One thing you should know about me is that I was raised on R&B music and it’s shaped who I am today. A bad bitch with a fuck-you attitude to the patriachy. What better way of starting the year than a playlist that emphasises the power of some brown goddesses. All these woman are the reason I question heterosexuality.

 

Toni Braxton – Unbreak my Heart

 

There’s no way you can have any playlist with melanated sistahs without mentioning the better of the Braxton girls, sorry Tamar. Toni has been the reason for my love of soul and R&B. Obviously most brown girls can relate to the jams of Toni Braxton, feeling pride in her soothing vocals. But I love her more than you, promise.

 

Aaradhna – Down Time

 

If you ever spent any time in Tāmaki in the early 2000’s, miss Aaradhna was the title track to your life. Honestly, I miss walking around with a flip phone hooked onto the waistband of my trackies, blasting music out loud that was recorded from the radio through the voice recorder. The tinny sound is that of legend, and Aaradhna is the reason I’m so free spirited and proud of being brown.

 

Maisey Rika – Letting Go

 

The Tangaroa Whakamautai singer is worth more than her weight in gold. A wāhine proud of her wairua and so damn talented, why aren’t we hyping Maisey more? Her voice is like soft butter melting, and her beauty isn’t far from a deity. If you ever want to hear a bit of what inner city living in Aotearoa is like, Maisey Rika is the easiest way of feeling it from a kaupapa perspective. 

 

Ria Hall – Owner

 

Where Maisey Rika is our amazing Māori queen, does that mean Ria Hall is our heroine? Who knows, but she sings this song like her life depends on it; which it might. This song takes you on a journey and tells such an intense story of struggle and growth. If you’re wanting to feel inspired, this is the one.

 

Ari Lennox – Shea Butter Baby

 

Okay, while not the intended black girl audience for this, Ari Lennox sings straight into your soul. Shea Butter Baby was a song I stumbled upon by accident when I was roped into a casual concert in 2020 at the Powerstation. Oh my god. So if you’re ever in just a feels kind of mood, wanting to cry to yourself, let this jam come on. This is an emotion that everyone needs to feel at some stage. Do yourself a favour, just listen to Ari Lennox.