I need to start this newsletter by saying how overwhelmed I feel by the messages of support and genuine love I received in response to last week’s newsletter. I feel so honoured to play a part in the Black Ballad community and words can not explain what it means when I see members of the Black Ballad family supporting and encouraging one another in the toughest times and cheering each other on in the moments of celebration. I am genuinely so grateful for every tweet, text, Slack message and email - the sisterhood amongst the Black Ballad women is something I truly cherish. 

So, while I felt nothing but love last week, I also felt relief. Why? January is over. God damn, it really is the longest month of the year. As we enter into February, we are less consumed by the cold and our new resolutions, while the world turns our attention to our love lives. It seems that February comes with an unnecessary pressure to be in a relationship or for your relationship to be picture perfect for social media in the run-up to 14th February. Seeing every other shop, promoting special Valentine’s Day offers or suggestions of what will make the perfect present for him or her pushed me to start thinking more about this concept of black love and more specifically Ciara’s comments about "walking in the spirit of the girlfriend".