Singer and “artivist" Mykal Kilgore says, in many ways, he feels like he is starting over. Having achieved success on Broadway (Motown The Musical, The Book of Mormon, HAIR!) and television (The Wiz Live!, Jesus Christ Superstar Live In Concert), Kilgore made history in 2021 when he became the first openly queer singer to receive a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional R&B Performance. Now, Kilgore is laser-focused on his budding recording career and “The Man In The Barbershop Tour,” which kicks off in Atlanta on February 3 at Vinyl.
It feels appropriate that he would begin his 13-city east coast tour in Atlanta now that he’s a new resident. Kilgore’s sit down with The Reckoning was his first matter of business and official welcome to the South after getting settled into his new Atlanta address. Without hesitation, he made it clear why he chose to make Atlanta home.
“I wanted to be around Black queer folks because the art is for us,” he said. “I want to test out the work and I want people to be able to say, this is what we want, or this is what we need, because sometimes the music may not be exactly what you think you want, but I want to give us the music, the art, the craft, the work that we as a community need.”
“I wanted to be around Black queer folks because the art is for us ... I want to give us the music, the art, the craft, the work that we as a community need.”
— Mykal Kilgore
Just as he did in the song and visual for “The Man In The Barbershop,” Kilgore’s latest single and follow-up to “Let Me Go,” the Grammy-nominated single from his “A Man Born Black” album, is based on real events.“Barbershop” is a beautiful display of unrequited love in one of the most challenging spaces for Black queer men. The reaction from fans, many of whom, with their own experiences of being Black and queer while navigating the hetero-normative space of the Black barbershop, felt seen and represented in Kilgore’s work.
“I didn't realize that [Man In The] Barbershop was going to hit the way that it did,” Kilgore says. “I knew that I wanted to tell that story and I knew I was willing to take that risk, but it was so fulfilling to see Black queer folks say, ‘Oh, I felt that same thing. I've had the same experience.’ I'm so glad that I finally have a song that speaks to that.”