Transatlantic afro/alt-pop artist, June Freedom, is as uninhibited and genre-bending as his upbringing alludes. Though Boston-born, June spent the majority of his youth living abroad in his family’s native country, the storied Cape Verde Islands. He often describes his time on Fogo as an incomparable coming-of-age
experience, augmented by raw live music, recreational horseback riding, surfing and the vigour that comes from living on a volcanic island. So, while rooted in islandness, it came as no surprise that June matured in the USA as a multicultural and multilingual artist—singing in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Kriolu.
Now based in LA, after several years in New York, June Freedom’s commitment to blending American and Afro-Latin music forms has been publicly supported by leading industry veterans, such as Jerry Wonda, Stacy Barthe and Mally Mall. Multi-platinum singer Akon endorsed June’s first single, “Dor d’um Kriolu”,
which propelled June to catch the eye of global independent distributor, EMPIRE. With this momentum— and his ability to effortlessly melt alt-Pop, Worldbeat, Zouk/Kizomba, R&B and Afrosoul together—June emerged in 2021 as Cape Verde’s leading breakthrough artist of the year. June’s unique fusion of worldly sonics is what led to the chart-topping success of his first full-length album, Anchor Baby. The body of work received critical-acclaim and has been evoked by Cape Verdeans, all across the world, as an undeniable classic-in-the-making. Winning two Cabo Verde Music Awards at the nation’s 11th annual ceremony further exemplified this timeless sentiment.
On the anniversary of his inaugural album, June Freedom released a restructured Anchor Baby (Deluxe), which further expanded on the cross-border modus operandi that the original spearheaded. Globally, June Freedom has garnered over 1.5 million monthly Spotify listeners and 71 million streams across all platforms—a feat that currently marks him as the #1 most listened-to Cape Verdean artist of 2023, surpassing legends such as Cesária Évora and Nelson Freitas. June’s audience is most notably expanding in Europe and the Americas, with notable press outlets such as Rolling Stone US, GQ Middle East, EuroNews and TimeOut Portugal praising the artist’s worldwide promise. Standout track “YSL” continues to be amplified by Spotify’s algorithmic playlists, widely diversifying his fan base across English, Latin and French cultures. June’s global upsurge is also supported by his booking history, with distinguished performances at SXSW, AfriCon LA, Atlantic Music Expo as well as many other festivals and venues around the globe.
Far from being the conclusion of a successful artist launch, June’s recent signing with EMPIRE’s label division marks the beginning of a new chapter for June Freedom internationally. Slated to drop Summer/Fall 2023, June’s sophomore album is projected to establish him as a mainstream name.