In today’s day and age, equality and intersectional feminism are two massive key points in representing female musicians. Here at GHG, we want to do the same. With some artists listed on the top charts, and some artists playing to rooms of less than 200, here are our top 5 Women of Color musicians we absolutely fucking love right now —

5. Jhene Aiko

“Aiko’s newfound style lies somewhere between the soothing sounds of Sade and what can be nebulously described as “future R&B,” a broad spectrum of pioneering music-makers making tunes best served in the midnight hour, including The Weeknd, Tinashe and FKA twigs.”
— Bradley Stern, Time[100]”

OUR FAVE JHENE AIKO TRACKS

Sativa
While We’re Young
Wasted Love Freestyle

4. Grace Carter

“Carter grew up in the small British seaside town of Brighton where she was raised by her single mother. The sounds of her childhood were largely filled with the music of R&B, soul, and jazz in the form of strong female artists such as Lauryn Hill, Alicia Keys, and Nina Simone. Both the music of her youth and the struggle of coming of age in a broken family influenced Carter’s songwriting immensely. She began writing music as a therapeutic catharsis at 13 years old and quickly fell in love with conveying her thoughts and feelings through music.”

— Ones To Watch

OUR FAVE GRACE CARTER TRACKS

Heal Me
Silence
Why Her Not Me

3. Lizzo

“When you love yourself, anything becomes possible. Channeling boundless self-confidence through a downright earth-quaking voice, colorful persona, and undeniable star power, Lizzo struts into the spotlight and steps up with a whole lot of sass, spirit, and soul. Embracing her vocal range like never before and celebrating herself to the fullest, she speaks her mind, censors nothing, and delivers an enviable level of honesty, pure passion, and fresh fire. In doing so, she reaches the precipice of a personal and creative breakthrough in 2019 as evidenced by a string of new releases for Nice Life Recording Company and Atlantic Records.”

— Music Midtown

OUR FAVE LIZZO TRACKS

Tempo
Truth Hurts
Good As Hell

2. OSHUN

“OSHUN is an independent Hip-Hop / Soul duo and the sonic manifestation of Afrofuturism. Using digital and acoustic sounds, heavy drums and bass, and ambient harmonic textures, OSHUN connects with the spirit of their ancestors to manifest a sweeter tomorrow for us all.

Since the release of their debut mixtape ASASE YAA in 2015, OSHUN has amassed a social following of over 150k people between Youtube (youtube.com/oshun), Instagram (@oshun), and Facebook (facebook.com/oshuniverse) alone. They’ve been recognized by media heavy hitters such as Billboard, Rolling Stone, The FADER, Viceland, Huffington Post, NPR, Essence, and Vogue (just to name a few). They’ve also performed throughout the U.S. and Brazil all while remaining full-time college students at NYU.”

OUR FAVE OSHUN TRACKS

Burn
Sango
My World

1. MISSY ELLIOTT

“On Monday, August 26, Missy Elliott will be honored with the MTV VMAs Video Vanguard Award. Earlier this year she entered the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Missy referenced the VMAs in “Throw It Back,” rapping that she has “so many VMAs that i could live on the moon” during a simulated moon-landing sequence in the video (the iconic awards are in the shape of an astronaut planting a flag on the moon).

This year, Missy teamed with Lizzo on “Tempo.” In 2018, Missy dropped collaborations with Ariana Grande, Kelly Rowland and Busta Rhymes, and Ciara. In 2017, she released the single “I’m Better.” Her last album, The Cookbook, was released in 2005, but she followed that up a year later with the singles compilation Respect M.E.”

— Pitchfork