The music industry’s male and white dominance is problematic. There are countless Black female artists with undeniable talent, but with no support from the executives, their careers are seriously hindered. Researchers from USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative found out that “more than 86% of the top executives at the largest music entities are men, and the same percentage are white.” With these regrettable statistics, the road towards success for Black female artists is more complicated and difficult to travel. As a result, they have to put twice, thrice, multiple times the effort that their counterparts put in. Certainly, this is not fair. Against all odds, there have been multiple Black female artists that have made history, from Aretha Franklin to Whitney Houston. Today, Black women are still revolutionizing the music industry and doing it better than anyone else.
Megan Thee Stallion
In just a few years, Megan Thee Stallion has made a huge impact in the music industry and demonstrated her potential. Her debut album Good News (2020) was enormously successful as well as her collaborations with huge names such as Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, and Ariana Grande. Currently, she holds the prestigious “Best New Artist” Grammy award (the second female rapper to do so!) and in 2020, she was included among the 100 most influential people in the world in Time magazine. Even more impressive, while achieving these milestones in the music industry, Megan was also working on obtaining her Bachelor of Science in Health Administration (a woman in STEM!) from Texas Southern University, which she obtained this past year. Truly, this woman can do it all.
cardi b
Cardi B is an icon, breaking barriers, taboo topics, and stereotypes through her explicit lyrics in her rap songs. While criticized because of such lyrics, it has not stopped her from achieving huge success and becoming the epitome of female empowerment. Cardi B is the only solo woman to win the Grammy for Best Rap Album, a feat hugely impressive when understanding that the rap genre is male-dominated. Among her most popular songs — which, admittedly, we have all sung at least once — are “Bodak Yellow,” “I Like It,” “Wap (Featuring Megan Thee Stallion)”, and “Girls Like You (featuring Maroon 5).” Give it up to our 2020 Billboard Woman of the Year!
normani
A lot of us may know Normani as one of the former members of the pop sensation girl group Fifth Harmony. However, her success didn’t end there. As a solo artist, Normani has demonstrated that she can shine on her own with her unbeatable singing and dancing skills. Among her hits, we can find her first solo single “Motivation”, “Dancing with a Stranger (with Sam Smith), and “Wild Side (with Cardi B),” all of which have received critical acclaim by both professionals and the public. We are still waiting for her first album, but we know it’s going to be a success. After all, there is a reason why she has received Variety’s Collaborator of the Year prestigious award — reserved only for the most talented.
lIzzo
“I just took a DNA test, turns out I’m 100% that b*tch.” Lizzo couldn’t have said it better; she is, indeed, that b*tch. Among her most famous songs, we can find “Truth Hurts,” “Juice,” “Good as Hell,” and “Cuz I Love You.” Lizzo is among one of the most influential contemporary female rappers and a female empowerment icon. On the artistic side, Lizzo received eight nominations (the most of the night!) at the 2020 Grammys, including in all 4 big categories. But beyond the well-deserved awards, her songs transmit inspirational messages that are hard to find in today’s music. Her fun, powerful lyrics encompass important topics including body positivity, self-love, and empowerment. What’s more, Lizzo has one of the best personalities in the music industry: she is raw, hilarious, confident, and sassy. She is a breath of fresh air and we can’t wait to see what’s coming next for her.
Undoubtedly, there are more Black female artists who are changing the music industry nowadays. For them, the path towards greatness is not easy, but they have managed to overcome all barriers. In the meantime, let’s continue celebrating and supporting all Black female artists in their endeavors.