My Favorite Black Female Artists of the Past Year

By: Justin Negash ‘22

The past two years in music have been devoid of “the usuals”. Without an album from the bigs like Frank Ocean, Drake, Kendrick Lamar and Rihanna, it’s created a hole in the music industry. Fortunately, the next generation of artists and producers stepped up to fill the void, and a majority of them were Black women. If 2019 was the rise of this generation, then 2020 was their crowning coronation. The year’s music scene was undeniably led by bonafide popstars Doja Cat, Meg The Stallion, and Lizzo. This article will continue in the music scene’s efforts to empower Black women in the industry; specifically, we’ll be looking at some of my favorite up and coming artists.

1. Jenevieve

 A rising star in a burgeoning R&B scene, Jenevieve. And although she doesn’t have the most extensive collection available for audiences—only two singles out on Spotify—they have managed to capture the minds and hearts of fans worldwide. One of her singles, a track titled Baby Powder, is a retro-infused piece that manages to both sound fresh and hark back to simpler times.  If that wasn’t enough to convince you to listen to her singles; she managed to impress both my 60 year old mother and I—which more than shows her versatility. With only two singles to her name, Jenevieve promises to release more content made to “make people feel good” after such an underwhelming 2020. If she maintains this trajectory, she might just be one of the biggest contemporary R&B stars in the entire world—if not the United States.

2. Victoria Monet

With over three million monthly listeners on Spotify, Victoria Monet isn’t exactly an underground artist. Her current popularity, however, is simple a fraction compared to what I believe she can really accomplish in the music world. Soft-spoken in real life, Monet prefers to express her emotions through her art—and it certainly shows. Monet’s angelic harmonies combined with soft drum lines throughout her production combine to please the audience’s ears.  Her most renowned ability, though, is her lyricism. 

Writing for artists like Ariana Grande, Nas, Fifth Harmony, and T.I., her range of talent seems to be diversified across several genres of music. One of her most popular songs, a track titled “Ass Like That”, is an ode to her body and is sending no ideas otherwise. Geared towards body confidence and feeling good in how you look is a trademark of Monet’s lyricism, and it can be seen in the artists she writes for—especially Ariana Grande. Her combined angelic voice, soul-filled beats, and natural gift of lyricism create an unstoppable combination that is finally being recognized on a mainstream platform after so many years of being under the radar.

3. Noname

After 10 long years of slam poetry and humble beginnings in the Chicago rap scene accompanied by friends Smino, Saba, and the SAVEMONEY crew, it feels like Noname is finally getting the respect she deserves. As a Chicagoan myself, I felt it was only right to include one of my favorite artists in this list. A big reason she gets constantly slept on by mainstream media is likely due to her ties with socialism and her active work in deconstructing imperialism in the modern world. Her views on the world influence her work, and her execution is arguably even better as her unique style of rhyming undoubtedly forces you into her world. Her world—our world—sucks. Her signature highly critical and self-deprecating material is what led to rave reviews on projects such as Room 25 and Telefone (despite relatively lackluster sales upon release). The world, however, is a different place than it was just one year ago—due to the global pandemic and demands for racial justice during the summer-long Black Lives Matter protests—and Noname is looking to be the kind of artist that audiences want to get behind. After 10 long years, it looks like she’s finally done it.These women are only three of the many poised to break out and achieve major success in the mainstream. Many have been slept on for a long time, and many are just beginning their hopefully fruitful careers. One thing’s for sure: it seems like female artists are finally beginning to see the respect they have always deserved.

These women are only three of the many poised to break out and achieve major success in the mainstream. Many have been slept on for a long time, and many are just beginning their hopefully fruitful careers. One thing’s for sure: it seems like female artists are finally beginning to see the respect they have always deserved.

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