Black Women In Music
Black Women & Music
Name a genre of music that wasn’t influenced by black folks... we’ll wait...
Featured content
Jamila Pereira
Country, Blues, Americana, Soul... Yola Defies Categorisation
Wednesday 19 February 2025 8:00 AM

Soraya Odubeko
Angeline Morrison Is Using Folk Music To Tell Our Forgotten Stories
Wednesday 22 January 2025 8:00 AM
From pop to rock, to folk and indie – and all our favourites like garage, R&B, hip hop and soul too – black women are leaving their indelible mark on the global music industry.
Read journalism, commentary and original interviews from Black Ballad.
Portia B
DJ YUKI On Afrobeats, Amapiano & The Future Of Dance Music In Africa
Tuesday 6 February 2024 8:00 AM
“How many dark-skinned black women do you see thriving in the UK charts today? We really need to explore how we can change the narrative.”
– The Garage Goddess Returns: Talking 20 Years Of Music With Sabrina Washington




Tobi Oredein
Corinne Bailey Rae Talks Us Through Her New Album, ‘Black Rainbows’
Wednesday 1 November 2023 8:00 AM
“I tried gay clubs. As someone who identifies as queer, I thought they would be more inclusive but I didn't feel comfortable there either.”
– Black, Queer And Clubbing In Scotland: My Journey To Founding A Club Night

Ayanna Witter-Johnson
How My Holiday To Jamaica Allowed Me To Explore Ancestry & The Ocean
Thursday 2 November 2023 8:30 AM
“I once worked for a company where, as the only black woman in the room, I was constantly having to explain our culture.”
– The Black Women Making Things Happen In The UK Music Industry

Jendella Benson
Lumi HD on Birmingham’s Music Scene & Second City Syndrome
Wednesday 17 July 2024 8:00 AM

“I imagined they’d told each other about Poly Styrene and Betty Davis and Nona Hendryx and all the other Black women rockers whose stories I wouldn’t know until I was older.”
– Finding Myself (And My Black Foremothers) In Rock Music

Mia Thornton
“This Is An Album With A Message”: V V Brown On Her Return To Music
Tuesday 2 May 2023 8:00 AM
“So what is the secret? I want to know because Jay can't claim this knowledge like it hasn't been said before.”
– 4:44, Black Wealth & Building Trust: Why Should We Listen To JAY-Z?

Black Ballad
BB Members Perk: Free Tickets To Room 187 Across The UK In April!
Sunday 7 April 2024 9:00 AM

Mia Thornton
Bellah On Self-Belief, British R&B & Creating Your Own Narrative
Thursday 12 January 2023 8:00 AM
“Growing up in Wales while being heavily influenced by my Jamaican roots, I feel very strongly that being Welsh-Jamaican is who I am and I carry that everywhere I go.”
– Being A Welsh Reggae Artist Is Not The Oxymoron You Think It Is!

Mia Thornton
Mercury Prize-Winning Speech Debelle On Her New Album & Journey
Wednesday 5 July 2023 8:00 AM

Toju Adelaja
Drake The Misogynist: He Was Never Really ‘For The Girls’
Tuesday 8 November 2022 8:00 AM

Jendella Benson
June Ambrose On Trusting Her Younger Self & Her New PUMA Collection
Friday 18 February 2022 12:00 PM
Mia Thornton
LayFullStop, P3Lz & Meduulla Show Diversity Of North West's Rap Scene
Friday 3 September 2021 7:00 AM
“Where do we draw the line? Do we stop listening to the music of artists who have criminal records? Avoid the songs of those who don’t pay their taxes?”
– The Shame of Enjoying Problematic Music

Nyasha Oliver
Experiencing Asia’s Dancehall & Reggae Subcultures As Black Woman
Thursday 4 April 2024 8:00 AM
Sabrina-Maria Anderson
A Spiritual Experience Took This Legend From Lorna Gee To Sutara Gayle
Thursday 7 September 2023 8:00 AM
Lateefah Jean-Baptiste
The Black Women Who Defined Lovers Rock In The 1980s
Friday 27 November 2020 12:00 PM
“From All Saints and the Sugababes to Big Brovaz and Mis-Teeq, British bands had black women just like me in them.”
– Our National Treasures: The Black Women in Noughties British Music And Beyond

Nina Dafe
Chart-Topping Songwriter Carla Marie Williams Refuses To Be Silent
Wednesday 1 May 2024 8:00 AM

Jamila Pereira
Manchester's Own IAMDDB On Growth, Creative Control & Healing
Tuesday 23 April 2024 8:00 AM

Tobi Oredein
Founder's Letter - BW In Music Taught Me To Build My Own Table
Sunday 5 March 2023 9:00 PM
More...

Mia Thornton
Meet Nabyla & Jasmina Serag of Switzerland's Sirens of Lesbos
Wednesday 2 August 2023 8:00 AM


Mia Thornton
Terri Walker Talks Romance, Returning To Music & Her 26 Year Career
Friday 14 April 2023 8:00 AM


Mia Thornton
Izzy Bizu On Reconnecting With Her Ethiopian Roots & Defining Success
Monday 20 February 2023 8:00 AM

Marie Bashiru
The Origins And Commodification Of Black Folk Music In Britain
Thursday 5 January 2023 8:00 AM

Mia Thornton
Mwanjé Explores Afrofuturism, Black Feminity & Ancestry Ties
Thursday 24 March 2022 7:00 AM

Mia Thornton
Mereba Talks Motherhood, Identity & The Importance Of Staying Present
Tuesday 22 March 2022 7:00 AM

Ata-owaji Victor
Magic System's '1er Gaou' & The Roots Of Borderless Music
Tuesday 8 March 2022 8:00 AM

Jendella Benson
We Wore Our Own Garmz – Black British Streetwear Of The 90s and 00s
Tuesday 21 December 2021 7:00 AM

Taylor Edmonds
Kima Otung On The Music Industry, Growing Up In Wales & More
Friday 1 October 2021 11:00 AM
Jendella Benson
Miss LaFamilia On Music, Motherhood & Female-Domination
Friday 27 August 2021 12:00 PM
Ata-owaji Victor
How Black British Female Rappers Are Shaping The Beauty Blueprint
Friday 20 August 2021 7:00 AM
Tamera Heron
The Power Of Live Music To Create Community & Boost Morale
Thursday 12 August 2021 7:00 AM
Annique Simpson
The Black Women Defying The Odds & Finding Success In Classical Music
Friday 11 June 2021 7:00 AM
Christine Ochefu
How The Music Industry Is Failing Black Women In The North West
Friday 18 December 2020 7:30 AM
Aleighcia Scott
Being A Welsh Reggae Artist Is Not The Oxymoron You Think It Is!
Monday 16 November 2020 7:00 AM
Jendella Benson
Ify Adenuga On Happiness, Nigerian Culture & Her Children's Success
Thursday 8 October 2020 12:30 PM
Annique Simpson
Sabrina Washington On Mis-Teeq, The Industry & Her Musical Return
Wednesday 9 September 2020 7:00 AM
Annique Simpson
The Black Women Making Things Happen In The UK Music Industry
Wednesday 6 May 2020 7:00 AM
Ezimma Chigbo
Why Kano Is One Of The Greatest Musical Storytellers Of Our Generation
Wednesday 18 September 2019 5:00 PM
Sabirina Mohamed
Clara Amfo Talks Beauty, Belonging and Black British Culture
Tuesday 3 September 2019 7:00 AM
Almaz Ohene
Classical Musician Isata Kanneh Mason Talks Debut Album, Family & More
Friday 23 August 2019 5:00 PM
Precious Mayowa Agbabiaka
Afronation, Anti-Blackness & The Black Christian Community
Tuesday 13 August 2019 7:00 AM
Tobi Oredein
Stormzy at Glasto Is A Win For Him, Black British History & Culture
Monday 1 July 2019 7:00 AM
Niellah Arboine
Our National Treasures: The Black Women in Noughties British Music
Thursday 18 October 2018 7:00 AM
Jendella Benson
Ed's Letter: Women Not Waiting For Their Prince To Change The World
Tuesday 22 May 2018 8:00 AM
Tobi Oredein
Editor's Letter: This Week, I'm Living My Life Like Beyoncé
Tuesday 17 April 2018 7:00 AM
Kemi Bamgbose
12 Black British Female Artists Who Embodied Black Girl Magic In Th...
Friday 5 August 2016 6:39 PM