With this year’s ACL Festival gearing up, a multitude of musicians will flock to Austin ready to give festival attendees an unforgettable show. This year’s festival boasts an extensive lineup full of diverse artists from across the nation. While festival-goers might be familiar with hall-of-fame musicians of color such as SZA, Lil Nas X and Jazmine Sullivan, the Daily Texan compiled a list of other BIPOC artists for attendees to check out in preparation for ACL.

Omar Apollo 

On the heels of his recent Tiny Desk Concert with NPR, Omar Apollo will make his way to Zilker Park, gracing audiences with his signature romantic and passionate vocals. Apollo’s velvety R&B melodies will instantly hypnotize any first time listeners of the brilliant Mexican-American singer-songwriter. As demonstrated in “Evergreen (You Didn’t Deserve Me At All),” Apollo fosters a beautiful discography full of raw, striking and powerful songs about queer love and his own life experiences. The singer also fosters a catalog of Spanish songs and genres, including corridos — a Mexican songwriting style that emphasizes storytelling through ballads — such as “Dos Uno Nueve (219).” With intricate riffs and a silky falsetto, Apollo’s voice delivers nothing short of a mesmerizing, must-see act at ACL.

Arlo Parks

British poet and singer-songwriter Arlo Parks’ celestial vocals, almost reminiscent of Solange, eloquently bridge indie pop, R&B, folk and jazz genres in her critically acclaimed discography.  Her soft and delicate voice cuts deep to any and all listeners as she sings about mental health, healing, addiction, heartbreak, sexuality and more. As a bisexual Black woman, she became a voice for so many people seeking familiarity and representation in her raw and vulnerable music, even being deemed “the voice of generation Z,” which quickly caught on and made waves in R&B circles. For those seeking a mellow concert experience showcasing beautifully delicate vocals and relatable lyrics, Arlo Parks will not disappoint.

Cory Henry

For festival attendees in search of their funk fix at ACL, Cory Henry will make a must-see act. Songs like “Switch” and “The Fool” showcase the rhythmic drum lines, seventies-inspired base lines, dynamic organ melodies and raspy, soulful vocals that culminate in Henry’s signature sound. Henry brings old school funk and blues genres to the catalog of great musicians in this year’s lineup, all the while discussing themes like the Black Lives Matter movement, anti-war, love, heartbreak and his own experiences as a Black man. With gospel, jazz and funk influences at the core of his music, the singer-songwriter, pianist, organist and producer guarantees to give crowds an electric performance.

spill tab

Attendees seeking a well-rounded performance with utterly stunning vocals and unique, thrilling production can turn to French Korean bedroom indie pop artist spill tab. The singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist never fails in delivering ethereal vocals and layered, breathy harmonies with the occasional rock or alt-inspired chorus. In her latest single “Splinter,” spill tab perfectly demonstrates this duality of delicate, lulling verses with bold alt-rock choruses. The indie-pop singer masterfully builds her songs with intentional choices from both vocal and production standpoints, as seen in “Velcro.” While constantly breaking down vocals and building to lush choruses, spill tab creates a cinematic musical experience festival-goers will not want to miss at ACL.