The Year 2020: Birthing A New Soundtrack to Black Womanhood

In the chaos, trauma, and relentless uncertainty that consumed this year, black women still found a way to deliver on much-needed self-expression. Here are some of 2020’s best works that speak to the new-age experience of black womanhood.

Ungodly Hour — Chloe X Halle

Ungodly Hour is beyond ethereal, inviting us into a sonic universe where black women are nothing less than the epicenter. Defined by saintlike harmonies, futuristic production, and a taste of old-school R&B, Ungodly Hour echoes the past, while blueprinting the future. At a glance, the sophomore album of the undeniable duo seems to be a coming of age story, telling the tale of losing a first love, while finding yourself in the process. But in reality, Ungodly Hour is a love letter to the songstresses themselves.

“Baby girl, It’s your world, baby girl/Do it for the girls, all around the world” — Chloe X Halle, BabyGirl

A sonic manifestation of the artistry fostered over past years, Ungodly Hour is not the sisters’ arrival into the industry, but a declaration that they are here to stay. It’s the fruit of self-discovery, dedication to craft, and sheer vulnerability.

It Was Good Until It Wasn’t — Kehlani

For Kehlani, the approach to her sophomore album is the antithesis to any fantasy, but rather a body of work committed to penning a narrative rooted in reality. It Was Good Until It Wasn’t is an honest exploration of a complicated relationship, taking us through a roller-coaster ride of passion, pain, love, and lust. Unafraid to show her ugly, Kehlani uses her lyricism to vocalize the hard truths most women are too afraid to even whisper.

“And what if I slip up? / What if tequila grabs my neck and say, don’t b*tch up?” — Kehlani, Open (Passionate)

Imitating sounds of the early 2000s to break down her walls, she ends the album in a way that feels incomplete, signaling her relationship may be over, but her story is not.

Let this body of work be a reminder that heartbreak is only a chapter.

Nightmare Vacation — Rico Nasty

Contrary to the work of her peers, Rico presents Nightmare Vacation as a true story of self, narrating the harsh dichotomy of being human. To put it in her own words, “it’s heaven and hell”.

Nightmare Vacation sounds like a bundle of angry pop-trap with hints of bass and flirtation at full intensity. Sporadic, eclectic, and lyrically volatile, the rapper proves she is married to nothing — only committed to living in the range of emotion that starts with confidence and ends with rage.

“Say hi to my haters like I’m Maino/It’s a good day if I say so/Be quiet, lil’ ho, you ain’t gettin’ no pesos (Shut up)” — Rico Nasty, STFU

And in all of its chaos, Rico’s debut testifies that the mess of life is often a fun, wild ride.

Life On Earth — Summer Walker

Summer Walker has never failed to voice how alien she feels in this world. Life On Earth, in all of its Atlanta-trap, meets acoustic guitar glory, may paint the picture of how obscure the songstress feels, but it’s ever so relatable.

In a year when reflection on the past feels almost brutal, inducing a painful nostalgia, Summer somehow makes it feel bittersweet. Accompanied by a sweet vocal, Summer uses Life On Earth to bask in the self-reflection needed to move forward in love, noting her denial and her lover’s shortcomings. She best details this in the continued R&B love affair with PartyNextDoor.

“Since my teens flew by in a coach seat/And since we all grown up, you tryna show me/What you was tryna do now?” — Summer Walker ft. PartyNextDoor, My Affection

Amidst the mirror she creates for the listener, the EP represents the tug of war most women experience, knowing better, but falling short to fleeting intimacy. It’s turmoil with no resolve, and that’s real.

After The Rain — Yung Baby Tate

In After the Rain, Yung Baby Tate is the rainbow — giving sound to the moment of light and revelation that is getting over a breakup. Meshing a bouncy, playful, and high-tempo feel with uncompromising affirmations, Yung Baby Tate actualizes empowerment.

“I am healthy, I am wealthy, I am rich, I am that b*tch/I am gonna go get that bag/And I am not gonna take your sh*t” — Yung Baby Tate, I Am ft. Flo Milli

A timely reminder that it doesn’t rain forever, After The Rain is Yung Baby Tate’s promise to sonic sweetness after sour times.

Jaguar — Victoria Monét

Emerging out of the blue like a 70s lovechild, Jaguar is orchestral, electric, and equally funky, diving deep into the experience of intimacy. Speaking to her fluid sexuality in “Touch Me”, the singer suggests that love is better shown than said.

“Get to know me inside/If you love me, show me (with your hands, with your hands)” — Victoria Monét, Touch Me

And even though lust and passion are centric themes of the record, the true heroine of this story is the power of connection. Jaguar is a call for every woman’s inner prowess to run free, as you never know where it might lead.

Good News — Megan Thee Stallion

After one of the most traumatic moments in her life, Megan Thee Stallion pours her resilience all over Good News.

“Okay, the hate turned me to a monster, so I guess I’m evil now/Woke up and I blacked out everything, so I can see it now” — Megan Thee Stallion, Go Crazy ft. Big Sean & 2 Chainz

But it isn’t all heavy. Good News is a raunchy celebration of hyper-sexuality, womanhood, and unwavering independence, giving Thee Stallion the starring role and deeming men as disposable extras in her plot.

Filled with all the twerk-anthems strip club money can buy, the rapper continues to flip the script on patriarchy, loudly disinterested in the male gaze as she speaks only to her desires.

Good News is a musical testimony that you can do more than survive trauma, you can thrive after it.

Closing

To live in a time when the expression of black womanhood is active in so many sounds and perspectives, is a blessing. All nuanced yet defined by poignant through-lines, this music speaks loudly to the bountiful era we are in. Let’s continue the soundtrack in 2021.