NASHVILLEโMarch 15, 2022โToday, Amazon Music announced For Love & Country, a new Amazon Music Original feature-length documentary that proclaims country music has always been Black music. The genre not only owes part of its origin story to Black musicians, but through its history, prominent Black voices have pushed the genre forward with little recognition or fanfare. Directed by director and photographer Joshua Kissi, For Love & Country examines country music through the personal stories of a new generation of Black artists claiming space in Nashville–helping to transform the genre in the process..
The For Love & Country trailer is out today, and the film will release April 7 in the Amazon Music app and on Prime Video.
“What Iโve come to realize is country music as a genre is just as complex as this country itself,โ said Joshua Kissi. โNow is the moment to stand up for the voices that have always mattered throughout time, especially the musicians who didnโt get the credit when it was due.โ
โIโve always believed in the old saying, โif you can see it, you can be it,โโ said Mickey Guyton. โHowever, itโs no secret there has been a lack of representation of Black artists in mainstream country music for years. Thatโs why I hope little Black girls growing up now can see us, artists like Brittney, Reyna, Amythyst, Allison, Valerie, Frankie and me, and know they have a place here in country music. We all do.โ
For Love & Country is an exploration of the space between myth and reality of a genre, an industry, and a city. A new crop of Black artists are seeking to change countryโs long-held identity as music by-and-for white audiences. As seen in the trailer out today, For Love & Country features interviews and performances from current Best New Artist Grammy-nominee Jimmie Allen, Grammy-nominated Blanco Brown, Breakthrough Artist for Amazon Music BRELAND, award-winning songwriter and 2021 Amazon Music Artist to Watch Shy Carter, Grammy-nominee Mickey Guyton, Grammy-nominee Valerie June, Grammy-nominee Amythyst Kiah, 2022 Artists to Watch for Amazon Music, Willie Jones and Reyna Roberts, Grammy-nominee Allison Russell, rising star Brittney Spencer, and pianist and singer-songwriter Frankie Staton. Local Nashville residents will also be featured, including journalist and New York Times bestselling author Andrea Williams, Davidson County criminal court clerk and former vice mayor Howard Gentry, academic and author Amanda Marie Martรญnez, and rapper Mike Floss.
“This film is our collective story, in our own words,โ said Brittney Spencer. โWeโre all carving our own unique paths. Weโve all got our own dreams and challenges, and our own ways of navigating them. I hope when people see this film, they better understand the conversation of race in country music. I hope it humanizes the discussed issues and puts a crowd of Black, beautiful faces to a topic the public has heavily engaged & debated, particularly over the last two years. Iโm happy to be a part and share my story.”
โIn telling this story, it was imperative for us to amplify the personal narratives of these wonderfully diverse country artists, because in them lie the stories of Black contributions to the genre,โ said Raymond Roker, global head of editorial for Amazon Music. โThese are also very universal stories of acceptance, being welcomed into spaces we choose to occupy despite how open the door is to us, and how stories and history can become marginalized over time. The title of the film is also a reminder that these artists have all come from a place of love, adoration, and even reverence for country musicโs past, its heroes, and contributors across the spectrum.โ
In tandem with the trailer, Amazon Music has released โBlack Myself,โ an Amazon Original acoustic version of breakout star Amythyst Kiahโs incredible song, recorded during the filming process only for Amazon Music listeners. Listen to โBlack Myselfโ here. Additional Amazon Original songs by artists featured in the film will roll out over the coming weeks, prior to For Love & Country releasing on April 7 in the Amazon Music app and on Prime Video. For Love & Country was directed by Joshua Kissi and produced by DPM Projects and Pizza Night.