As a part of Saturday’s Black Power Live virtual music festival, Devonté Hynes—aka Blood Orange—performed a live-streamed rendition of “Jewelry,” a song from his 2018 album Negro Swan. Organized by Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors, the June 27 event raised funds for Crenshaw Dairy Mart, Trap Heals, Transgender Law Center, Sankofa and Black Men Build, and featured performances from artists including Kamasi Washington, Denzel Curry, Doja Cat, Terrace Martin and Twin Shadow.
The livestream marked Hynes’ first musical endeavor since his February track with The Avalanches, “We Will Always Love You,” and his first live appearance since the onset of the coronavirus. Stripping the song down to only electric guitar and vocals, the intimate performance showcased his innate musicality, his enrapturing delivery making you feel as if you’re in the softly-lit room right alongside him. Watch the performance below. Further down, check out Hynes’ 2012 Daytrotter session.
