Escape Tracks is putting together a sultry virtual concert with YouTube to benefit the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund. The Escape Tracks Virtual R&B Music Festival will include headlining acts from BJ The Chicago Kid, Queen Naija, Luh Kel and Eric Bellinger.
“Since we have the ability to assist, what better way to contribute than the Escape Tracks team and I producing a virtual event to help an organization, like MusiCares, stay heroically on the frontlines of providing much needed financial aid to so many,” Escape Tracks founder Kyle Sassi said to Billboard.
He continued, “With YouTube as our largest platform for Escape Tracks, we’ve partnered with YouTube Music to bring a seamlessly transparent, fundraising event and virtual festival where people can donate to MusiCares with a click of a button while watching live-streamed at-home performances by their favorite R&B artists.”
Naija has risen to stardom from YouTube. In 2016, she and ex-husband Chris Sails launched a YouTube channel to document their lives as young parents. Their videos became very popular and brought in over a million views each. When their marriage fell apart, she released her hit single, “Medicine.” The track debuted at No. 45 on Billboard’s Hot 100.
Following the success of the single, she released her self-titled debut EP in 2018.
“Even when I was really little, I knew that music was what I wanted to do with my life,” Queen Naija said in a press release. “I didn’t know when or how it was going to happen, but I always knew it was my purpose. More than anything I want my music to be heartfelt – true, heartfelt soul and R&B songs that people can relate to their own lives.”
The “Butterflies” singer was set to join Jhené Aiko on “The Magic Hour Tour” this summer, but the tour was been postponed due to COVID-19.
The Escape Tracks Virtual R&B Music Festival kicks off on May 16 at 4 pm ET on the Escape Tracks’ YouTube page.