![]() The Spotify original series created with The Ringer delves into the career-shifting moments of Black women who are often left out of major music conversations. ![]() It comes as no surprise that her latest creative venture, Black Girl Songbook, is a culmination of all of her experiences. Her innate passion for storytelling has left a mark on each major publication she’s led, that includes helming VIBE and ESPN’s The Undefeated and her work as an editor at Billboard. She’s known for her excellent cover stories and features centering Black women in music, in addition to her profiles on a bevy of cultural figures. Rodriguez/Getty Images for dick clark productions Isabel Infantes/PA Images via Getty Images & Jack Vartoogian/Getty Images We spoke with veteran journalist Danyel Smith about her series Black Girl Songbook, interviewing Whitney Houston years ago, and how she keeps pushing forward even amid the ever-changing media landscape.ĭanyel Smith is one of the most respected voices in music journalism. The debut episode will also feature Houston’s friend and Arista records label mate, Deborah Cox.Black Girl Songbook, a Spotify original podcast series created with The Ringer, delves into the career-shifting moments of Black women who are often left out of major music conversations. “I think now that everyone’s worked so hard across the country to get this new administration in, it’s time to take a look at and how Whitney kind of brought us all together.” So, it’s all just very relevant right now,” Smith said. The world has changed dramatically in the past few years because Colin Kaepernick kneeled during performances of it. “It’s such a complex song for Black people to sing. The first episode is dedicated to Whitney Houston’s unforgettable 1991 Super Bowl performance of the “Star Spangled Banner.” On January 27, the set celebrated its 30th anniversary and as one of the many fans of Houston’s work, Smith felt it was only right to kick off with one of the late singer’s finest moments. We have taught people how to feel, urged them to grow and honored our souls in the process. Our hand claps, our thunderous, gritty runs and experiences have been the sounds of generations. It’s a lesson on the rich and riveting history, and future, of music, because there simply is no music without Black women. “But what’s always so in much my heart is the music of people like Whitney Houston, like Sade…these are women whose genius is just not taken care of with detail and grace.” She plans on celebrating legacies like only we can.ĭuring each episode of “Black Girl Songbook,” Smith will play the songs that have moved us for decades, while also giving more insight into the lives of the artists who made them and the roles their work has played in the larger gamut of pop culture. ![]() “I’ve interviewed all types of artists,” she said. Smith has kept Black women’s work close to her chest and understands that their stories deserve more nuance than they’re generally afforded. “When I started out,” she begins, “We were doing a lot of reporting, writing, music criticism and concert reviewing, record reviewing and all of these things-there was a lot of advocacy.” She then added, “A lot of that advocacy still exists in ‘Black Girl Songbook’.” She has also worked with Billboard (as the first Black editor) and ESPN, where she highlighted various types of sounds, people and events. In the late 90s, as well as in the mid 2000s, she was the editor-in-chief of Vibe magazine and is credited for expanding the reach of the publication, as well as molding the tone. Smith is renowned for her work as a music journalist and author. I’m talking to Black women creatives,” Smith said exclusively to ESSENCE. “I’m talking about the history of song, I’m talking about how songs are made. Now, she’s keeping the passion going with her latest venture-serving as the host of a The Ringer Podcast Network and Spotify Original show called “Black Girl Songbook.” Danyel Smith has long been a voice for Black women who love and make music.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |