Black Boy Glow
DROPS Juneteenth: June 19, 2026
A JOYFUL & INTENTIONAL PROJECT ROOTED IN CULTURE, CARE, AND CONNECTION BY PIERCE FREELON
2X GRAMMY nominated artist, author, and Afrofuturist creator Pierce Freelon returns with Black Boy Glow, a vibrant and affirming new children’s album dedicated to uplifting young Black boys and the communities that nurture them. The album arrives on Juneteenth, during Black Music Month, grounding its release in a broader cultural moment of reflection, celebration, and creative legacy.
At a time when conversations around masculinity and male loneliness are shaping the cultural landscape, Black Boy Glow offers something both urgent and expansive: a musical space where they are embraced in their fullness. Through rhythm, storytelling, and joy, the album plants seeds of confidence, connection, and self-worth from an early age.
Across the album, Freelon moves fluidly between celebration, tradition, and personal storytelling. The title track, “Black Boy Glow,” opens the album with a gratitude-filled reflection on the everyday moments that make life whimsical and meaningful and features positive energy influencer Admin Earth. On “Smooth and Silky Durag,” he transforms a daily self-care ritual into a moment of pride alongside Fyütch, while “Whatup Unc” honors the uncles, elders, and mentors who help shape young Black boys through presence and example and features Freelon’s former mentee ‘.zone’. That intergenerational thread continues in “Rite of Passage,” imagining a collective journey into manhood rooted in care and guidance with friends The Okee Dokee Brothers guesting.
Elsewhere, Black Boy Glow uplifts values like integrity on “Word is Bond,” celebrates legacy and aspiration through “HBCU,” that spotlights Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Black excellence with a joyful tribute to “Neil deGrasse Tyson” featuring legendary Nerdcore rapper Mega Ran. The album also explores connection, lineage, and emotional growth from the cultural roots of “Dap” to the messages of self-belief, patience, and personal growth woven throughout “Law of Attraction” and “Whoopty Woo.”
Black Boy Glow is a feel-good family album full of beats, laughter, and love while carrying a deeper intention: affirming the beauty, brilliance, and humanity of Black childhood in all its forms.
About Pierce Freelon
Pierce Freelon is a GRAMMY nominated artist, author, and Afrofuturist creator working at the intersection of children’s media, music, and storytelling. He is the mind behind the acclaimed albums AnceStars and Black to the Future, has written for PBS Kids (Alma’s Way, Work It Out Wombats!), and is the co-creator of Jamming on the Job and the Emmy Award winning Beat Making Lab. He is also the author of two children’s books and co-founder of Coco Fro, a family-focused ice cream brand. A former Durham City Councilman, he lives in North Carolina with his wife and two children.
WEBSITE, INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, YOUTUBE, APPLE MUSIC, SPOTIFY
Black Boy Glow TRACKLISTING
1. Black Boy Glow (feat. Admin Earth)
2. Rite of Passage (feat. The Okee Dokee Brothers)
3. Whatup Unc (feat. .zone)
4. HBCU
5. Neil deGrasse Tyson (feat. Mega Ran)
6. Dap
7. Smooth and Silky Durag (feat. Fyütch)
8. Word is Bond
9. Whoopty Woo
10. Law of Attraction
For more information, contact Stephanie Mayers at Mayers Consulting
(347)735-0736, mayersconsulting@gmail.com
