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Black Pumas is an American psychedelic soul band based in Austin, Texas, led by singer/songwriter Eric Burton and guitarist/producer Adrian Quesada. The group received its first Grammy Award nomination in 2020 for Best New Artist.
History
In 2017, singer and songwriter Eric Burton made his way from California to Texas. Born in the San Fernando Valley, he grew up singing in church and then got heavily involved in musical theater. He started busking at the Santa Monica Pier, where he brought in a few hundred dollars a day and developed his performance skills. Burton traveled through the Western states, studying music at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico, before deciding to settle down and busk in Austin, Texas. Burton had previously been a contestant on the eleventh season of American Idol, being eliminated in the Hollywood rounds.
In the meantime, Grammy Award-winning guitarist and producer Adrian Quesada was looking to collaborate with someone new. Through a mutual friend, Quesada connected with Burton. Quesada felt that Burton’s vocals were a match for the retro-funk- and R&B-flavored tracks Quesada had been working on, and the two joined forces in 2018 as Black Pumas.
Quesada was a member of Latin funk band Grupo Fantasma when it won the Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album for the 2010 album El Existential, and when it was previously nominated for the same award in 2008 for Sonidos Gold.
Working out their material both in the studio and on-stage during a weekly residency at Austin’s C-Boys Heart & Soul Bar, they signed a deal with ATO Records and released a pair of singles, “Black Moon Rising” and “Fire”.
Career
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The duo released their debut album, Black Pumas, on June 21, 2019. They performed at South by Southwest in 2019 and won a Best New Band trophy at the 2019 Austin Music Awards. On November 20, 2019, they were nominated for a Grammy Award for Best New Artist.
The album received acclaim from Rolling Stone, who praised “the tireless, charismatic energy of singer Eric Burton”, and Pitchfork, who wrote “The duo’s flair for drama is so stirring, they can seem acutely cinematic”, as well as NPR, The Fader, The Guardian, Billboard, Essence and Headliner Magazine, among others.
Black Pumas made their network TV debut on CBS This Morning and performed “Colors” on Jimmy Kimmel Live! which proved to be their breakout, along with a taping on season 45 of Austin City Limits. The band’s single “Colors” later reached number one on AAA radio. The single has been streamed over 100 million times across all platforms. Meanwhile, the official live video of “Colors” has been viewed over 253 million times on YouTube.
In 2020, the band performed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and premiered their live cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car”.
The band has sold out multiple tours across North America and Europe. In their hometown of Austin, Texas, Black Pumas became the first band to sell out four consecutive shows at Stubbs, one of the city’s live venues. On May 7, 2020, Mayor Steve Adler proclaimed the date as Black Pumas Day.
On November 24, 2020, “Colors” received Grammy Award nominations for Record of the Year and Best American Roots Performance, while their self-titled album received a nomination for Album of the Year, at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards.
In January 2021, then President-elect Joe Biden invited the Black Pumas to perform during his Celebrating America primetime special during the President’s Inauguration activities. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the band performed virtually.
In September 2021, Black Pumas were awarded Duo/Group of the Year at the 20th Annual Americana Honors & Awards. On November 23, 2021, Black Pumas received two Grammy Award nominations at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards. They were nominated twice in the Rock category. That brought their total Grammy nominations up to six. Their “Know You Better (Live From Capitol Studio A)” performance was nominated for Best Rock Performance, and their album Capitol Cuts (Live from Studio A) was nominated for Best Rock Album.
Members
- Eric Burton – vocals, guitar
- Adrian Quesada – guitar
Backing band
- Angela Miller – backup vocals, tambourine
- Lauren Cervantes – backup vocals
- JaRon Marshall – keyboards
- Brendan Bond – bass
- Stephen Bidwell – drums
Discography
Albums
Studio albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US |
BEL (FL) |
BEL (WA) |
FRA |
GER |
NLD |
SCO |
SPA |
SWI |
UK Sales |
|||
| Black Pumas |
|
86 | 57 | 79 | 112 | 51 | 46 | 45 | 81 | 58 | 45 |
|
| Chronicles of a Diamond |
|
69 | 15 | 19 | 21 | 16 | 20 | 18 | 79 | 19 | 22 | |
Live albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Sales |
SCO |
UK Indie |
||
| Capitol Cuts (Live from Studio A) |
|
86 | 62 | 49 |
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Dig. |
US AAA |
US Adul |
US Rock [37] |
BEL (FL) Ti |
CAN Dig |
CAN Rock |
ICE | NLD Air |
UK Down |
||||
| “Black Moon Rising” | 2018 | — | 31 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Black Pumas | |
| “Colors” | 2019 | 12 | 1 | 37 | 21 | 46 | 25 | 10 | — | 43 | 99 |
|
|
| “OCT 33” | 2020 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| “Fire” | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | 20 | — | — | — | |||
| “I’m Ready” | — | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | 32 | — | — | Black Pumas (Deluxe) | ||
| “Christmas Will Really Be Christmas” | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | ||
| “Strangers” (featuring Lucius) |
2021 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| “More Than a Love Song” | 2023 | — | 1 | — | —[D] | — | — | 10 | — | — | — | Chronicles of a Diamond | |
| “Mrs. Postman” | — | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| “Ice Cream (Pay Phone)” | — | 4 | — | —[E] | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| “—” denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||
Awards and nominations
| Organization | Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grammy Award | 2020 | Best New Artist | Black Pumas | Nominated | |
| 2021 | Record of the Year | “Colors” | Nominated | ||
| American Roots Performance | Nominated | ||||
| Album of the Year | Black Pumas (Deluxe Edition) | Nominated | |||
| 2022 | Best Rock Performance | “Know You Better (Live from Capitol Studio A)” | Nominated | ||
| Best Rock Album | Capitol Cuts – Live from Studio A | Nominated | |||
| 2024 | Best Rock Performance | “More Than a Love Song” | Nominated |
|
Black Pumas
|
|
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Origin | Austin, Texas, U.S. |
| Genres |
|
| Years active | 2017–present |
| Labels | ATO |
| Members |
|
| Website | blackpumas |
Notes
- ^ “OCT 33” did not enter the Flanders Ultratop Top 50, but charted as an extra tip on the Flanders Ultratop Bubbling Under chart.
- ^ “Fire” did not enter the Rock Songs chart, but peaked at number 40 on the Rock & Alternative Airplay chart.
- ^ “Fire” did not enter the Flanders Ultratop Top 50, but charted as an extra tip on the Flanders Ultratop Bubbling Under chart.
- ^ “More Than a Love Song” did not enter the Rock Songs chart, but peaked at number 22 on the Rock & Alternative Airplay chart.
- ^ “Ice Cream (Pay Phone)” did not enter the Rock Songs chart, but peaked at number 30 on the Rock & Alternative Airplay chart.
References
- ^ Carras, Christ (November 20, 2019). “Who are Black Pumas, the Grammys’ most mysterious new artist nominee?”. Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California.
- ^ Rowley, Glenn (November 20, 2019). “Black Pumas: 5 Things to Know About the 2020 Best New Artist Grammy Nominees”. billboard.com. Billboard. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
- ^ Browne, David (2020-01-21). “Black Pumas: Rise of a Psychedelic-Soul Force”. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2020-07-17.
- ^ “Black Pumas: ‘We’re not trying to make a political statement'”. The Independent. 2020-01-23. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
- ^ Taylor, Spencer (January 3, 2020). “Movers & Shakers 2020: Grammy nominee Eric Burton honed his musicianship in Las Cruces”. Las Cruces Sun-News. Las Cruces, New Mexico. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
- ^ https://idolchatteryd.com/meet-hollywood-bound-eric-burton/
- ^ “Black Pumas: Black Pumas”. Pitchfork. Retrieved 2020-07-17.
- ^ “Saturday Sessions: Black Pumas perform “Colors””. Retrieved 2020-02-06 – via YouTube.
- ^ “Black Pumas – Colors”. Retrieved 2020-02-06 – via YouTube.
- ^ “Watch The Raconteurs and Black Pumas on Austin City Limits”. Retrieved 2020-02-06 – via YouTube.
- ^ “Black Pumas Perform ‘Colors'”. Retrieved 2020-02-06 – via YouTube.
- ^ “Black Pumas: Colors”. Retrieved 2020-02-06 – via YouTube.
- ^ “Black Pumas: “Fast Car”. Retrieved 2020-06-16 – via YouTube.
- ^ “Black Pumas’ Unparalleled Four-Show Stubb’s Booking”.
- ^ “Grammy Nominations 2021: See the List”. The New York Times. 2020-11-24. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-11-24.
- ^ “Eclectic mix of Texans featured in Biden’s inauguration events”. The Houston Chronicle. 19 January 2021.
- ^ Leimkuehler, Matthew. “Americana Awards 2021: A list of winners”. The Tennessean. Retrieved 2021-09-23.
- ^ Romero, Leah. “Black Pumas, former NMSU student, gain two more Grammy Award nominations”. Las Cruces Sun-News. Retrieved 2022-04-09.
- ^ “Artist – Black Pumas”. GRAMMY.com.
- ^ “Black Pumas – Chart History: Billboard 200”. Billboard. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
- ^ “Discografie Black Pumas”. ultratop.be (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
- ^ “Discografie Black Pumas”. ultratop.be (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
- ^ “Discographie Black Pumas”. lescharts.com (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
- ^ “Discographie Black Pumas”. GfK Entertainment. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
- ^ “Discografie Black Pumas”. dutchcharts.nl. Black Pumas. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
- ^ “Black Pumas – Official Charts”. Official Charts Company. 30 July 2020. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
- ^ “Discography Black Pumas”. spanishcharts.com. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
- ^ “Black Pumas Hitparade”. Hit Parade. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
- ^ “Black Pumas by Black Pumas on Apple Music”. Amazon.com. 21 June 2019. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
- ^ “American certifications – Black Pumas”. Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- ^ “French certifications – Black Pumas” (in French). Syndicat National de l’Édition Phonographique. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
- ^ “Black Pumas – Chart History: Current Albums”. Billboard. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
- ^ “Black Pumas – Capitol Cuts [Live From Studio A] Album Reviews, Songs & More”. AllMusic. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
- ^ “Black Pumas – Chart History: Digital Song Sales”. Billboard. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
- ^ “Black Pumas – Chart History: Adult Alternative Airplay”. Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
- ^ “Black Pumas – Chart History: Adult Top 40”. Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
- ^ “Black Pumas – Chart History: Hot Rock Songs”. Billboard. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- ^ “Black Pumas – Chart History: Hot Canadian Digital Song Sales”. Billboard. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
- ^ “Black Pumas – Chart History: Canada Rock”. Billboard. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
- ^ “Vinsældalisti Rásar 2 – RÚV”. RÚV (in Icelandic). Archived from the original on October 1, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
- ^ “Nationale Airplay Top 50 13/07/2019”. dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
- ^
- For “Colors”: “Official Singles Downloads Chart Top 100”. Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
- ^ “Fire / Black Moon Rising – Single by Black Pumas on Apple Music”. Apple Music. 24 August 2018. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
- ^ “British certifications – Black Pumas”. British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 7, 2024. Type Black Pumas in the “Search BPI Awards” field and then press Enter.
- ^ “Canadian certifications – Black Pumas”. Music Canada. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
- ^ “OCT 33 – A COLORS SHOW – Single by Black Pumas on Apple Music”. Apple Music. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
- ^ “Fast Car b/w Fire – Single by Black Pumas on Apple Music”. Apple Music. 9 June 2020. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
- ^ “Black Pumas – Chart History: Rock & Alternative Airplay”. Billboard. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
- ^ “I’m Ready (Live) by Black Pumas on Apple Music”. Apple Music. 11 September 2020. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
- ^ “Black Pumas Cover Lou Rawls’ ‘Christmas Will Really Be Christmas'”. JamBase. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
- ^ “Strangers (feat. Lucius) [From “Life In A Day”] – Single by Black Pumas on Apple Music”. Apple Music. 4 February 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
- ^ “Black Pumas unveil the brand new single, “Mrs. Postman””. The Line of Best Fit. September 26, 2023. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
- ^ Harbron, Lucy (October 25, 2023). “Black Pumas share new single ‘Ice Cream (Pay Phone)'”. Far Out Magazine. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
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