CONSCIOUSNESS COLLECTION: 10 songs by 10 Women of Color that amplify ancestral pride, self love and empowerment
By Janice Lee, shades Magazine
Are your playlists maxed out with love songs and dance tracks?
Maybe it’s time to try a little consciousness with some challenging, thought-provoking, soul-stirring music.
There are a growing number of compositions written or co-written by women who make spiritual connections to their ancestry and identity, fight racism, rebel against economic and environmental destruction, question toxic social norms, and demonstrate women’s empowerment.
Below are some of these talented Women of Color artists who, over the past decade, have entertained millions with a diverse mix of R&B, soul, rap, punk, country, Polynesian, Mexican folk and K-pop tunes. Learn more about each of them or jump ahead and listen to “shades Magazine: The Consciousness Collection – Songs by Women of Color that amplify ancestral pride, self love and empowerment” on Spotify.
1.
Taisha Tari | “Tears of Hope” | 2019
The daughter of a European mother and Māori father from the Nga Puhi tribe, Taisha Tari is a New Zealand vocalist and songwriter whose music most often pays tribute to her heritage. In the title song of her most recent album, she also expresses the struggles and hope for the next generation.
Notable: The 2008 song “Kia Kaha” (Stay Strong) with the group Aonua is an awakening and a force to be reckoned with.
2.
Edna Vazquez | “Pajarillo Sonador” (Dreamer Bird) | 2020
Originally from the central Mexico birthplace of mariachi and based today in Portland, Oregon, vocalist/guitarist and self-described activist Edna Vazquez is currently on tour with the international ensemble Pink Martini. For this folk song, she uses the symbol of a bird to express the experience of crossing the border for the chance of a better life.
Notable: Her 2014 concert/interview for Seattle radio station KEXP includes her ode to freedom, “Liberal.” Her 2018 two-song acoustic show for TEDxPortland is absolutely breathtaking.
3.
H.E.R. | “Fight for You” | 2021
With the U.S. Census showing multiracial people as the fastest growing ethnic group, H.E.R. looks like the America of today and the future. With a Filipino mother and African American father, the Northern California (Vallejo) native uses her R&B to express loyalty for the social justice revolution, connecting events of the ‘60s and ‘70s with what’s happening to the Black community today.
Notable: Following “I Can’t Breathe” – the 2020 song and video released after the murder of George Floyd and in tribute to the Black Lives Matter movement – H.E.R. received top industry accolades in 2021 including her performance of “America the Beautiful” at the Super Bowl, a Grammy for Song of the Year for “I Can’t Breathe;” and an Oscar for Best Original Song for “Fight for You” from the film “Judas and the Black Messiah.”
4.
The Linda Lindas | “Racist, Sexist Boy” | 2021
At the time news first broke about the pandemic in early 2020, Mila de la Garza was 9 years old when a boy in her school told her he had to stay away from Chinese people. The best revenge – let’s call it a “teaching moment” – is co-writing a song, performing it live with your band, and having it go viral as the year’s biggest, loudest anti-ism anthem. With a fresh signing by Epitaph Records and more than a million YouTube views today, Asian American-Latinx female punk band The Linda Lindas have extended beyond their original Southern California following before any of the members turned 18.
Notable: Their 2020 song “Vote!” written by band member Eloise Wong. The Rolling Stone, Jimmy Kimmel, and Vogue interviews.
5.
Lizzo | “Juice” | 2019
Nobody sings about self-love quite like Lizzo. While the body positivity movement seems to have been co-opted by women of all sizes, Lizzo advocates for squashing the continuous bullying and shaming of big girls, asking people to remember that the movement was created by “big women, big brown and Black women, queer women.” You may not know it from her sassy funk and rap, but the multiple Grammy Award winner is also a classically trained flutist.
Notable: Twenty million people are following her TikTok videos embracing her food choices and fashion. The Time magazine story naming her 2019 Entertainer of the Year. Her cover of BTS’ “Butter” and the positive message it sends for Black-Asian relations.
6.
Mickey Guyton | “Black Like Me” | 2019
In the history of country music, most people can name only one person of color, Charley Pride, to have achieved any kind of success. That’s what makes Mickey Guyton’s story so remarkable. In 2011, she became the genre’s first Black female artist signed to a major label, UMG’s Capitol Records Nashville division. Last year, she became the first Black female artist to perform at the Academy of Country Music awards. This year, she became the Grammy Awards’ first Black female artist nominated for Best Country Solo Performance for “Black Like Me,” a song based on the name of the controversial book and study in 1961.
Notable: Other tracks from her first studio album “Remember Her Name” released in 2021: “Different” performed on the Ellen Degeneres Show, “Love My Hair” at the Country Music Association Awards with two more Black women Brittney Spencer and Madeline Edwards, and “What Are You Gonna Tell Her?” about the struggle of raising a child in a world that has historically rejected people who look like her, a song Guyton performed while pregnant with her first child.
7.
Noname | “Rainforest” | 2021
She didn’t want to be attached to any corporate brand when she chose her stage name, Noname. The rapper from Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood makes her social justice positions clear in rejecting colonialism, capitalism, racism, classism, incarceration, gentrification, exploitation and patriarchy. What kind of artist has mainstream publication Rolling Stone calling her “one of the best rappers alive,” indie blog Pitchfork listing her “Rainforest” as one of best songs of the year, and artist-based HotNewHipHop saying she is “one of the most captivating and powerful voices poets in hip-hop today”? While it’s uncertain if Noname will ever make music again after her Instagram story post in December announcing her industry frustrations and need for a break, send her strength.
Notable: Her 2016 spoken-word, neo-soul mixtape “Telefone” is masterful storytelling about life experiences. Her Twitter feed, with more than 600,000 followers. Her Noname Book Club, which primarily supports Black authors and Black independently-owned bookstores.
8.
Yuna | “Likes” | 2019
Although best known in the U.S. for “Crush,” her duet with Usher viewed 97 million times on YouTube, R&B singer-songwriter Yuna represents much more throughout the world than her songs about romance. The Malaysian-born Muslim artist who resides in Los Angeles today has been a role model for finding and maintaining your identity. She also has become a leading spokesperson for modest fashion, resisting the pressure of an industry that increasingly profits from hypersexualizing young women. In this song, she dismisses all the social media haters who criticize her for wearing a hijab, keeping her neck covered and not smoking.
Notable: “Stay Where You Are” released in 2020 after the pandemic broke and shelter in place was recommended by health organizations worldwide. In December, she used her Twitter account to bring attention to the need for disaster relief for the victims of the devastating floods throughout Malaysia where more than 60,000 have been displaced.
9.
Natalia Lafourcade | “Una Vida” (One Life) | 2020
Mexican folk soprano Natalia Lafourcade has centered her songwriting around the beauty and significance of cultural preservation in recent years, receiving top Grammy and Latin Grammy awards for her recordings that launched her into the international spotlight. She used her prominence to stage a benefit concert and album to rebuild a cultural center in her home country damaged by a devastating earthquake. In solidarity with women, she has spoken personally and publicly about how the recent women’s movements for equality and justice have made her aware of the violence she has experienced in her own relationships when she was told she could not make it on her own. Aside from any language differences around the world, her genuine optimism and consciousness about humanity are felt in her songbook, and her love songs like “Una Vida” are really about life’s challenges, aren’t they?
Notable: Her most popular song, “Hasta La Raiz” (To the Root) released 2015 and today with 219 million YouTube views, and related interview about remembering where you came from. Her 2012 song, “Un Derecho de Nacimiento,” a rally call for activism by Mexican youth. NPR’s 2017 Tiny Desk Concert.
10.
Amber Liu | “Hands Behind My Back” | 2019
Born in Los Angeles, Amber Liu is a second generation Taiwanese American entertainer who performs in English, Korean and Mandarin on both sides of the Pacific. Recruited at age 14 by SM Entertainment, the largest K-pop entertainment company at the time, she eventually debuted in South Korea with the girl group f(x) in 2009 as lead rapper. Her androgyny — short hair, long shorts instead of a mini-skirt — made her stand out. After going solo in 2015 and now as an adult, her advocacy for women is what makes her stand out as she publicly brings attention to eating disorders, sexual harassment and toxic beauty standards in the industry. Her songs today express her general struggles and curiosities, but she seems to have a lot more to say.
Notable: 2019 MTV interview where she talks about the evolution of her life and shares her insights about women’s empowerment.
What’s your favorite?
Let us know your own favorite Women of Color who are sharing songs of consciousness. Email your picks to shadesmagazine88@gmail.com.
PHOTO CREDITS: Natalia Lafourcade | Amber Liu | Yuna | H.E.R. | Edna Vasquez
Janice Lee is Managing Editor of shades Magazine. Join her and the shades Magazine #RealTalkPlus Crew on Fridays at 7 p.m. PT on Clubhouse.