Music

A young Jay-Z in black and white wears a t-shirt and a hat.

Nobody’s Savior: Jay-Z Can’t Be Our Messiah

by LaTesha Harris
March 24, 2021 at 7:55am
Jay-Z cannot deliver us into an era of racial equity. He’s nobody’s savior—not even his own. Read more »
Teyana Taylor, a black woman, wears her hair in two buns and a large gold necklace. She is covered in a red light.

Black Women Are Redefining R&B Music Even If the Grammys Don’t Think So

by DeAsia Paige
March 12, 2021 at 11:00am
The neglect of Black women R&B artists is a step in the wrong direction. Read more »
cropping of a grayscale vector illustration of Janet Jackson on a black background. She is posed with an exposed torso, her arms above her head with a silhouette of hands covering her chest. Neon blue, pink, yellow lines outline her arms, waist, and chest

Stripping Point: Nipplegate Exposed Our Deep Fear of Black Women’s Sexuality

by Vanessa Willoughby
March 4, 2021 at 10:37am
Janet Jackson was punished for 9/16 of one second of nudity, while Justin Timberlake rose from her post–Super Bowl ashes. Read more »
Britney Spears wears a red dress. Her hair is blond and in a high ponytail.

“Framing Britney Spears” Is a Portrait of a Pop Star on Fire

by Vanessa Willoughby
February 19, 2021 at 1:04pm
Framing Britney Spears is a clear indictment of society’s stigmatization of mental illness. Read more »
Britney Spears, a white teenager with long, blond hair, smiles brightly at the camera while wearing a black dress

#FreeBritney Is Just the Tip of the Iceberg

by s.e. smith
February 17, 2021 at 10:11am
For the disability community, this movement could result in major changes to a system that has been taken at face value. Read more »
Portrait of Greisa Martínez Rosas, a Mexican woman with long dark brown curls, wearing a white blazer and smiling

BitchTapes: Immigrant Dreaming

by Greisa Martínez Rosas
February 12, 2021 at 2:50pm
Greisa Martínez Rosas outlines some of the songs that have helped guide her ethos as an organizer and a movement leader. Read more »
T.I. is wearing a purple snapback hat, a grey t-shirt with purple writing, and a denim vest that says "Akon"

What the T.I. and Tiny Abuse Allegations Reveal about Hip Hop and Power

by Shamira Ibrahim
February 3, 2021 at 10:26am
We don’t live in a society where the abused get justice. Read more »
Jazmine Sullivan, a dark-skinned Black woman with silky, long, black hair, poses against a gray background while wearing a bedazzled shirt and black blazer

Get Your Freak On: “Heaux Tales” Reclaims the Erotic

by Shawna Shipley-Gates
January 19, 2021 at 9:00am
We all have heaux tales to share. Read more »
Megan Thee Stallion, a brownskinned Black woman, poses against a light blue background in a newspaper-covered outfit and cowboy hat

Distinctive Footprint: Women Ran Rap in 2020

by Fullamusu Bangura
December 22, 2020 at 11:00am
The Grammy nominations failed to acknowledge the most dynamic force in hip hop this year: women. Read more »
Lizzo, a plus-size Black woman musician, holds her arms open on stage as she performs in Australia

No One Can Escape Diet Culture—Even Lizzo

by Evette Dionne
December 18, 2020 at 12:40pm
Bodies detox themselves, and no amount of supplements, smoothies, or apple cider vinegar do more than our own bodies naturally do to regulate us. Read more »

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