AGT contestant Wyn Starks with Yaya Diamond

AGT 2022 Pop star. Soul singer. Modern-day genre-blender. Old-school R&B revivalist. Wyn Starks proudly celebrates his own diversity with 2021’s Black is Golden, a debut album rooted in the singer/songwriter’s versatile vocals, timely messages, and bold willingness to break new ground. Black is Golden blends throwback grooves with contemporary moves, nodding not only to Starks’ past — including his upbringing in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he sang his first solos in church — but also the innovative sounds he discovered upon relocating to Nashville. Signing a record deal with Curb Records after just six months in town, he began releasing songs that celebrated love, life, and inclusivity, earning nearly 2 million streams for his debut single, 2019’s “Circles.” From there, his sound deepened to include tracks of justice and racial equality, all while maintaining his unique blend of vintage influences and progressive pop hooks. Released in 2020, the EP Who I Am showcased an artist whose music as simultaneously personal and universal. One year later, Black is Golden continued that balancing track. The album is both a rallying cry for people of color and an inclusive call to the dance floor for all races, and its broad mix of music — including gospel ballads, rhythmic bangers, soul classics, and dazzling pop anthems — strengthens the album’s central message of diversity.