Music
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The Root Jams Weekly: 'The Bad Bitch Playlist' (8/7/2020)
Every now and then you have to reach into your bag for your inner “bad bitch.” Sometimes, that’s what it takes to get the job done. This week’s playlist is chock full of jams to harness the power of that inner “bad bitch.” “The Bad Bitch Playlist” (8/7/2020) Maiysha Kai Betty Davis “They Say I’m…
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Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion Bring the Heat and Some Surprise Guests in Music Video for Their New Song 'WAP'
When Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion revealed earlier this week that they had a new collaboration coming out called “WAP,” I began eagerly anticipating and preemptively celebrating a wave of hot girl shit to take my mind off the hot mess that continues to be 2020. The new song and music video from the…
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Hers for the Taking: Tiana Major9 Talks New EP, Self-Care, and Creating Her Legacy
“I always knew I wanted to be a singer, I always wanted to be an artist,” Tiana Thomas, affectionately known as Tiana Major9, tells The Root over the phone. The East London native, now 24 years old, reveals her music dreams began to manifest at age five. It was only a few years ago that…
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Time to Twerk: Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B Team Up for New Collaboration
Although clubs are closed for the foreseeable future due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it doesn’t mean we can’t shake a lil’ sum’n sum’n in the comfort of our own homes. This Friday, the girls may be getting the summer banger they’ve been craving in order to turn up the way we used to. (It’s me.…
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Replay, Revisit, Reject: Music as a Whole Could Be a Lot Better in 2020
We get it: With everything going on in the world, it can be difficult to carve out time to discover new music. Industry-pushed tunes that you may not even bang with like that could also get in the way of you finding something that tingles your consumer taste buds. While new tunes are usually released…
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The Root Jams Weekly (7/31/2020): 'Soundtrack Jams'
We all have movies that resonate with us. And in those movies, there are usually songs that help flesh out the story that become part of our lives. Today’s list is full of our favorite soundtrack jams. “Soundtrack Jams” (7/31/2020) Maiysha Kai Al Jarreau “Moonlighting” Johnny Mathis & Deniece Williams “Without Us” Labrinth “All for…
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Beyoncé Happened
On July 31—hell, on July 30—Beyoncé Giselle Knowles Carter reminded everyone why she is king. In fact, she reminded everyone why Black Is King. In fact, Bey pretty much owned the last 10 or 11 days of July when she officially dropped the trailer for her visual album Black Is King, in conjunction with Disney’s…
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I Think I Might Owe Jhene Aiko An Apology. My Bad, Jhene
Since we’ve all been some manner of “at home” since March, one of the most consistent forms of Black entertainment has been Verzuz—not always for the right reasons; doesn’t it seem like forever ago that Teddy Riley was trending?—and the arguments, speculation and unsolicited social media advice offered to multimillionaire entertainers who apparently all forgot…
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Roc Nation to Release Social Justice-Themed Compilation Album 'Reprise'; Jorja Smith Drops First Single
The world has transformed into a more socially conscious place in recent months, and if any medium captures the moments our world lives through best, it’s music. Whether Sam Cooke was pouring out his life experiences during the Civil Rights Movement for “A Change Is Gonna Come” in 1964, or Childish Gambino was showing us…
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13-Year-Old Keedron Bryant's Visual for Viral Song 'I Just Wanna Live' Is a Strong Contender for Video of the Year
Whether through sheer creativity or by amplifying a moment or a movement, music videos used to mean something and make you feel something. I crave the days of yore when I’d rush home off of the school bus in order to watch MTV’s Total Request Live (TRL) or BET’s 106 & Park. I was eager…