Mickey Guyton, Amythyst Kiah, and Breland are among the artists who appear in For Love & Country, an Amazon Music Original documentary that will explore the Black roots and evolution of country music. The film, directed by Joshua Kissi, premieres April 7 and will be available for streaming on Amazon Music and Prime Video.
In the 90-second trailer, a variety of artists representing a multitude of different sounds make appearances. It’s a range that encompasses Reyna Roberts, Allison Russell, and Jimmie Allen along with Guyton, Kiah, and Breakthrough Artist for Amazon Music Breland. While Kiah performs an acoustic version of her song “Black Myself,” the clip plays sound bites from the artists in which they talk about being in a predominantly white space like country music to try to reclaim some of it for themselves.
“We deserve to be here. Our dreams are valid,” Guyton says.
“I just knew there was a lane open,” Breland adds. “And if the lane is open for one, it’s open for everybody.”
Additional artists featured in the documentary include Valerie June, Shy Carter, Brittney Spencer, Willie Jones, Blanco Brown, and former Black Country Music Association leader Frankie Staton.
“In 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,” said Raymond Roker, global head of editorial for Amazon Music, in a release. “These 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.”
Along with the trailer, Amazon Music is featuring an acoustic version of Kiah’s “Black Myself” that was recorded during filming. Additional Amazon Original music from the film will be available in the coming weeks.