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

Tobi Oredein

Founder's Letter: Beyoncé and the Power of Persistence

Sunday 9 February 2025 11:55 PM

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.

 

“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

 

“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

 

“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

 

“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

 

“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?

 

“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!

 

“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

 

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

Kuba Shand Baptiste

Black Love Stories From The 70s and 80s

Sunday 22 November 2020 9:00 AM

“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

 

More...

Mia Thornton

Meet Nabyla & Jasmina Serag of Switzerland's Sirens of Lesbos

Wednesday 2 August 2023 8:00 AM

Nikki Onafuye

Big Freedia on Business, Breaking Barriers & Beyoncé

Wednesday 7 June 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

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

Ore Abiona

The Impact Of TikTok On African Music

Tuesday 16 November 2021 11:00 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

Dawnie Walton

Finding Myself (And My Black Foremothers) In Rock Music

Tuesday 30 March 2021 7:00 AM

Marianne Tatepo

Lous And The Yakuza On Blackness & BLM In Belgium

Friday 8 January 2021 8:30 AM

Christine Ochefu

How The Music Industry Is Failing Black Women In The North West

Friday 18 December 2020 7:30 AM

Stephanie Daniels

Black Women And Manchester’s Electronic Scene

Wednesday 16 December 2020 7:30 AM

Mahasin Ahmed

Black, Queer And Clubbing In Scotland

Friday 4 December 2020 7:00 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

Precious Mayowa Agbabiaka

Afronation, Anti-Blackness & The Black Christian Community

Tuesday 13 August 2019 7:00 AM

Niellah Arboine

Our National Treasures: The Black Women in Noughties British Music

Thursday 18 October 2018 7:00 AM

Tobi Oredein

Editor's Letter: This Week, I'm Living My Life Like Beyoncé

Tuesday 17 April 2018 7:00 AM

Muneera Pilgrim

Yes, Hip Hop Has Empowered Black Women

Friday 15 December 2017 8:01 AM

Stephanie Phillips

Growing Up As An Alternative Black Girl

Friday 1 September 2017 7:40 AM

Mel Green

The Shame of Enjoying Problematic Music

Monday 7 August 2017 7:00 AM

Jumoke Abdullahi

Hip-Hop: Sick Beats Don't Negate The Beatings

Monday 17 July 2017 7:00 AM

Chloe Seivwright

Why Should We Listen To JAY-Z?

Wednesday 5 July 2017 10:41 PM