When Brittney Parks put on the Sudan Archives uniform at the Stones Throw Records showcase at SXSW in 2017, it was mostly a staid performance behind her violin. She was simultaneously channeling Nineties R&B, trip, SWV, and Afrobeat icon Fela Kuti. Things have definitely changed. After her full-on breakout with 2022’s escapist, Afro-electronica Natural Brown Prom Queen, she’s become a fully liberated artist. In 2025’s The BPM, she steps into dance, specifically Chicago house, Detroit techno, and Jersey club. Richmond, VA-based opener Angélica Garcia offers catharsis and bold self-exploration in a Latin-pop-rock-electronic amalgam. – Kahron Spearman