What’s a better way to celebrate and end off Black History Month than to blast songs that empower black women Below are five songs that every black girl should have on their playlist and on repeat!
1. “Melanin” by Secrett
This song is the official black girl anthem. The first time I heard this song was in Spike Lee’s She’s Gotta Have It and I fell in love with it ever since. It’s a humorous song that has jokes every black girl could laugh at. Besides the humor, Secrett is rhyming and rapping about how much she loves her melanin skin. The beat is flawless! It just makes you want to dance around with your sisters and rap the lyrics to the top of your lungs.
2. “Don’t Touch My Hair” by Solange
For Black women, our hair is a form of self-expression. We put a lot of time, money and effort into our hair. Sometimes our hair comes out the way we want, sometimes it doesn’t. At the end of the day, we love our hair dearly. We can wear so many different styles and we all have so many different textures. Solange celebrates her hair in this song and inspires other black women to celebrate their hair. Most importantly, when my hair is nice and done, don’t touch my hair.
3. “Melanin Magic (Pretty Brown)” by Remy Ma ft. Chris Brown
Remy Ma raps on this old school beat about how powerful her melanin magic is. She brags about her cinnamon toned skin, her natural glow, and her pretty brown eyes. All the characteristics that come with having that melanin magic. This song was created to empower black women no matter what shade they are. Whether it be dark or light skin, what matters most is that inside glow that comes with being a black woman. Ma reminds us to use that melanin magic to our full advantage.
4. “I am not my hair” by India.Arie ft. Akon
India.Arie highlights all the times she changes her hair in this song and the reactions she has received from it. I can relate to the stories she shares in this song because I’ve been there and done that. Overall, what India.Arie gets at is that your hair doesn’t define you. She uses her hair to express her creativity and loves that she can do whatever she wants to it. “I am not my hair, I am not this skin, I am the soul that lives within,” is what she repeats throughout the song to let us know we can do whatever we like with our hair as long as we love and feel confident with who we truly are.
5. “Formation” by Beyoncé
Black, strong and fierce is the recipe that made this song! “Formation” is all about Black women, the Black community and Black empowerment. She calls all her sisters to get in formation. Why? Because we’re stronger together than separated. When we stand tall and fight for what’s right, we get things done. Beyoncé also makes it clear that she loves her blackness and where she comes from when she raps, “I like my negro nose with Jackson Five nostrils,” and “I like my baby hair with baby hair and Afros.”
Love the skin you are born with and the beautiful culture that comes with it just like these strong, powerful Black women have! These songs are not just meant to be listened to during Black History Month; any time you need to feel empowered or you want to celebrate your culture, listen to these songs for that extra boost of “melanin magic.”