Women of color often don’t see themselves represented in media; there are not many characters that look like them or share their same background, and the stories that get told are hard for them to relate to because they’re centered around the experiences of white women, and celebrities are overshadowed by their white counterparts. It can be difficult for women of color to find a place where they belong or where they feel like they belong. Music can play a large role in helping people feel understood or heard, so I have a list of some women who perfectly capture the experiences of women of color through their outstanding lyricism and storytelling.
- SZA
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If you haven’t listened to SZA’s music already, you’re missing out. The alternative R&B singer’s voice is so real and raw that it’s easy to be captivated by her singing. She hits on feelings of loneliness, friendships, toxic relationships, and more. Her music is even more personal because she includes voice notes from her mother and grandmother in a few of her songs. She’s amazing at explaining the things that women of color (Black women, specifically) go through as they grow up and get older.
Check out the songs:
The title seems like it may have no relation to the song, but SZA said that Drew Barrymore is her favorite actress, and her role in Never Been Kissed made SZA feel understood. The song is about wanting to feel like you’re enough for someone and being willing to change yourself for them even though you know they’re not good for you. SZA is so desperate to feel loved and wanted that she’ll continue to be with people who don’t love her for who she is.
In this song, SZA is brutally honest about how it feels to be in your twenties. She talks about the struggles of entering adulthood, feeling stuck in one place, and missing the way things used to be. She hopes and prays that she keeps her same friends and even closes the track out with an explanation of the meaning of life from her mother to tie everything together.
- mitski
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Mitski is a fantastic storyteller and is excellent at using symbolism and metaphors to share what it’s like being a Japanese-American woman in a very white-centric society, along with how it feels to be going through internal battles with mental health. Her voice is haunting (in a good way) and instantly gets your attention. Though she mainly sits in the Indie genre, she floats effortlessly between genres from time to time, giving us hard rock with heavy drums and guitar and then a soft pop ballad with a strong focus on vocals.
Check out the songs:
Easily one of her most relatable tracks, “Your Best American Girl” follows the tale of pining after a guy who is presumably white. Being an Asian woman, she sings about being raised differently and not getting approval from the guy’s mother because of this. She wants to conform to be the “perfect” girl so she can be with him, even if she may regret leaving behind who she truly is in the process.
“Nobody” is arguably Mitski’s most popular song, and for good reason. It’s catchy and upbeat, so much so that while you’re jamming, you could miss the underlying meaning. The song is about feeling lonely and changing yourself over and over to get people to stay but still feeling alone. Mitski sings about simply just wanting someone but nobody wanting her.
- Jensen Mcrae
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Jensen is a relatively new artist who got a huge push in her career after promoting her music and singing on TikTok. Her lyrics are so personal that it feels like you’re reading straight from her diary. Her lower register is so soul-stirring that it gives you goosebumps, and she’s successfully given folk music a brand new, more modern image.
Check out the songs:
In “White Boy” Jensen is very aware that she’s in an unhealthy relationship, and she no longer wants to cater to his every whim. However, when the chorus rolls in, she makes it clear that she still has a strong attachment to him, and she wonders if he’ll appreciate her more if she does what he asks. She notices how she acts differently when he’s around; she hates it but also craves his attention at the same time.
This song is compelling, although it’s only just under a minute long. Jensen sings about her role as the daughter in her mixed-race (Jewish and Black) family. She talks about hating her skin color when she was younger and wanting to escape. Then she rounds it off by saying that once she reached adulthood, she was glad to look back at how those experiences formed who she is today, and she even thanks her parents for helping her get through her struggles.
- J. MAYA
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At 17, J. Maya became the youngest winner of the international pun championships. She uses these skills to make excellent references and metaphors that help her in the songwriting process. Her wordplay is incredible and catchy, and her music has a synth-pop feel that takes everything to another level.
Check out the songs:
If you’re a Greek mythology nerd like J. Maya, this song is for you. It’s filled with references from beginning to end. This is her debut single and sets the tone for how she puts her pun skills to use in her work. The song is sure to get stuck in your head and get you singing. Not only is the song fun to dance to, but it’s also fun to sit and analyze the lyrics so you can identify which Greek stories and figures she included.
This one is for all book lovers. Maya sings about how she began using books as an escape in her childhood and how the constant escapism affects her as an adult today. She doesn’t know how to do things or handle things because reading about fictional people and situations set her standards unreasonably high. She also talks about how, in reality, she knows she’ll never be as perfect as the girls that are depicted in books — a majority of the time, they’re white women, and Maya is an Indian-American woman.
- Vanessa Zamora
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Vanessa Zamora is a Mexican singer-songwriter who sings almost exclusively in Spanish. The imagery in her lyrics is beautiful and poetic, and she can play a variety of different instruments. Her music can be classified as “psychedelic pop”, and she’s constantly pushing different musical boundaries. She sings about heartbreak and internal struggles in a unique way.
Check out the songs:
In “Solegrande”, Vanessa hits on feeling lonely and afraid. She’s afraid to step out of her comfort zone, and even though she’s aware she should take advantage of the moments she has, she doesn’t want to. She doesn’t want to think too much, and she’s nervous about how daunting everything in life seems.
This song is about wanting to still be in a relationship with someone, even if it hurts you. Vanessa is reminiscing on the past and how great it was, hoping it can be recreated in the present even though the relationship has hit a low point. She wants the other person to continue to love her, even if they have to lie about it.
- umi
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UMI toes the line between alternative R&B and neo-soul. Her music is dreamy, peaceful, and reflective of her Black and Japanese background. Her songs are honest and straightforward, and her voice is fun and melodic. Like Mitski, she goes from genre to genre. She belts out jazzy, soulful numbers one minute and then gives us deep, thoughtful records the next.
Check out the songs:
“Love Affair” is a fun song about liking someone and not knowing if the feelings are real or if it’s just a crush. UMI sings about the back-and-forth we go through when we’re interested in someone and trying to get to the root of the confusing things that we feel, all while wondering if we can be a better significant other than the one they currently have.
This song has a soft, relaxed vibe that’s very contemplative and sort of melancholic. The lyrics depict UMI’s desire to “fly away” from her problems and take time to self-reflect. She wants to escape everything scary and stressful and also make everyone close to her proud of her and her accomplishments.
- Raveena
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Raveena’s music is mystical and mesmerizing; it makes you feel like you walked straight into a crystal shop. Like UMI, she does a perfect job at blending cultures in her music — she combines classic pop and R&B with elements that derive from South Asian music. She touches on feeling lost when it comes to knowing who she is regarding her culture and identity, and she also hits on relationships as well. She’s repeatedly said that her personal goal is to make women of color feel more spiritually empowered and in tune with themselves, and that’s exactly what she does.
Check out the songs:
“Starflower” feels like a sweet lullaby. The song is about being content with who you are and knowing that you’re unique. It has a vibe that makes the listener feel like they’re one with the universe. The song seems almost hypnotic, with nothing but Raveena’s soft voice and a guitar accompanying her.
This is one of Raveena’s most empowering songs, written about how she’s a survivor of sexual assault. She’s no longer letting her past define her, and she’s taking her life back. She wrote the song for other abuse survivors to let them know they’re not alone and that she understands how hard the healing process can be.
Aside from the songs listed, there are so many more amazing songs by these artists that are worth the listen. Women of color are currently dominating the music industry right now, and I hope you find some new favorites to add to your daily playlist rotation!