Under a purple hue on stage at the SiriusXM Studios in Atlanta on Thursday evening, Grammy-nominated artist Durand Bernarr serenaded audience members with some of his popular hits and songs from his new album “Bloom.” In an all-Black, sparkly ensemble, Bernarr helped Pandora listeners, fans, and locals celebrate the Black History Month experience. 


The event was the latest installment in Pandora’s Playback series, a program that features intimate performances and fireside chats with artists to discuss their musical journeys. A group of team members started the series in 2019 to honor the city’s identity as a cultural hub. 

Durand Bernarr (right) performed some of the popular hits and songs from his new album “Bloom”, then sat down for a fireside chat with Akim Bryant, Pandora’s director of programming. Photo by Laura Nwogu/The Atlanta Voice

Lauren D. Williams, SiriusXM’s senior vice president of organizational culture and change management, said the series’s intent to pay homage to Atlanta is what makes it so special. It has now become a growth moment for the studio. 

“It was birthed out of something that was so important to them. And they were like, ‘We’re gonna make this magical regardless,’ and that’s exactly what they’ve done. Now we’re here. Now look at how far we’ve come,” Williams said. “We’ve had so many different artists. I think that’s something that’s very unique that we feature with the playbacks. We talk about the inspiration behind why they created those songs. and what they were feeling in that moment. We give that intimate view and get you closer to those artists that you love, which is exactly what our vision is.”

Lauren D. Williams, SiriusXM’s senior vice president of organizational culture and change management.
Photo by Laura Nwogu/The Atlanta Voice

Bernarr participated in a fireside chat with Akim Bryant, Pandora’s director of programming. They discussed the process behind creating Bernarr’s new album, insight into collaborations, and how the artist navigates things such as self-love. 

Since 2019, the series has featured artists such as Common, Jeezy, T-Pain, Flo Milli and Muni Long to engage the community and harness the influence of Atlanta’s vibrant culture on the world.  

“For us, we honor all of it, especially on our air. We talk about being a platform for all voices. We really, literally, are a platform for all voices. You can be like, ‘Oh, I want to listen to something so far over here, or so far over there.’ You can find it on Pandora. You’re going to find it on SiriusXM. 

“We believe in amplifying all those voices. And it helps within our programming to expose people to X, Y, and Z artists that they may not have listened to before.”