Juneteenth 2025: Freedom Songs
Playlist - 16 Songs
Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, commemorates June 19, 1865, the day General Gordon Granger and Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced to slaves in the state that they were free—some two years after Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, the executive order outlawing slavery in the United States. Though Juneteenth has been observed by many Black Americans since 1866, with parades, picnics, and other celebrations, its declaration as a federal holiday in 2021 has highlighted both the continued painful effects of slavery and the irreplaceable contributions of Black Americans and the descendants of slaves.
This year, Apple Music is honoring Juneteenth through the lens of R&B with Freedom Songs 2025, a collection of transcendent cover songs from musicians like October London, Fridayy, Zyah Belle, and more. They’ve chosen selections from R&B all-timers like Mary J. Blige, Marvin Gaye, and Donny Hathaway, celebrating Black joy and resilience while delivering a brand-new soundtrack to one of Black America’s most meaningful holidays. Read the stories behind their selections as we celebrate Juneteenth, R&B, and the invaluable legacy of Black music.
Fridayy, “Charlene”
“The music I make is the type of music that lasts forever,” Fridayy says. “People get married to it, people graduate to it. If you lose somebody you could cope with it and that could be your therapy.”
Zyah Belle, “My Life”
“‘My Life’ is such a powerful song,” Zyah Belle says. “While it speaks to deep struggle, I wanted to highlight the strength and hope that also lives in its message. I did my best to channel the pain in the song into something uplifting.”
Ambré, “Mercy Mercy Me”
“I’ve always loved [Marvin Gaye’s ‘Mercy Mercy Me’],” Ambré says. “It’s a conversational song speaking to the errors of humanity, [and] the timing feels very fitting in relation to the state of the world right now.”
October London, “Someday We Will All Be Free”
“I’ve always believed in honoring the greats that came before us,” October London says. “This song spoke to me, not just sonically, but spiritually. It’s about pushing through pain, holding on to faith, and knowing freedom. It carries a certain timeless soul, and I wanted to breathe my own experience into that.”
Kenyon Dixon, “Optimistic”
“I picked ‘Optimistic’ by Sounds of Blackness because, to me, that record has always represented pure Black joy,” Kenyon Dixon says. “It’s full of hope and never fails to shift my mood when I need a pick-me-up. The message is simple but powerful: Things may not always be perfect, but if you stay hopeful and keep doing the work, they’ll get better.”
AKIA, “I’d Rather Go Blind”
“This song is about Etta James saying how she’d rather be blind than to see her man be with somebody else,” AKIA says. “I totally disagree with that. It’s either me or nobody. I picked [it] because it goes with the storylines of what I sing about in my music.”
EJ Jones, “A Change Is Gonna Come”
“When you been through what I have been through, not many people can relate, but when you put it in song form they feel the emotions,” EJ Jones says. “Sam Cooke is my favorite artist of all time, and I feel like this song tells my own story perfectly. This song is about the struggle for justice and equality, [and] it’s like he wrote it for me before I even existed.”
Featured Artists
Juneteenth 2025: Freedom Songs features Fridayy, Zyah Belle, Ambré and more