September 22, with this year’s ceremony once again promising a genre-spanning lineup celebrating the breadth and ambition of contemporary Canadian music.