Five on it: Teyana Taylor is singing for the black class of Covid-19

Women of colour are currently having a weird time in the music industry. On the one hand, we’ve dominated the charts, but on the other, we have been analysed, called-out and ridiculed. Doja Cat, Beyoncé, Megan Thee Stallion and Nicki Minaj sat at the top two only a couple of weeks ago, a feat that was widely celebrated. However, Lana Del Rey’s controversial Instagram post this week sought to examine and scrutinise this, causing major backlash.

Despite releasing a string of critically acclaimed albums, she claimed she was “crucified” for her music and demanded a branch of feminism for “women who look and act like me”. It wasn’t difficult to see why people were annoyed and pointed out how it exemplified white privilege.

Meanwhile, after thanking the different mothers of his children in a flow of Mother’s Day tweets, rapper and notorious womaniser Future, took to Twitter to publicly shame the mother of his youngest child. Incensed by her request for child support after proving the paternity of the child, he attacked her in a tirade of tweets where he called her “ugly” and likened her to his dog.

It’s sad to see these public displays of anger towards women of colour who are frankly not doing anything wrong. In both of these instances, it feels that the respect for these women was abandoned in favour of self-gratification.

Nevertheless, women of colour still continue to thrive and of course, still continue to deliver great music. Here’s this week’s five on it:

Teyana Taylor – ‘Made It’

An ode to those who have missed their graduation due to the lockdown, this song celebrates the accomplishments of women. Inspiring, supportive and joyful, this video is sure to bring a smile to many faces. And if that isn’t enough, Teyana also dropped the video to ‘Bare Wit Me’, featuring a jaw-dropping dance routine in recognition of Michael Jackson.

Asha Gold – ‘Passenger’

On ‘Passenger’, West London-born Asha Gold’s silky R&B vocals observe the peace that stems from travelling. Being one of the first tracks she ever wrote, it was created a long time before lockdown, but its release now will have you reminiscing on some of your favourite moments of exploration.

Park Hye Jin – ‘Like this’

South Korean artist Park Hye Jin’s breathy, swirling electronic dance track manages to be simultaneously relaxing and perfect for the club.

Chi Virgo – ‘Bye Bye’

Chi Virgo thrives after bidding farewell to a bad relationship on ‘Bye Bye’. With elements of neo-soul gliding over a reggae beat, this is a song that will shine brightly in the sunshine.